Demographics of Colombia

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

Colombia is the third-most populous country in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico. Movement from rural to urban areas has been heavy. The urban population increased from 57% of the total population in 1951 to about 74% by 1994. Thirty cities have a population of 100,000 or more. The nine eastern lowlands departments, constituting about 54% of Colombia's area, have less than 3% of the population and a density of less than one person per square kilometer (two persons per sq. mi.).

Ethnic diversity in Colombia is a result of the intermingling of indigenous Indians, Spanish colonists, and Africans. Today, only about 1% of the people can be identified as fully Indian on the basis of language and customs.

Demographic data from the CIA World Factbook

Population: 42,954,279 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.7% (male 6,670,950/female 6,516,371) 15-64 years: 64.2% (male 13,424,433/female 14,142,825) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 968,127/female 1,231,573) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 26.04 years male: 25.14 years female: 26.93 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.49% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 20.82 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 5.59 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 20.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 24.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.72 years male: 67.88 years female: 75.7 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.56 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 190,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 3,600 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Colombian(s) adjective: Colombian

Ethnic groups: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%

Languages: Spanish

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.5% male: 92.4% female: 92.6% (2003 est.)