Demographics of Haiti

According to the 2019 revision of the World Population Prospects[4][5] the total population was 11,123,178 in 2018, compared to 3,221,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 36.2%, 59.7% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 4.5% was 65 years or older .[6] According to the World Bank, Haiti's dependency rate is 7.51 dependents per 100 working age persons.[3]

Registration of vital events in Haiti is not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. [6]

While limited, evidence suggests that disasters can cause human populations to increase in the long term, rather than decrease. Documented fertility spikes followed the Khmer Rouge conflict and 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami - potential causes may include reduced access to contraception and families desiring more children following child death.[8] In Haiti's case, the fertility rate nearly tripled after the quake, and is likely to remain elevated (above pre-quake levels) for long after.[9]

[10]

Number of births and deaths are calculated - based on Crude Birth and Death Rates.

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019.[12]

• One birth every 2 minutes
• One death every 6 minutes
• One net migrant every 15 minutes
• Net gain of one person every 4 minutes

Demographic statistics according to the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.[1]

Population

10,788,440 (July 2018 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 95%, mixed and white 5%

Age structure

Population pyramid of Haiti in 2017

0-14 years: 32.27% (male 1,733,920 /female 1,747,387)

15-24 years: 21.11% (male 1,139,188 /female 1,137,754)

25-54 years: 37.32% (male 1,997,816 /female 2,028,495)

55-64 years: 5.1% (male 262,494 /female 287,515)

65 years and over: 4.21% (male 199,617 /female 254,254) (2018 est.)

Median age

total: 23.3 years. Country comparison to the world: 172nd

male: 23.1 years

female: 23.6 years (2018 est.)

Birth rate

22.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 65th

Death rate

7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 111st

Total fertility rate

2.66 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 65th

Net migration rate

-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 163th

Population growth rate

1.31% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 84th

Mother's mean age at first birth

22.8 years (2016/7 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Contraceptive prevalence rate

34.3% (2016/17)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 62.3 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 54.8 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 7.5 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio: 13.3 (2015 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 64.6 years

male: 61.9 years

female: 67.2 years (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 55.3% of total population (2018)

rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 58.7%, Protestant 33.5% (Baptist 15.4%, Pentecostal 14.9%, Adventist 3%, Methodist 1.5%, other 0.7%), vodou 2.1%, other 4.6%, none 1.2% (2018 est.)

note: many Haitians practice elements of vodou in addition to another religion, most often Roman Catholicism; vodou was recognized as an official religion in 2003

Education expenditures

2.4% of GDP (2016) Country comparison to the world: 162nd

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

total population: 60.7%

male: 64.3%

female: 57.3% (2015 est.)

Languages

• French (official)
• Haitian Creole (official)

Nationality

• noun:Haitian(s)
• adjective: Haitian

Taíno was the major pre-Columbian language in the region of what is Haiti (or Ayti), a name rooted in the language to refer to the entire island of Hispaniola[13][14] to mean, "land of high mountains."[15]

Today, the Republic of Haiti has two official languages. They are French and Haitian Creole; the latter, a French-based creole where 90% of its vocabulary is derived from, with influences from Portuguese, Spanish, Taíno, and West African languages.[16] French is the principal written and administratively authorized language (as well as the main language of the press) and is spoken by 42% of Haitians.[17][18] It is spoken by most educated Haitians, is the medium of instruction in most schools, and is used in the business sector. It is also used in ceremonial events such as weddings, graduations and church masses.

Haiti is one of two independent nations in the Americas (along with Canada) to designate French as an official language; the other French-speaking areas are all overseas départements, or collectivités, of France. Haitian Creole,[19] which has recently undergone a standardization, is spoken by virtually the entire population of Haiti.[20] It is related to the other French creoles, but most closely to Antillean Creole and Louisiana Creole variants.

Spanish, though not official, is spoken by a growing amount of the population, and is spoken more frequently near the border with the Dominican Republic. English is increasingly spoken among the young and in the business sector.[21]

The state religion is Roman Catholicism which 55–60% of the population professes. 30–35% of Haitians practice Protestantism(mostly Pentecostalism.An important percentage of the population practice Vodou, mostly along with another religion.[1] The main religions practiced in Haiti are Roman Catholicism, Pentecostalism, Islam, and Judaism. In addition, the protestant population is continuing to grow, along with Islam and Judaism. Almost 99% of Haitians claim at least one religion, with a part of them practicing some part of voodoo. [22]

Voodoo is rare among the urban elite and is often compared to Cuban Santeria due to the large Cuban population in Haiti. [23] The practice of voodoo revolves around family spirits called Loua that protect children. To repay the spirits, children perform two ceremonies where the Loua are given gifts like food and drinks. That does depend of the monetary status of these families, poorer families wait until there is a need to perform the rituals. [24]

Voodoo in relation to Christianity came along two different paths, the path with the Catholics and the path with the protestants. For the Catholic path; under the French the slaves were not allowed to practice Voodoo, but they were allowed to occasionally have dances on the weekend. These dances turned out to be Voodoo services, until they were liberated in 1804. Most Haitians see practicing Voodoo and Christianity as normal due to the many components they share. The catholic church wasn't always as accepting of Voodoo as it is now, in 1941-1942 a holy war was waged against Voodoo killing many of the higher ups in the Voodoo religion. This war ended around 1950 when the Catholics decided give up the prosecution of those who practiced Voodoo and to have a relative peace. The path with the protestants was less peaceful. The Protestants came to Haiti in 1970 and since then they have been bitter enemies of Voodoo, most often calling it devil worship. [25]

Although public education at the primary level is now free, private and parochial schools provide around 75% of educational programs offered.

In recent years, several annual literacy campaigns launched in by the Martelly administration has increased overall literacy among adults in Haiti.[26] UNESCO projects an overall literacy rate of 61.1% in Haiti by 2015.[27] As of December 2014, World Bank has reported that school enrollment has increased from 78% to 90% in Haiti, very close to the goal of universal child enrollment.[28]

In 2004, 300,000 children were restavecs, the practice of which is comparable to indentured service of minors.[29]

Large-scale emigration, principally to the Dominican Republic, United States, and Canada (predominantly to Quebec, with other areas of the country) – but also to Cuba, other areas of Europe and the Americas (like Argentina) such as France (with French Guiana), Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Ireland; and Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, the Bahamas and other Caribbean neighbors – has created what Haitians refer to as the Eleventh Department or the Diaspora. About one of every six Haitians live abroad.

45,000 Westerners from the United States live in Haiti. They represent 0.4% of its total population.[30]