Country Digest

The population of Jamaica is 2,950,210. This makes Jamaica the fourth largest country in the Caribbean by population (after Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti), the 13th largest country in North America and the 138th largest country in the world.

Despite its small population, Jamaica is a formidable competitor at the Olympics. Its sprinters have won 23 medals (10 gold medals, 7 silver and 6 bronze) at the last two Olympics (London and Beijing). As a result, Jamaica ranked second on our table of London 2012 Olympic medals per capita.

This year Usain Bolt is one of the favourites to win the Rio 2016 Olympic 100m and 200m titles. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is also a strong challenger for the women’s 100m title. Others in the hunt for medals are Omar McLeod and Hansle Parchment (110m hurdles). Jamaica is also expected to feature strongly in the sprint relay races.

Click here to see where Jamaica stand in the Rio 2016 per capita medal table.

How many people live in Jamaica today?

Unfortunately, no official estimates of the population of Jamaica in 2016 are available yet. The latest estimate (2,950,210) is for mid-2015 and is provided by the CIA Factbook.

The most recent official population estimate comes from the Government of Jamaica, who reported that at the end of 2014 Jamaica’s population was 2,720,554.

The population at the time of the last Jamaican census (2011) was 2,697,983. To see the Jamaica population increase over time, refer to the table at the end of this article.

Largest cities in Jamaica

Kingston is both the capital city of Jamaica and the largest city in Jamaica, with a population of 584,627 (2011 census).

The population of Kingston has increased by 5% since the previous census in 2001, which reported a population of 993,581.

There are two other cities in Jamaica with a population of more than 100,000 people – Spanish Town (147,512) and Montego Bay (110,115).

Here is a table listing the largest cities in Jamaica.

Ethnic groups in Jamaica

Most Jamaicans are descended from African slaves brought to the island to work on British sugar plantations in the 18th century. There is also a significant number of Jamaicans who are descended from East Indians and Chinese workers brought to the islands after the abolition of slavery.

More than 92% of Jamaicans identified as Black in the 2011 census. A further 6.1% identified as Mixed.

Jamaican diaspora – Jamaicans Abroad

Over the last 50 years around a million Jamaicans have emigrated to other countries – mostly the UK, Canada and the USA.

The USA Jamaican population is the largest in the world. In 2013 the US Census bureau reported that there were 1,091,482 Jamaican Americans in the US. It is thought that around 60% were born in Jamaica, the rest are descended from earlier immigrants. More than half of Jamaican Americans live in New York State and Florida.

The UK’s Jamaican population is the second largest in the world. Around 150,000 people born in Jamaica live in the UK, but the total number of people who are Jamaican British (either born in Jamaica or of Jamaican descent) is estimated to be approximately 800,000 people. The majority live in British cities, primarily London and Birmingham.

Religion in Jamaica

Protestant Christians are the largest religious group in Jamaica, although they are broken into a number of different denominations.

In total, 64.8% of Jamaicans are estimated to be Protestant. Other major groups are Roman Catholic (2.2%), Jehova’s Witness (1.9%) and Rastafarian (1.1%). Just over a fifth of Jamaicans (21.3%) reported that they had no religion.

Languages in Jamaica

There are two languages in common use in Jamaica – Jamaican Standard English and Jamaican Patois.

Jamaican Standard English is the language used in formal communications, the media and education. Jamaican Patois is a creole language derived from English and is more commonly used in spoken conversation.

Detailed statistics about usage are not available, although a 2007 survey indicated that 46.4% of Jamaicans were effectively bilingual. The remainder could speak only one language – either Jamaican Standard English (17.1%) or Jamaican Patois (36.5%).

Population density in Jamaica

The total area of Jamaica is 10,991 square km or 4,244 square miles.

If we take the 2015 population estimate (2,950,210) and divide it by the area we can work out that Jamaica’s population density is 268 people per square km or 695 people per square mile.

Jamaican Literacy Rate

The literacy rate in Jamaica is estimated to be 88% (2013, World Bank).

Jamaican Life expectancy

Life expectancy at birth in Jamaica is 73.55 years. Female life expectancy is 75.24 years and male life expectancy is 71.93 years.

Jamaica population pyramid

Jamaica population by year table

Note: this table details the end of the year population figures provided by the Jamaican Government, via the Statistics Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).

The population of Brazil is 210,147,125 people.

Brazil’s population is growing at a rate of 0.8% per year, so it is likely that Brazil’s population will reach 207 million by the beginning of 2017.

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, the largest country in South America, and the second largest country in the Americas (after the United States).

In August 2016 Rio de Janeiro in Brazil hosted the Olympic games for the first time. The Games took place during a period of concern about the Zika virus. The Brazilian government urged women to delay pregnancies and there is speculation that this could cause an alarming drop in the birth rate in Brazil.

How many people live in Brazil today?

The latest up to date population estimates can be found by visiting the official government of Brazil population clock, which is constantly updating.

The figures are estimated, based on extrapolations from the 2010 Brazilian census, which indicated that the Brazil population in 2008 was 190.8 million people.

The population of Brazil has been steadily growing since records were first kept. This chart shows population growth since the first census was taken in 1872. The underlying population data used to create this chart can be found in the table at the end of this article.

Ethnic groups in Brazil

Brazil is an ethnically diverse country, descended from three main populations:

• Indigenous Brazilian peoples
• European (mainly Portuguese) settlers
• Sub-Saharan Africans, sent to Brazil as slaves

Over time the ethnic groups have mixed, leading to an ethnically diverse society.

