The only units where this is true is the SU76, the StuG and that's probably it? All others have higher POP than even a medium tank.
That imo is because SU-76/Stug main role is counter mediums tanks with a Pop of 10-14, M36/FF/SU-85 are meant to counter Heavy/Super heavy with a pop of above 20.
Brummbar has higher population than any infantry unit.
Mainly because it is vehicle costing fuel and not infatry.
Main lines have roughly the same population as team weapons.
I am not sure how you compare strength between main lines and support weapons but if one uses cost as an indicator, HM-42 is 260 6 pop and grenadier is 240 7 pop.
And one has to keep in mind that many units have seen changes in cost and power and pop was not always adjusted.
All this does not fit into balancing POP towards role, only towards the strength of the unit.
Which means that the unit is strong (high power level), so it needs high POP.
High power level in groups of two still means high power. That's why the pop is high. To make spamming harder and create holes in your line up. That's also why heavies got limited to one, because two of them were gg and the only way to prevent this is to put a hefty POP price on them.
As one can see Tiger was artificially "over populated" to reduce the power of building more than one.
In sort population role is imo a little more complicated.
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