- Demographics of Bolivia
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Miners at work in Potosí
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Bolivia, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Since Bolivia was created as a state on its own in 1825 it has been a multiethnical society, which means that it is home to people of a lot of different ethnical backgrounds. As a result, the local Bolivians tend to treat their nationality as a citizenship instead of an ethnicity. The largest of the approximately three dozen indigenous Amerindian groups are the Aymaras, Quechuas, Chiquitanos, Guaraní (Chiriguanos, Guarayos), and Mojeños. The majority of white Bolivians are of Spanish descent, including Basque origin, but there are small German (including Mennonite), Croats, Asian (notably Japanese Okinawans relocated there after expropriation of farmland by the U.S. military after World War II [1]), Middle Eastern, and other minorities (Afro Bolivian), many of whose members descend from families that have lived in Bolivia for several generations.
Bolivia is one of the least-developed countries in South America. About two-thirds of its people, many of whom are subsistence farmers, live in poverty. Population density ranges from less than one person per square kilometer in the southeastern plains to about 10/km² (25/mi²) in the central highlands. As of 2006, population is increasing 1.45% per year.[1] Increasing numbers of Bolivians migrated to highly prosperous Brazil , Chile and Argentina, and even to developed countries in Europe (primarily the UK and Spain) and North America (esp. tens of thousands went to Mexico and the United States) in search of economic opportunities.
La Paz is at the highest elevation of the world's capital cities—3,600 meters (11,800 ft) above sea level. The adjacent city of El Alto, at 4,200 meters above sea level, is one of the fastest-growing in the hemisphere. Santa Cruz, the commercial and industrial hub of the eastern lowlands, also is experiencing rapid population and economic growth.[1]
The great majority of Bolivians are Roman Catholic, although Protestant denominations are expanding strongly. Many indigenous communities interweave pre-Columbian (pre-Hispanic) and Catholic Christian symbols in their religious practices. About half of the people speak Spanish as their first language. Approximately 90% of the children attend primary school but often for a year or less. The literacy rate is low in many rural areas.[1]
Demographics of Bolivia, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.Contents
Ethnic groups
In Bolivia, a 62% majority of residents over the age of 15 self-identify as belonging to an indigenous people, while another 3.7% grew up with an indigenous mother tongue yet do not self-identify as indigenous.[2] Including both of these categories, and children under 15, some 66.4% of Bolivia's population was registered as indigenous in the 2001 Census.[3] The largest indigenous ethnic groups are: Quechua, about 2.5 million people; Aymara, 2.0 million; Chiquitano, 181 thousand; Guaraní, 126 thousand; and Mojeño, 69 thousand. Some 124 thousand pertain to smaller indigenous groups.[4]
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated. 10,118,683
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 34.6% (male 1,785,453/female 1,719,173)
- 15-64 years: 60.7% (male 3,014,419/female 3,129,942)
- 65 years and over: 4.6% (male 207,792/female 261,904) (2011 est.)
Median age
Current president Evo Morales
Festival time in Sucre- Total: 22.5 years
- Male: 21.8 years
- Female: 23.2 years (2011 est.)
Birth rate
- 24.71 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate
- 6.85 deaths/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Net migration rate
- -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Sex ratio
- At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
- Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
- Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- Total: 42.16 deaths/1,000 live births
- Male: 45.95 deaths/1,000 live births
- Female: 38.18 deaths/1,000 live births [2011 est.]
Life expectancy at birth
- Total population: 67.57 years
- Male: 64.84 years
- Female: 70.42 years (2011 est.)
Total fertility rate
- 3.00 children born/woman (2011 est.)
- 2.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2009 est.)
- People living with HIV/AIDS: 12,000 (2009 est.)
- Deaths: less than 1000 (2009 est.)
Nationality
- Noun: Bolivian(s)
- Adjective: Bolivian
Indigenous peoples of BoliviaEthnic groups
- Amerindian 55% (Quechua 30% & Aymara 25%) , mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white ancestry) 30%, white 15%, other race 1% of African and Asian racial origins.
Religions
- Roman Catholic 51%, Protestant 16%, other Christian 30%, non-religious 2.5%, other (Islam, the Baha'i Faith, Judaism, Buddhism, Shinto etc.) 0.2%.
Languages
The official languages of Bolivia are Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, and Guaraní, plus other 33 native languages.
Literacy
- Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
- Total population: 87.2%
- Male: 93.1%
- Female: 81.6% (2003 est.)
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2006 edition".[2]- ^ a b c "Background Note: Bolivia". United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35751.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
- ^ Indigenous identification was treated in a complex way in the 2001 Census, which collected data on self-identification, capacity to speak an indigenous language, and learning an indigenous language as a child. CEPAL, "Los pueblos indígenas de Bolivia: diagnóstico sociodemográfico a partir del censo del 2001," 2005, p. 32
- ^ CEPAL, "Los pueblos indígenas de Bolivia: diagnóstico sociodemográfico a partir del censo del 2001," 2005, p. 42
- ^ CEPAL, "Los pueblos indígenas de Bolivia: diagnóstico sociodemográfico a partir del censo del 2001," 2005, p. 47
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