Brazilian census data classifies people as one of five main groups. They are:

• Branco (white)
• Pardo (brown)
• Preto (black)
• Amaerlo (yellow)
• Indigenous

The 2010 census reported the following breakdown:

Racial identity is more fluid in Brazil than in many countries of the world. People often define their race based on physical appearance rather than genetic heritage, and people who are more successful are more likely to be considered (or to consider themselves) white.

Mixed into these groupings are substantial Japanese-Brazilian (largely in the São Paulo region) and Jewish (largely based in the Rio de Janeiro area) communities.

The indigenous people of Brazil are, as you would expect for such a geographically large country, from many distinct ethnic groups. Povos Indigenas no Brasil estimates that there are 246 different indigenous Brazilian peoples.

Around 100 indigenous Brazilian tribes are still isolated and uncontacted.

Religions in Brazil

Christianity is the largest religion in Brazil. According to the 2010 census, 86.8% of Brazilians are Christian.

Roman Catholicism is the largest Christian grouping within Brazil – 64.6% of Brazilians are Catholic, and Brazil has the largest single Roman Catholic population in the world today.

Another 22.2% are Protestants, largely Evangelical and Pentecostal. Protestantism, particularly Evangelicalism, is growing rapidly while the proportion of Roman Catholics is falling.

The other significant groupings are those with no religion (8%) and those who practise Spiritism (2%).

A further 3.2% practice other religions, including small Buddhist, Jewish and Islamic populations.

Languages in Brazil

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, and is spoken by almost everyone in the country.

Brazil is the only country in South America to have Portuguese as its official language. Over time, Brazilian Portuguese has diverged slightly from European Portuguese – in much the same way that American English has diverged from European English.

In addition to Portuguese at least a further 200 indigenous languages are spoken in Brazil today. They are all spoken by relatively small communities, however.

The most widely spoken indigenous language in Brazil is Kaiwa Guarani which has around 15,000 native speakers. Most are in the Southern Brazilian province of Mato Grosso do Sul. A few hundred additional speakers are across the border in Northern Argentina.

There are also substantial numbers of Japanese speakers (around 380,000), Spanish speakers (around 480,000) and Korean speakers (around 37,000) in Brazil.

Education and literacy rate

Brazil has a comprehensive and well funded state education system. The constitution of Brazil guarantees that a proportion of state taxes (25%) and federal taxes (18%) is set aside each year for education funding.

The administration of education in Brazil is decentralised, being mostly run by individual states and municipalities.

Education is compulsory for all children aged from 6-14 years.

There are more than 2,400 universities in Brazil. Around ten percent of Brazilian universities are publicly funded; the remaining 90% are private universities or run by charitable organisations.

Access to university education in Brazil is limited – only 11% of the working age population has a degree. The university sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, however, from just under 600,000 students in 1997 to 1.6 million students in 2010. Most of this growth has been in the private university sector.

The University of São Paulo is regarded as the best university in Brazil. According to the Times (UK) it is ranked between 201st and 250th in the world.

Literacy rate

The literacy rate in Brazil (2015 UN estimate) is 92.6%. The literacy rate for women (92.9%) is slightly higher than for men (92.2%).

Literacy rates for younger Brazilians are higher, at 98.9% for people aged 15-24 years. For males aged 15-24 the literacy rate is 98.6% and for females it is 99.2%.

Altho gh lower than the Brazilian government would like, the Brazilian literacy rate has improved dramatically over the past 50 years. In 1960 the literacy rate was around 60%.

Literacy rates vary widely across Brazil, however. The 2010 census indicated that rates ranged from 97% in Distrito Federal to 77% in Alagoas.

Population density in Brazil

Brazil is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.

Population density in Brazil is 23.8 people per square kilometer or 62 people per square mile.

This makes Brazil the 192nd most densely populated country in the world.

Source: Felipe Menegaz

The majority of the Brazilian population is located in Brazil’s eastern, coastal states. As a result, it’s north-western, interior, states are much less densely populated.

The most densely populated states in Brazil are the Distrito Federal (493.5 people per square km) and Rio de Janeiro (376.0 people per square km).

The least densely populated states are Roraima (2.2 people per square km) and Amazons (2.5 people per square km). These two states are about as densely populated as Mongolia.

Largest cities in Brazil

The population of São Paulo is 12,038,175 (2016 estimate). This makes São Paulo the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in South America, the largest city in the Americas and the 11th largest city in the world today.

The next largest city is Rio de Janeiro, with a population of 6,453,682.

Brasília, the capital city, is the fourth largest city in Brazil. Although Brasília was only founded in 1960, today it is home to 2,852,372 people.

Here is a list of the ten largest cities in Brazil.

Other Brazilian demographic data

Unless otherwise stated, data in this section is from the CIA Factbook, and dated 2015.

Sex ratio

The sex ratio at birth in Brazil is 1.05 male(s) to every female. The overall sex ratio is 0.97 male(s) to every female.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy in Brazil at birth is 73.53 years. For males, life expectancy is 69.99 years and for females it is 77.25 years.

Median age

The median age in Brazil is 31.1 years. For males it is 30.3 years and for females it is 31.9 years.

Birth and death rate

Brazil’s birth rate is 14.46 births / 1,000 population.

