People
Population:
13,670,507 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
45% (male 3,105,958; female 3,034,279)
15-64 years:
52% (male 3,499,021; female 3,573,052)
65 years and over:
3% (male 224,710; female 233,487) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.83% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
42.63 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
14.38 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.96 male(s)/female
all ages:
1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
93.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
52.19 years
male:
51.11 years
female:
53.3 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.89 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Malagasy (singular and plural)
adjective:
Malagasy
Ethnic divisions:
Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran
Religions:
indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%
Languages:
French (official), Malagasy (official)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
80%
male:
88%
female:
73%
