Demographics of Yemen
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of Yemen
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
are Muslims, either belonging to the Zaydi order of Shi'a Islam (50%) or to the Shafa'i order of Sunni Islam
(50%). Zaydis are generally found in the north and northwest and Shafa'is in the south and southeast. There are also approximately 3,000 Christians
, 400 Jews
, and 40 Hindus.
In 2006 only 75 percent of Yemen’s school-age population was enrolled in primary school; enrollment was even lower for the female population—only 65 percent. In that same year, only 37 percent of the school-age population was enrolled in secondary school, including only 26 percent of eligible females.
is largely concentrated in the United Kingdom
, where between 70,000 and 80,000
Yemenis live. Just over 10,000 Yemenis reside in the United States
, and an additional 2,812 live in Italy
. Other Yemenis also reside in the Gulf states (especially Saudia Arabia, the United Arab Emirates
, Qatar
and Bahrain
), as well as Somalia
, Djibouti
, Eritrea
, Indonesia
, Malaysia, and some parts of Brunei
and the former USSR.
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Source: CIA Factbooks 2000–2010.
18.78
18.3
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Population
The U.S. government has estimated a population of 23.4 million persons as of July 2010, and the International Monetary Fund estimated almost 21 million persons in 2005. Yemen’s latest census, conducted in December 2004, reported a population of 19.72 million persons, reflecting an average annual population growth rate of more than 3 percent. Yemen’s population has more than doubled since 1975 and has grown approximately 35 percent since the 1994 census, making Yemen the second most populous country on the Arabian Peninsula. Adding to the growth of the native population is the influx of Somali refugees into Yemen—tens of thousands every year. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, there were almost 96,000 African refugees in Yemen in 2006, including more than 91,000 Somalis. The Yemen government estimated 300,000 Somalis in Yemen in 2007. According to the United Nations, Yemen’s population in 2005 was 27.3 percent urban and 73.7 percent rural; population density was 40 persons per square kilometer.Population structure, births, and deaths
Yemen’s population is predominantly young. According to U.S. government and United Nations estimates, in 2007 about 46 percent of the population was under age 15; slightly more than half the population, 15–64; and less than 3 percent, 65 and older. The population was almost equally divided between males and females. In 2007 the birthrate and death rate were estimated to be 42.7 per 1,000 and 8.1 per 1,000, respectively. The infant mortality rate was almost 58 deaths per 1,000 live births. The rate was estimated to be higher for males than for females—more than 62 male deaths per 1,000 live births, as compared with about 53 female deaths per 1,000 live births. Despite an increase of 14 years in the last decade, life expectancy at birth in Yemen has remained low compared with other developing countries— 60.6 years for males and 64.5 years for females, or 62.5 years overall. The country’s fertility rate was almost 6.5 children per woman in 2007.Ethnic groups and languages
Yemen’s population is predominantly Arab, but it also includes Afro-Arabs, South Asians, and Europeans. Arabic is the official language; English is also used in official and business circles. In the Mahra area (the extreme east), several non-Arabic languages (including Mehri) are spoken. When the former states of north and south Yemen were established, most resident minority groups departed.Religions
Virtually all citizens of YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
are Muslims, either belonging to the Zaydi order of Shi'a Islam (50%) or to the Shafa'i order of Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
(50%). Zaydis are generally found in the north and northwest and Shafa'is in the south and southeast. There are also approximately 3,000 Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, 400 Jews
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 40 Hindus.
Literacy
According to composite data compiled by the World Bank, the adult literacy rate for Yemen in 2005 was 35 percent for females and 73 percent for males. The overall literacy rate for the population age 15 and older was 54 percent. By comparison, low-income countries in the aggregate average an adult literacy rate of almost 62 percent.In 2006 only 75 percent of Yemen’s school-age population was enrolled in primary school; enrollment was even lower for the female population—only 65 percent. In that same year, only 37 percent of the school-age population was enrolled in secondary school, including only 26 percent of eligible females.
Diaspora
The Yemeni diasporaDiaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
is largely concentrated in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where between 70,000 and 80,000
Yemeni British
Yemenis in the United Kingdom include citizens and non-citizen immigrants in the United Kingdom of Yemeni ancestry, as well as their descendants...
Yemenis live. Just over 10,000 Yemenis reside in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and an additional 2,812 live in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Other Yemenis also reside in the Gulf states (especially Saudia Arabia, the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
and Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
), as well as Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, and some parts of Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
and the former USSR.
Demographic statistics from the CIA World Factbook
Population
| Year | Population (July est.) |
Growth rate (est.) |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 24,133,492 | |||||||||||
| 2010 | 23,495,361 | |||||||||||
| 2009 | 23,822,783 | |||||||||||
| 2008 | 23,013,376 | |||||||||||
| 2007 | 22,230,531 | |||||||||||
| 2006 | 21,456,188 | |||||||||||
| 2005 | 20,727,063 | |||||||||||
| 2004 | 20,024,867 | |||||||||||
Source: CIA Factbooks 2000–2010.
| Year | Birth rate (est.): births/1000 pop. |
Death rate (est.): deaths/1000 pop. |
Net migration rate (est.): migrants/1000 pop. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 34.37 | 7.24 | N/A |
| 2009 | 42.14 | 7.61 | N/A |
| 2008 | 42.42 | 7.83 | |
| 2007 | 42.67 | 8.05 | 0 |
| 2006 | 42.89 | 8.3 | 0 |
| 2005 | 43.07 | 8.53 | 0 |
| 2004 | 43.16 | 8.78 | 0 |
18.78
18.3
Age structure
estimates for 2010:- 0–14 years: 43.5% (male 5,199,954/female 5,013,165)
- 15–64 years: 53.9% (male 6,438,569/female 6,233,708)
- 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 291,319/female 318,646)
Sex ratio
(2010 est.)- at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15–64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
- total population: 1.03 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate
(2010 est.)- total: 56.77 deaths/1,000 live births
- male: 61.46 deaths/1,000 live births
- female: 51.85 deaths/1,000 live births
Urbanization
- Urban population: 31% of total population (2008)
- Rate of urbanization: 4.9% annual rate of change (2005–2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
(2010 est.)- total population: 63.36 years
- male: 61.35 years
- female: 65.47 years
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk: cows
- food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrheaDiarrheaDiarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
, hepatitis AHepatitis AHepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus , an RNA virus, usually spread the fecal-oral route; transmitted person-to-person by ingestion of contaminated food or water or through direct contact with an infectious person...
, and typhoid feverTyphoid feverTyphoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi... - vectorborne diseases: dengue feverDengue feverDengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
and malariaMalariaMalaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases... - water contact disease: schistosomiasisSchistosomiasisSchistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by several species of trematodes , a parasitic worm of the genus Schistosoma. Snails often act as an intermediary agent for the infectious diseases until a new human host is found...
(2009)