Its death rate is 6.58 deaths / 1,000 people.

Fertility rate

Fertility rate in Brazil is 1.77 children per woman.

This relatively low fertility rate is causing some concern because it is below the replacement rate of 2.33 children per woman and lower than the fertility rate in the United States (1.88 children per woman).

Brazil population pyramid

Here is the latest (2016) Brazil population pyramid.

It demonstrates that Brazil has a comparatively young population.

Brazil population by year table

This table details the population growth of Brazil, with an entry for every year in which a census took place in Brazil.

The first census was held in 1872 and censuses have been held roughly every ten years since then.

The table also includes population data for 2016, based on the official Brazilian population clock on 9 June 2016.

Latest government data (from the 2016 census) puts the Cook Islands population at 17,459 people.

This figure includes short term visitors to the island, mainly tourists on holiday. The resident population of the Cook Islands (from September 2016) is estimated to be 11,700.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics in this article are drawn from the results of the 2011 Cook Islands census.

How many people live in the Cook Islands today?

Results from the 2011 census indicated that there were 17,794 people on the Cook Islands on 1 December 2011. This was made up of 14,974 residents and 2,820 visitors, mostly tourists holidaying in the Cook Islands.

Of the Cook Islands residents, 7,409 were male and 7,484 were female.

Rarotonga is the most populous island in the Cooks, home to 10,572 residents and 2,523 of the 2,820 visitors.

Population Growth in the Cook Islands

Population in the Cook Islands varies from year to year.

This is partly because within a small population a slightly higher than normal number of deaths or births in one year can have a dramatic affect on population figures.

It is also partly because many Cook Islanders spend time off the islands, living in other countries – primarily New Zealand, where they have citizenship.

The Cook Islands population grew steadily during the first half of the 20th century, from around 8,000 people in 1900 to just over 20,000 people (visitors and residents) in 1971.

After a small dip in the 1970s the population has stabilised at around 18,000 people, including around 15,000 residents.

The resident population of the Cook Islands at the last three censuses is as follows:

Ethnic Groups in the Cook Islands

Cook Islands Maori are the largest ethnic group on the Cook Islands. 81% (12,180 people) reported that they were Cook Islands Maori and a further 7% (1,005 people) reported that they were part Cook Islands Maori.

The remaining 12% of respondents (1,789 people) reported that they were of another ethnic origin – most commonly of New Zealand European origin.

The ethnic composition of Rarotonga, the largest island, is different to the other islands in the country – almost all of the respondents who reported that they were of another ethnic origin live on Rarotonga.

Religion in the Cook Islands

94% of Cook Islanders reported that they were religious, and almost all of those respondents reported that they were associated with a Christian faith.

The four main churches on the Cook Islands are the protestant Cook Islands Christian Church (49%, 7,535 members), followed by the Roman Catholic Church (17%, 2,540 members), the Seventh Day Adventist Church (8%, 1,190 members) and the Mormon Church of the Latter Day Saints (5%, 656 members).

A further 841 people (6%) reported that they had no religion, and the remaining respondents reported that they were members of another, smaller, church.

Cook Islands languages

The two main languages in the Cook Islands are English and Cook Islands Maori. Both are official languages of the Cook Islands and over 90% of the Cook Islands population can speak and write in both languages.

While almost everyone is able to speak and write in English, the number who can speak and write in Cook Islands Maori varies, depending on ethnicity. Those who are Cook Island Maori are most likely to be fluent, followed by those who are part Cook Islands Maori and then those of other ethnic groups.

Cook Island Maori is closely related to New Zealand Maori. The language has been placed on the UNESCO endangered language list but with government support is actively being promoted and preserved.

Other languages in the Cook Islands include Penrhynese, Pukapukan and Rakahanga-Manihiki. They are also considered to be endangered languages.

Largest cities in the Cook Islands

Avarua, the capital city of the Cook Islands, is the only town or city on the Cook Islands of any significant size. It is located on the northern shore of Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands.

According to data from 2006, the population of Avarua is 5,445 people.

Largest islands in the Cook Islands

Instead of recording population by cities, it is more useful to record the Cook Islands population by island.

Rarotonga is the largest of the Cook Islands, and the large majority of Cook Islanders live there. In 2011, the population of Rarotonga was 10,572 people.

Aitutaki is the second largest island, with a population of 1,771 people in 2011, followed by Mangaia, with a population of 562 people.

Here is a full list of the Cook Islands listing their 2011 resident population.

The Cook Islands are divided into two groups, north and south. This classification is also used at times to record population. The population of Rarotonga and the two Cook Islands groups in 2011, sorted by resident population, is as follows:

Education and Literacy Rate

The Cook Islands spends 3.1% of GDP on education. Education is compulsory for all children from 5-15 years.

The literacy rate in the Cook Islands is 95%

Many students go on to further and higher (university) education outside of the Cook Islands, normally at universities in New Zealand.

An increasing number of students are choosing to study at the University of the South Pacific, which has a Cook Islands campus and delivers many courses remotely or by distance learning.

Other Cook Islands demographic data

Data in this section is drawn from the CIA World Factbook article about the Cook Islands. Data, unless otherwise noted, is from 2015.

Sex ratio

At birth the ratio is 1.04 male(s)/female, which is slightly below the world average of 1.06 male(s)/female.

At higher ages, however, the ratio is more strongly skewed in favour of males than females compared to the rest of the world.

