[Critias]

Just to clarify -- there is still government in Seattle in The Sixth World.  Seattle is UCAS territory, and Knight Errant enforces UCAS law.  Parts of it are extranational, yes, and those parts are monitored by different security companies with perhaps different laws...but for the most part, Seattle is still very much a governed megaplex.  You can still get pulled over for speeding, you can still vote for mayors and other elected officials, some sliver of taxes still goes to a National Guard, etc, etc.

Now, how much you want to play up those angles (as opposed to the world being completely dominated by extraterritorial megacorps) is entirely up to each GM -- but it's there, on paper.

[thalandar]

IMHO, first you need to ask where the majority of runners come from and who they are.  Now, from what I have seen and heard of others, most would say Shadowrunners grew up on the streets, maybe came from a gang, got some cyberware, went on their first run and now try to stay on the cutting edge.

I couldn't disagree more.  Most Shadowrunners, true Shadowrunners had to have training (ie magic) and/or cyberware.  That means former Corps, former (or current) organized crime backing, or former military.  I'd say that there are a lot of want-to-be runners out there, but everyone's forgetting one HUGE statistic...most Shadowrunners don't survive their first run.

You have to look at WHY people become Shadowrunners.  They are SINless, and want to score big and live the good life by their rules.  Let's face it, being in a gang doesn't pay well.  The Gang Leader gets a little wealth, but he gives a precentage to whatever organized crime group runs the area.  There are a FEW independant gangs (the Anicents, etc...), but they Still don't make the big bucks-if they did, they wouldn't be know as gangs they'd be known as an Organized Crime Group.

So, IMHO, while its most likely true that there are a large number (I'd say 1,000 to 1,200) of Shadowrunner-wanta-bes (300 to 400 BP range) the attrition rate amongest they is HIGH.  Even more so for "average' shadowrunners (a couple hundred at 400 to 500 BP), and Prime runners (and a few dozen at 500 BP+).  Very few runners get in the Biz to be Shadowrunners for life...there is no future in it.  Eventually you die.  Most go in with a set goal (make x amount of nuyen0 and are killed before they make it there.

[Nomad Zophiel]

Seem and this is where definition defines population.

Are all freelance criminals essentially Shadowrunners? Then you're talking a few per cent of the population at large and pretty much the entire population of the Barrens (in Seattle).

Are all criminals hired by organized crime and big corporations Shadowrunners? Then the population is only slightly lower than above.

Is a software programmer who has a second life as a superhacker a Shadowrunner if he isn't for hire? What if he is?

Now from what I gather, there is something of a 'runner community in many large cities and they know how to recognize their own. The PC's tend to fall into this category as opposed to criminals who occasionally take outside jobs or recently ex-gang/corp members who are just coming to the table. My ballpark figure would be one weefle-runner team per 400BP Shadowrunner and one 400BP shadowrunner team per mid level prime runner and so on up the scale. For every 125 weefles, there is one Big Name Runner like Fastjack or Frosty. You could possibly use the number of Big Names to work back and figure out populations.
The fatality rate goes in the opposite direction. Ironically, the higher you get in the Shadows the more likely it is that you'll be able to find non-lethal solutions and that the other side will find more value in capture than slaughter.

Shadowrunners tend to fit the following mold but there are exceptions to every rule:
Shadowrunners
are SINless
make money primarily through taking one time jobs as deniable assets.
find those jobs through one or more Fixers
Are briefed by a Mr. Johnson, who may be corporate, part of a crime syndicate or even just independent and desperate. Said Johnson only cares that the job gets done within spec and does not care about the team as people.
Primarily conduct criminal activities for contracts with a Mr. Johnson and personal work that enhances their ability to work for Johnsons (getting their hands on illegal programs, weapons, 'ware, etc)
Are anonymous to law enforcement and big corporations but can be extremely well known in Shadowrunner circles.
tend to have some motive other than just money. If a permanent Luxury lifestyle is a character's "win condition" there are easier and safer ways, even for the SINless than Shadowrunning.

This, by and large, does not include gang members, syndicate members, drug dealers, con artists etc etc. In fact its a fairly small fraction of the criminal element.