Seychelles: People & Society#
| Population | 93,186 (July 2016 est.) |
|---|---|
| Nationality | noun: Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychellois |
| Ethnic groups | mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab |
| Languages | Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, other 3.8%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.6% (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecoastal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.6), other Christian 2.4%, Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other non-Christian 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est.) |
| Demographic profile | Seychelles has no indigenous population and was first permanently settled by a small group of French planters, African slaves, and South Indians in 1770. Seychelles’ modern population is composed of the descendants of French and later British settlers, Africans, and Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern traders and is concentrated on three of its 155 islands – the vast majority on Mahe and lesser numbers on Praslin and La Digue. Seychelles’ population grew rapidly during the second half of the 20th century, largely due to natural increase, but the pace has slowed because of fertility decline. The total fertility rate dropped sharply from 4.0 children per woman in 1980 to 1.9 in 2015, mainly as a result of a family planning program, free education and health care, and increased female labor force participation. Life expectancy has increased steadily, but women on average live 9 years longer than men, a difference that is higher than that typical of developed countries. The combination of reduced fertility and increased longevity has resulted in an aging population, which will put pressure on the government’s provision of pensions and health care. Seychelles’ sustained investment in social welfare services, such as free primary health care and education up to the post-secondary level, have enabled the country to achieve a high human development index score – among the highest in Africa. Despite some of its health and education indicators being nearly on par with Western countries, Seychelles has a high level of income inequality. An increasing number of migrant workers – mainly young men – have been coming to Seychelles in recent years to work in the construction and tourism industries. As of 2011, foreign workers made up nearly a quarter of the workforce. Indians are the largest non-Seychellois population – representing half of the country’s foreigners – followed by Malagasy. |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 20.19% (male 9,650/female 9,164) 15-24 years: 13.58% (male 6,641/female 6,016) 25-54 years: 49.36% (male 24,335/female 21,660) 55-64 years: 9.36% (male 4,483/female 4,235) 65 years and over: 7.51% (male 2,763/female 4,239) (2016 est.) |
| Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 43.5% youth dependency ratio: 33.6% elderly dependency ratio: 9.9% potential support ratio: 10.1% (2015 est.) |
| Median age | total: 34.9 years male: 34.4 years female: 35.5 years (2016 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.8% (2016 est.) |
| Birth rate | 13.9 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
| Death rate | 6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
| Net migration rate | 1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
| Urbanization | urban population: 53.9% of total population (2015) rate of urbanization: 1.14% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) |
| Major urban areas - population | VICTORIA (capital) 26,000 (2014) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2016 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.7 years male: 70.2 years female: 79.4 years (2016 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 1.86 children born/woman (2016 est.) |
| Health expenditures | 3.4% of GDP (2014) |
| Physicians density | 1.07 physicians/1,000 population (2012) |
| Hospital bed density | 3.6 beds/1,000 population (2011) |
| Drinking water source | improved: urban: 95.7% of population rural: 95.7% of population total: 95.7% of population unimproved: urban: 4.3% of population rural: 4.3% of population total: 4.3% of population (2015 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 98.4% of population rural: 98.4% of population total: 98.4% of population unimproved: urban: 1.6% of population rural: 1.6% of population total: 1.6% of population (2015 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 26.9% (2014) |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 3.6% (2012) |
| Education expenditures | 3.6% of GDP (2011) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.8% male: 91.4% female: 92.3% (2012 est.) |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 15 years (2014) |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | total: 11% male: 8.4% female: 14.2% (2011 est.) |