The ratio across the total population is 1.07 male(s)/female, which is considerably higher than the world average of 0.79 male(s)/female.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy in the Cook Islands is 75.6 years. Cook Island males can expect to live for 72.7 years, and females can expect to live for 78.6 years.

Median age

The Cook Islands has a relatively young population. Median age in the Cook Islands is 35.25 years.

For males, the median age is 34.6 years and for females the median age is 35.7 years.

Birth and death rate

The birth rate in the Cook Islands is 14.33 births/1,000 population. This is below the global average of 19.15 births/1,000 population.

The death rate in the Cook Islands is 8.03 deaths/1,00 population. This is slightly above the global average of 7.89 deaths/1,000 population.

Fertility rate

The fertility rate in the Cook Islands is 2.23 children per woman.

This is only slightly below the replacement fertility rate (the rate needed to sustain a population) which is 2.33 children per woman.

Coconut consumption

The Cook Islands is one of the few countries in the world to ask a question about coconut consumption as a part of its census.

The survey revealed that 2,947 households in the Cook Islands used 28,461 coconuts every week. That’s 10 coconuts per home per week.

Coconuts are also widely used for feeding livestock. 1,645 households reported using coconuts to feed animals, going through a total of 123,427 coconuts per week. That’s 75 coconuts per household per week.

The census also reported that 5,647 coconuts were used by 117 households for other, unspecified purposes.
There are a lot of coconuts on the Cook Islands.

Cook Islands population pyramid

The image below is of the Cook Islands 2016 population pyramid.

The population of France (2021) is 67,413,000. This estimate was produced in May 2021 by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee).

France is the 20th largest country in the world, the fourth largest country in Europe, and the second largest country in the European Union.

France’s population is growing steadily, and it is today the fastest growing country in the European Union.

How many people live in France today?

When considering how many people live in France, it is important to understand that France itself is divided into two parts – Metropolitan France and the Overseas Departments and Territories of France.

Source: Godefroy

The largest part is known as Metropolitan France. This is the part of France that is actually in Europe. It has a population of 64,570,000.

The other part of France is its overseas departments which, despite being scattered all around the world (see: What Continent is France in?), are considered integral parts of France. Their residents are citizens of France, use the Euro as their currency, and are represented in the French parliament and the European Parliament.

There are five main French overseas departments, which, together with a small number of overseas territories, have a population of 2,119,000. The five French territories are:

Because parts of France are scattered across the world, it is what is known as a Trans-Continental country. See our article ‘What continent is France in?’ for more details.

Population growth in France

France has one of the highest natural population growth rates in the European Union. Although population growth was flat during the first half of the 20th century, its population has been growing steadily ever since and is currently growing at around 0.6% per annum.

France’s population is projected to rise steadily in the next few decades. By 2030, the population is expected to rise to over 70 million and, by 2055 there are likely to be more people living in France than there are living in Germany.

Because of the first and second world wars and the impact of the 1930s Depression in Europe, the population of France did not grow significantly between 1900 and 1945.

The population of France in 1914 was 41.6 million , a high that it was not to reach again until 1950.

The population of France fell by more than 2.5 million during the First World War, to 38.6 million. Although it recovered briefly in the 1920s and early 1930s to 41.5 million, the population was to be decimated again in the late 1930s and during the Second World War.

By 1945, the population of France had dropped again to just 39.6 million people. Renewed confidence after the end of the war saw a dramatic rise in birth rates, and France’s baby boom generation was born.

Ethnic groups in France

Since 1872 a law has been in place which prevents the French Government from collecting data on ethnicity, so official data is not available.

INSEE does, however, collect data on nationality. This showed that, in 2010, 89.7% of people in France were French by birth.

A further 4.4% of people in France were French by acquisition, 5.9% were foreign, and 8.6% were immigrants.

Ethnic French people are descended from a number of European peoples, including Celts, Iberians, Italians, Germans and Greeks. Immigrants into France over the past century mainly come from its former colonies and, more recently, from around the European Union and the globe.

An Institut Montaigne estimate, published in the Economist, argues that the the population of France in 2004 was made up of the following ethnic groups:

Religions in France

France is a secular country, and does not collect data on religion in its census.

However, a number of surveys have been conducted which demonstrate that Christianity remains, by far, the largest religion in France, followed by Islam as France’s second religion.

One of the most recent surveys, undertaken in 2012 by the Institut CSA (Consumer Science & Analytics) reported that 56% of French people regarded themselves as Christians, 32% had no religion, and 6% were Muslims.

This is broadly in line with other surveys undertaken in recent years.

Almost all of the reported Christians in France are Roman Catholic.

Languages in France

French is the official state language of France, and the most widely spoken language. It’s status is protected in the French constitution and it must by law be used in all official communications, as well as in any workplace or commercial communication.

France also has a wide range of regional languages, although none of them have official status. These are spoken as secondary languages, alongside French. They include Celtic languages (such as Breton), German languages (such as Alsatian and French Flemish) and Gallo-Romance languages (such as Languedocien).

Language map of France (source).

A number of additional languages have been introduced into France by immigrants, including Arabic, which is the most widely spoken second language in France, and Berber, a North African language.

There is not much data available about the number of people who speak various languages in France. The most recent available is a 1999 survey by the Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) which indicated that French was the mother tongue of 39.36 million people in France, followed by German dialects (0.97 million) and Arabic (0.94 million)

There are also a number of languages spoken alongside French in its overseas departments.

