Yesterday I, Krungle, got my 20's on both Syrtis and Ignis at fort fights. My estimate was there were well over two dozen Gelfs when we were fighting them. Of course the Power of the Beard came into play and we killed the Zerglings but there was a fair number there. It is all about the time of day/night one logs on and even then population fluctuates. All games see a population decrease the month after school starts up in the fall and Regnum also has to deal with Multirealmers who log onto one realm or another in force. Admittedly multirealming probably is not as big a thing as most people make it out to be but it does effect gameplay to an extent.
Anyway, Haven might be smaller in population than Ra but some of us like it that way. I do not see the population as 'broke' or 'dead', just small, friendly and one big family.
