Demographics of Mozambique

The demographics of Mozambique describes the condition and overview of Mozambique's peoples. Demographic topics include basic education, health, and population statistics as well as identified racial and religious affiliations.

Ethnic groups

Mozambique's major ethnic groups encompass numerous subgroups with diverse languages, dialects, cultures, and histories. Many are linked to similar ethnic groups living in inland countries. The estimated 4 million Makua are the dominant group in the northern part of the country — the Sena and Shona (mostly Ndau) are prominent in the Zambezi valley, and the Shangaan (Tsonga) dominate in southern Mozambique. Other groups include Makonde, Yao, Swahili, Tonga, Chopi, and Nguni (including Zulu). The country has also a small number of European descent residents of Portuguese ancestry. During Portuguese colonial rule, a large minority of Portuguese settlers lived permanently in almost all areas of Mozambique, and Mozambicans with Portuguese blood at the time of independence was about 360,000. Most of these left the region after its independence in 1975, returning to Portugal where they were called retornados. As compared to the European population, there is a higher mestiço minority of Mozambicans with mixed Bantu and Portuguese heritage. The remaining Caucasians in Mozambique are Indians in Mozambique,primarily known as Indo-Mozambicans, Pakistan, Portuguese India and Arab countries.^{[citation needed]} There are various estimates for the size of Mozambique's Chinese community, ranging from 1,500 to 12,000 as of 2007^[update].^[1][2]

Education and health

Under Portugal, educational opportunities for poor Mozambicans were limited; 93% of the Bantu population was illiterate, and many could not speak Portuguese. In fact, most of today's political leaders were educated in missionary schools. After independence, the government placed a high priority on expanding education, which reduced the illiteracy rate to about two-thirds as primary school enrollment increased. Unfortunately, in recent years school construction and teacher training enrollments have not kept up with population increases. With post-war enrollments reaching all-time highs, the quality of education has suffered. As a member of Commonwealth of Nations, most urban Mozambicans are required to learn English starting high-school.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Mozambique

During the colonial era, Christian missionaries were active in Mozambique, and many foreign clergy remain in the country. According to the 2007 census, about 56.1% of the population are Christians (including 28.4% Catholics), 17.9% are Muslim, 7.3% adheres to traditional beliefs and 18.7% do not associate with a specific religion.

Languages

Main article: Languages of Mozambique

Portuguese is the official and most widely spoken language of the nation, but only 40% of Mozambique's population speak Portuguese as either their first or second language, and only 6.5% speak Portuguese as their first language. Arabs, Chinese, and Indians speak their own languages (Indians from Portuguese India speak any of the Portuguese Creoles of their origin) aside from Portuguese as their second language. Most educated Mozambicans speak English, which is used in schools and business as second or third language.

Culture

See also: Music of Mozambique

Despite the influence of Islamic coastal traders and European colonizers, the people of Mozambique have largely retained an indigenous culture based on smallscale agriculture. Mozambique's most highly developed art forms have been wood sculpture, for which the Makonde in northern Mozambique are particularly renowned, and dance. The middle and upper classes continue to be heavily influenced by the Portuguese colonial and linguistic heritage.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

Demographics of Mozambique, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.^[3]

Population:

• 22,948,858 (July 2011 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years:

• 45.9% (male 5,295,776; female 5,245,485) (2011 est.)

15-64 years:

• 51.1% (male 5,550,501; female 6,174,668) (2011 est.)

65 years and over:

• 3% (male 313,892; female 368,536) (2011 est.)

Population growth rate:

• 2.444% (2011 est.)

Birth rate:

• 39.62 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death rate:

• 13 deaths/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.), 1.02 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
under 15 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.), 1.01 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.), 0.949 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female (2003 est.), 0.717 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.), 0.968 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 78.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
female: 81.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
male: 76.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: total population: 51.78 years
male: male: 51.01 years
female: female: 52.57 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate:

• 5.46 children born/woman (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS — people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.4 million (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS — deaths: 74,000 (2009 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Mozambican(s)
adjective: Mozambican

Ethnic groups: indigenous tribal groups 97.8% (Shangana, Chokwe, Manyika, Sena, Makua, Ndau, and others), Euro-Africans 1%, Indians 0.5%, Arabs 0.1%, Chinese 0.1%, Europeans 0.5%

Religions: Catholic 23.8%, Muslim 17.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, other 17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census)

Languages: Portuguese language (official)
Emakhuwa 26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8% (official; spoken by 27% of population as a second language), Elomwe 7.6%, Cisena 6.8%, Echuwabo 5.8%, other Mozambican languages 32%, other foreign languages 0.3%, unspecified 1.3% (1997 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47.8% (2003 est.), 40.1% (1995 est.)
male: 63.5% (2003 est.), 57.7% (1995 est.)
female: 32.7% (2003 est.), 23.3% (1995 est.)

References

1. ^ Jian, Hong (2007), "莫桑比克华侨的历史与现状 (The History and Status Quo of Overseas Chinese in Mozambique)", West Asia and Africa (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) (5), ISSN 1002-7122, http://scholar.ilib.cn/A-xyfz200705010.html, retrieved 2008-10-29 
2. ^ Horta, Loro (2007-08-13), "China, Mozambique: old friends, new business", International Relations and Security Network Update, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=17974, retrieved 2007-11-03 
3. ^ People in Mozambique, the CIA World Factbook 2007 edition

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2007 edition".