Education and literacy rate

The public education system in France is divided into primary, secondary and higher education. It is regulated centrally by the Ministry of National Education and teachers and university professors are all state employees.

Attendance at school is compulsory from the age of 6 until the age of 16, although most French children will also attend nursery school from the age of 3 or 4.

Most higher (university) education is state funded, although students do often have to pay a small tuition fee. The fees are set by the state, and the average is €190 per year. Some courses charge slightly higher fees, for example engineering (€620/year) and medicine (€452/year).

There are approximately 2.3 million students in tertiary education in France, a number that is roughly comparable with the UK (2.6 million) and Germany (2.4 million).

Literacy rate in France

Literacy rates in France have not been collected by INSEE since 2004.

Figures from 2003 show that France’s literacy rate is one of the highest in the world, at 99% for both male and female.

There is no reason to suggest that there has been a significant change in these figures since 2003.

Population Density in France

Although France is the second largest country by population in the European Union, it is also the largest country by area in the European Union.

Source: Der Statistiker

This means that France is less densely populated than other European countries with a comparable population, such as the UK or Germany.

The area of Metropolitan France (the part of France in Europe) is 551,695 square kilometres. So, with a total 2016 population of 64,750,000 in Metropolitan France, we can see that Metropolitan France has a population density of 117.37 people per square kilometre.

If we include France’s overseas departments and territories, the area of France increases to 643,801 square kilometres. The population (2016) also increases, to 66,689,000. By dividing 66,689,000 by 643,801, we see that the overall population density of France is 103.57 people per square kilometer.

The population density of France’s overseas departments and territories is far lower than the population of Metropolitican France. It’s population density is just 21.05 people per square kilometer.

Largest cities in France

Paris is the largest city in France. The population of Paris (2012) is 2,240,621 people. It is the fifth largest city in the European Union (after London, Berlin, Madrid and Rome) and the ninth largest city in the tt of Europe.

This is lower than the highest population recorded in Paris, which was 2.9 million people in 1921.

In the wider Paris urban area there is a much larger population of 10,550,350 people. The Paris urban area includes the built up suburbs and areas around the city of Paris, and is the most populous urban area in the European Union.

In the Paris metropolitan area (which includes the city proper, its suburbs, and other urban areas within commenting distance of Paris) there is a population of 12,405,426. This is the second largest metro area in the EU, after London which has a population of 14 million.

Other major cities in France include Marseille (population 852,516), Lyon (496,343), Toulouse (453,317), and Nice (343,619). Here is a list of the ten largest cities in France by population (based on 2012 data).

Saint-Denis, in Réunion, is the largest city in France’s overseas departments and the 21st largest city in France overall. It has a population of 142,244.

(Saint-Denis in Réunion should not be confused with Saint-Denis in Île-de-France, which is home to 108,274 people and is France’s 37th largest city.)

St Pierre in Reunion is second largest overseas city. It has a population of 81,415.

Other French demographic data

Sex ratio

The overall sex ratio (the ratio of males to females) in France is 0.96 males to every female (2015 estimate).

At birth there are 1.05 males to every female. Aged 65 or over there are 0.75 males to every female.

This is roughly similar to the EU average.

Life expectancy

Overall life expectancy in France is 82 years. This is the highest life expectancy in the European Union and the ninth highest in the world.

Life expectancy for men in France is 78.7 years (sixteenth in the world) and life expectancy for women in France is 85.2 years (fourth in the world).

Median age

The median age in France is 40.9 years.

For French men, the median age is 39.3 years and for French women the median age is 42.4 years.

Birth and death rate

The birth rate and fertility rate in France are both among the highest in the European Union.

The 2015 birth rate in France is 11.9 births per 1,000 population. This is higher than the EU average of 10.1 births per 1,000 population (2014 data).

The 2015 death rate is 9.2 deaths per 1,000 population. This is slightly lower than the EU average of 9.9 deaths per 1,000 population.

Fertility rate

The fertility rate in France is also one of the highest in the European Union. After many years of decline during the 20th century, the fertility rate in 2012 was 2.01 children per woman.

This is considerably higher than the EU average of 1.6 children per woman, and is close to what is known as the replacement rate – the number of children needed to ensure that the population remains stable.

France Diplomatie puts this down to family friendly government policies in France, including benefits and tax allowances for families, and generous maternity and paternity leave policies.

French population pyramid

Here is a French population pyramid, based on 2016 data.

China is home to more than 1.3 billion people, making it the most populous country in the world. That’s roughly one in every five people on the planet.

According to official estimates the Rio de Janeiro 2017 population is 6,498,837. This makes Rio, host city of the 2016 Olympic Games, the second largest city in Brazil.

Rio is also the third largest city in South America, the sixth largest city in the Americas and the 41st largest city in the world.

The wider Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan area is home to 12,280,702 people (2015 data).

Rio de Janeiro is the second largest Portuguese speaking city in the world, after São Paulo. (Lisbon, the largest city in Portugal, is only the ninth largest Portuguese speaking city in the world).

Rio de Janeiro State population

The city of Rio de Janeiro is a part of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro state is the third most populous state in Brazil, after São Paulo state and Minas Gerais. In 2014 it’s estimated population was 16,461,173 people.

