Polar bears live in these 19 fairly distinct areas in the circumpolar North. Population estimates are by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), Polar Bear Specialist Group, 1997.
| Region | Population |
| Western Hudson Bay | 1200 |
| Southern Hudson Bay | 1000 |
| Foxe Basin | 2300 |
| Lancaster Sound | 1700 |
| Baffin Bay | 2200 |
| Norwegian Bay | 100 |
| Kane Basin | 200 |
| Queen Elizabeth | 200? |
| Davis Strait | 1400 |
| Gulf of Boothia | 900 |
| M'Clintock Channel | 700 |
| Viscount Melville Sound | 230 |
| Northern Beaufort Sea | 1200 |
| Southern Beaufort Sea | 1800 |
| Chukchi sea | 2000-5000 |
| Laptev Sea | 800-1200 |
|
Franz Josef Land /
Novaya Zemlya |
2500-3500 |
| Svalbard | 1700-2200 |
| East Greenland | unknown |