MADAGASCAR

The people of Madagascar come from some twenty ethnic groups, of which principal ones are: the central highlanders (Merina and related Betsileo) and the côtiers of mixed Arab, African, Malayo-Indonesian ancestry. Other groups are Comorans, French, Indo-Pakistanis, and Chinese.

POPULATION GRAPH

Population:
19,448,815 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 4,297,985; female 4,243,369)
15-64 years: 53% (male 5,117,874; female 5,190,032)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 270,411; female 329,144) (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.008% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
38.6 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.986 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.822 male(s)/female
total population: 0.992 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
57.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.14 years
female: 64.1 years (2007 est.)
male: 60.23 years
Total fertility rate:
5.24 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.7% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
140,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
7,500 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Malagasy (singular and plural)
adjective: Malagasy
Ethnic groups:
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:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68.9%
male: 75.5%
female: 62.5% (2003 est.)