Rio de Janeiro population growth

Rio de Janeiro was founded in 1565 by Portuguese settlers. (A French colony which had been founded in the area in 1555 was destroyed by Portuguese troops in 1560).

In its early years, the population of Rio de Janeiro grew slowly. By 1749, almost two centuries after it had been founded, Rio’s population had grown to just 24,000 people.

However increased immigration from Europe in the 18th and 19th century boosted the city’s population dramatically. Rio was so important to Portugal and so secure that when Napoleon invaded Portugal in 1807, the Portuguese royal family moved to Rio and set up their new capital in the city.

By 1821, just before the Brazilian War of Independence, Rio was home to 113,000 people. The city continued to grow rapidly and by 1872 its population had grown to 274,972 people.

The city’s population hit the milestone of 1 million people early in the 20th century. Subsequent growth was so speedy that, by the end of the 20th century, Rio had grown to accommodate 5.8 million people.

Latest estimates from the IBGE show that the population reached 6,498,837 in 2016.

The table below shows the population of Rio de Janeiro city over the past century.

Rio de Janiero population density

Based on its population in 2007 of 6,093,472, Rio de Janeiro’s population density is 12,383 people per square mile.

Rio de Janiero ethnicity

In the Brazilian census, the government divides the population into five different racial and ethnic groups. These groups are White, Pardo (multiracial), Black, Asian and Amerindian.

At the time of the 2010 Brazilian census largest single ethnicity in Rio was White, with 51.2% of the population. Other major groups are Pardo (36.5%) and Black (11.5%). A further 0.7% of the population is Asian and 0.1% of the population is Amerindian.

Rio de Janiero religion

According to the 2010 census, Christians make up the largest religious group in Rio de Janeiro. In total 74.46% of the population reported that they were either Catholic or Protestant. Catholics made up 51.09% of the population, while Protestants made up a further 23.37%.

A further 5.90% of people reported that their religion was Spiritist, 1.29% reported that their religion was Umbanda or Candomblé, and 0.34% reported that they were Jewish.

A total of 13.59% of people reported that they were not religious.

Rio de Janeiro economy

Rio has, after São Paulo, one of the strongest economies in Brazil. In 2008 Rio de Janeiro’s GDP was reported to be $201 billion. This makes it the fourth largest city economy in Latin America, after Mexico City, São Paulo, Buenos Aires.

Although the city of Rio makes up only about one third of the population of the state of Rio de Janeiro, as of 2017 it generates three quarters of the state’s GDP.

The population of Tallahassee is 190,894 (latest US Census Bureau data). This makes Tallahassee the 7th largest city in Florida and the 126th largest city in the US. 

Tallahassee is the state capital of Florida, and the county seat of Leon County. Located in North West Florida, the Tallahassee population has grown by 4.7% in the last five years, which is slightly more than the US average of 4.1% but a long way below the Florida average of 7.8%.

The wider Tallahassee metropolitan area, which includes four of Florida’s counties (Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon and Wakulla) has a population of 375,571 people (2014 data).

Tallahassee Population Growth

Although population growth in Tallahassee has slowed over the past five years, it was a boom town in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. In the 1980s, for example, the population grew by 53% – from 81,548 people in 1980 to 124,773 people in 1990.

This was followed by two consecutive decades where growth was more than 20%.

Growth has been slower in recent years (4.7% between 2010 and 2015) and is likely to be slightly over 10% for the period 2010 to 2020.

The table below lists the Tallahassee population for each census year since 1860.

Tallahassee Race Statistics

When it comes to race, the population of Tallahassee differs from the US and Florida averages.

The US Census Bureau reported that in 2010 the White and Hispanic population of Tallahassee was significantly lower than the state average (and national average). By contrast the Black or African American population was significantly higher (around double) the state and national averages.

The table below provides detailed statistics on race in Tallahassee, and compares them to data from the State of Florida and the US as a whole.

Tallahassee Economy / Income Statistics

Per capita income and household income in Tallahassee are both slightly below the Florida average – which, in turn, is slightly below the US average.

Poverty rates, however, are more than double the state and national averages.

Tallahassee Demographics – Education

Tallahassee has the most educated population in Florida – almost half of all residents have a Bachelors degree or higher. This is partly because the city is home to Florida A&M University, and partly because it is the state capital and home to the Florida state government.

The Puerto Rico population is 3,474,182 (latest U.S. Census Bureau data). The number of people living in Puerto Rico has fallen by more than 250,000 people in the last five years.

Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States and not a state in itself. However if Puerto Rico were a state it would be the 30th largest state by population in the USA, sandwiched between Connecticut and Iowa.

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a collection of islands in the eastern Caribbean. It is located to the east of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. The capital of Puerto Rico, and its largest city, is San Juan.

People born in Puerto Rico are US citizens, although they do not have voting representation in Congress and are not able to vote in US Presidential elections while they are living in Puerto Rico.

How many people live in Puerto Rico today?

The latest Puerto Rico population data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau. They report that on 1 July 2015 the population was 3,474,182. Data on the 2016 Puerto Rico population will be released in June 2017.

After strong population growth in the 1980s and 1990s the Puerto Rico population has begun to decline.

Puerto Rico Population Decline

The number of people living in Puerto Rico fell by 2.2% between the 2020 10 censuses. Since the 2010 census the rate of population decline has increased further and in the last five years the population has fallen by an additional 6.8%.

CNN puts the rate of migration out of Puerto Rico at 230 people per day.

