Population and Demographics

Ecuador's population is ethnically diverse. The largest ethnic group is comprised of Mestizos, the mixed descendants of Spanish colonists and indigenous Amerindians, who constitute just over 65% of the population. Amerindians are second in numbers and account for approximately a quarter of the current population, around 25%. Whites are mainly criollos, the unmixed descendants of early Spanish colonists, as well as immigrants from other European and Latin American countries, and account for some 7%. The small Afro-Ecuadorian minority - including Mulattos and zambos, and largely based in Esmeraldas and Imbabura provinces, constitute the remainder.

Many foreign nationals have set up residence in Ecuador (Americans, Europeans and Australians) in recent years. There are sizeable expatriate Ecuadorian 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 in total the expatriate Ecuadorian population is approximately 2.5 million).

The tropical forest region to the east of the mountains remains sparsely populated and contains only about 3% of the population.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 13,547,510
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 33% (male 2,281,499/female 2,195,551)
  • 15-64 years: 61.9% (male 4,178,653/female 4,210,766)
  • 65 years and over: 5% (male 319,719/female 361,322)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 23.6 years
  • Male: 23.1 years
  • Female: 24 years
• Population Growth Rate: 1.5%
• Birth Rate: 22.29 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 4.23 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: -3.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
• Total population: 1 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 22.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 27.42 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 18.09 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 76.42 years
  • Male: 73.55 years
  • Female: 79.43 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 2.68 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.3%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 21,000
• 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:
  • Total population: 92.5%
  • Male: 94%
  • Female: 91%