Ecuador's population is ethnically diverse. The largest ethnic group is the Mestizos, (as of 2007) the mixed descendants of Spanish colonists and indigenous Indians, who constitute 62 percent of the population. Amerindians account for 8 percent of the current population. Whites, mainly criollos, the unmixed descendants of early Spanish colonists, as well as immigrants from other European countries, account for about 25 percent. The small Afro-Ecuadorian minority, including Mulattos and zambos, largely based in Esmeraldas and Imbabura provinces, make up 4 percent.
There are sizable expatriate Ecuadorean communities in Spain and Italy, as well across Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. It is estimated that 700,000 people emigrated from Ecuador following the 1999 economic crisis, and that the expatriate Ecuadorean population totals 2.5 million.
The tropical forest region to the east of the mountains (El Oriente) remains sparsely populated and contains only about three percent of the population.
Population: |
13,755,680 (July 2007 est.) |
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 2,282,319/female 2,196,685) 15-64 years: 62.3% (male 4,271,848/female 4,301,149) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 330,302/female 373,377) (2007 est.) |
Median age: |
total: 23.9 years male: 23.4 years female: 24.3 years (2007 est.) |
Population growth rate: |
1.554% (2007 est.) |
Birth rate: |
21.91 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Death rate: |
4.21 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Net migration rate: |
-2.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.039 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.993 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.885 male(s)/female total population: 1.002 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 22.1 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 76.62 years male: 73.74 years female: 79.63 years (2007 est.) |
Total fertility rate: |
2.63 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.3% (2003 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
21,000 (2003 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
1,700 (2003 est.) |
Nationality: |
noun: Ecuadorian(s) adjective: Ecuadorian |
Ethnic groups: |
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3% |
Religions: |
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5% |
Languages: |
Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua) |
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91% male: 92.3% female: 89.7% (2001 census) |
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