Today’s population of just under 3.5 million people is still considerably higher than the 3.2 million population of 1980. But, if the population of Puerto Rico continues to fall at anticipated rates, experts believe that the population will fall below 3 million people by 2050.

Research by the Pew Foundation shows that the majority of Puerto Ricans who left for the US mainland went either for job related reasons or for family reasons.

Puerto Rico’s economy has struggled in recent years and its level of debt is high. Analysts are concerned that such a high level of outmigration will make Puerto Rico’s economic and debt problems worse over time.

Largest cities in Puerto Rico

San Juan is the largest city in Puerto Rico. In 2015 the population of San Juan was 355,074 people.

The population of San Juan has, like the rest of Puerto Rico, fallen in recent years. Since the 2010 census it has fallen from 395,136 people to just 355,074 today. That’s a decline of more than 10%.

Other major cities (also known as municipalities) in Puerto Rico include Bayamon (pop: 208,116), Carolina (pop: 176,762), Ponce (166,327) and Caguas (pop: 142,893).

Of these cities only Ponce is outside of the wider San Juan Metropolitan area. Around one in every three people living in Puerto Rico live in the wider San Juan metropolitan area.

Here is a list of the 10 largest cities in Puerto Rico. Population data is from 2010.

Puerto Rican population in US

Today there are more Puerto Rican people living in the rest of the USA than there are living in the islands of Puerto Rico.

The latest US Census bureau estimates (2014) indicate that there are 5,266,738 people of Puerto Rican origin in the United States outside of Puerto Rico. This includes people born in Puerto Rico who emigrated and the descendants of earlier emigrants.

As you can see from the map the New York/New Jersey area and Florida have a high density of Puerto Ricans. Each dot on the map represents 1,000 Puerto Ricans.

At the time of the 2010 census there were 1,070,558 people of Puerto Rican origin in the state of New York (23.15% of Puerto Ricans in the continental USA) and 847,550 people of Puerto Rican origin in Florida (18.33%).

New York City is the city with the largest Puerto Rico population in the world. In 2010 there were 723,621 Puerto Ricans in New York City. The next largest Puerto Rican communities in the continental US are Philadelphia (121,643) and Chicago (102,703).

(Source: Puerto Ricans in the United States).

Puerto Rico population density

Based on the 2015 population estimate, population density in Puerto Rico is 988 people per square mile or 382 people per km².

This makes Puerto Rico the fourth most densely populated state or territory in the USA. It is behind only Washington DC (10,589 people per square mile), New Jersey (1,210 people per square mile) and Rhode Island (1,006 people per square mile).

Puerto Rico is 10 times more densely populated than the United States as a whole.

Puerto Rico demographics

Race in Puerto Rico

The latest available data on the ethnic composition of Puerto Rico is from the 2010 census. This indicated that 99.0% of people living in Puerto Rico were Hispanic or Latino.

A more detailed breakdown from the census clarifies that 75.8% of people in Puerto Rico consider themselves to be white and 12.4% consider themselves to be Black or African-American. A further 8.5% consider themselves to be from another group and 3.3% consider themselves to be of mixed race.

Before Spanish colonists began to colonise the islands in the early 16th century, Puerto Rico was inhabited by the Taino Indians. Historians estimate that the Taino population of Puerto Rico was somewhere between 20,000 and 50,000 people in 1508. Just 40 years later less than a hundred remained on the island.

Religion in Puerto Rico

Because of its historic links to Spain, Roman Catholicism is by far the largest religion in Puerto Rico. However, more recent links with the United States mean that there is a substantial and increasing number of Protestants in Puerto Rico.

Estimates of the breakdown of religious groups in Puerto Rico vary but a recent (2014) study by the Pew Research Centre reported that 56% of Puerto Ricans are Catholic and 33% are Protestant. A further 8% are other Christians and 2% follow another religion.

Puerto Rico is believed to be home to approximately 5,000 Muslims and 3,000 Jews. Puerto Rico has the largest Jewish community in the Caribbean.

Reliable data on the number of people in Puerto Rico who are not religious is not available, although the percentage is believed to be much lower than in other parts of the United States – probably in the range of 2% to 5%.

Languages in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has two official languages – Spanish and English.

Spanish is the primary language spoken by the vast majority of people in Puerto Rico. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that, in 2010, 94.9% of people spoke a language other than English at home.

Because of this almost all business, including government business, and education in Puerto Rico is conducted in the Spanish language.

Although many people – perhaps a majority – in Puerto Rico can speak English to some degree the U.S. Census Bureau reports that only around 30% can speak English very well.

In an attempt to improve the territory’s economic prospects and build closer links with the rest of the United States, the government in Puerto Rico is increasing the number of services and documents it provides in English and increasing the amount of English language education.

Although there are obvious practical benefits from increasing the use of English in Puerto Rico, such plans are also controversial. Opponents are concerned that, if not handled well, they could lead to a decline in the use of Spanish.

Puerto Rico life expectancy

Average life expectancy in Puerto Rico is 79.22 years, according to the UN. Female life expectancy in Puerto Rico is 83.17 years. Male life expectancy is 75.19 years.

This average life expectancy is slightly higher than the average US life expectancy, which the UN puts at 78.88 years.

If Puerto Rico were an independent country it would have the 39th highest life expectancy in the world. If Puerto Rico were a US state it would have the 23rd highest life expectancy in the USA.

Sources and further reading

Unless otherwise noted data in this article comes from the US Census Bureau.

The Pew Research Centre has a section on Hispanic trends on its website which often contains interesting articles and data about Puerto Rico.

Another website we recommend visiting is Welcome to Puerto Rico, which provides plenty of background information about the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Finally the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico (Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico) contains a wealth of demographic information. Note: this site is in Spanish only.

This list of countries by population (2021) contains details of the population of every country and dependent territory in the world today.

The table also predicts what the population of each country will be in 2050. This list of the most populous countries in 2050 was compiled using data from the UN (see below for source).

Countries and territories by population (full table)

If you want to read more about the population of countries in this list, click on the country name to go to a more detailed article. You can also sort the table if you want to see which are the most populated countries in each year, or to see the projected percentage increase between 2016 and 2050.

Source: Data for this list comes from the official UN World Population Prospects Report 2015. They produce regular reports detailing how many people live in each country, and projections for population growth. In compiling this table, we have used the UN’s medium fertility variant to rank the most populated countries in 2017.

The Florida population is 20,612,439 (latest US Census Bureau data). This makes Florida the third largest state in the US by population, after California and Texas.

Florida is a State in the South East of the United States, a peninsula on the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is the fifth fastest growing US state, and the 8th most densely populated state in the US. Its largest city is Jacksonville (population 880,619) and its state capital is Tallahassee (population 190,894).

How many people live in Florida today

The latest US Census Bureau estimate (published in December 2016) puts the population of Florida at 20,612,439. Details of the Florida population 2017 will be published in December 2017.

This is based on data from the 2010 census, when the Florida state population was 18,801,310. Since the census was undertaken, Florida’s population has grown by 7.82%, the fifth largest rate of population growth in the country (see below for more details).

Florida is known as a retirement state and, today, almost one in five (19.1%) of people living in Florida are aged over 65 – that’s the highest proportion of retirees in the country. In one county – Sumter County – more than half of residents are aged over 65!

On the flip side, Florida also has the 8th lowest percentage of young people of any state in the US – only 21.9% of Floridians are aged under 18.

During 2014, Florida passed New York to become the third most populous state in the USA. Assuming that the two states relative positions don’t change, Florida stands to gain an additional seat in the US House of Representatives after the 2020 census.

Largest Cities in Florida

Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida by population, as well as the most populous city in the Southeast USA and the 12th largest city in the United States. In 2016, the population of Jacksonville was 880,619.

Jacksonville, which is spread out over 747 square miles, also holds the distinction of being the largest city by area in the continental United States. (Four Alaskan cities are technically larger because they are part of massive administrative boroughs – Sitka, for example, is four times larger than Jacksonville, covering 2,870.3 square miles).

Other major cities in Florida with a population of more than 500,000 people are Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and St Petersburg. Tallahassee, the state capital of Florida is only its seventh largest city.

The table below contains a list of the largest Florida cities by population.

For more detailed statistics and a full list of the state’s 214 most populous cities, read our article on the largest cities in Florida.

Largest Counties in Florida

Miami-Dade County is the largest county in Florida by population (2,662,874) and Palm Beach County is the largest county by area (2,026 square miles).

The smallest county by population in Florida is Liberty County (pop: 8,331 people) and the smallest county by area is Union County (240 square miles).

St Johns is the richest county in Florida $36,836 per capita income, 2013), while Union County is the poorest ($13,590).

The table below lists the five most populous counties in Florida. If you click on the county name you will be taken to an article about the population of that county.

>>CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FLORIDA COUNTIES

Florida Population Growth

Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the USA. In the past five years Florida has been the fifth fastest growing state in the nation. Its recent population growth rate of 7.8% is almost double the national average of 4.1%.

In the ten years between the last two censuses, the number of people living in Florida increased by nearly three million people – from 12,982,378 people in 2000 to 18,801,310 people in 2010. That’s an increase of 17.6% over just ten years.

Florida’s impressive growth rate shows no sign of slowing – in the first five years after the 2010 census, Florida has added another million and a half people (that’s a Florida population growth rate of 7.8% win just five years) and moved past 20 million people for the first time.

The table below lists the population of Florida at the time of each US Census since 1830.

Florida Population Density

Florida’s population density (2015) is 378 people per square mile (145 people per km2). Florida’s total land area (which is needed to calculate population density) is 53,625 square miles (138,888 km2).

This makes Florida the 8th most densely populated state in the USA. Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida (3,427 people per square mile).

As you can see from the Florida population density map below, the majority of people in Florida are clustered in a few major cities or along the coast. Unsurprisingly for a state which has the longest coastline in the continental US, more than 75% of the people in Florida live within ten miles of the coast.

Image source: JimIrwin at the English language Wikipedia

Florida Demographics

Ethnicity / Race in Florida

The largest single racial or ethnic group in Florida is White (non-Hispanic) which makes up 55.3% of the population.

This percentage has been decreasing steadily for several decades – down from 77.9% in 1970. If this trend continues, it is likely that Florida will become a non-white majority state within the next decade.

Hispanic or Latino is the next largest single group within Florida (24.5%). Florida’s Hispanic population has been steadily increasing (up from 6.6% in 1970) although growth has slowed since the 2010 census.

Black or African American (16.8%) is the third largest group in the state, followed by Asian (2.8%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (0.5%).

Just under one in five (19.6%) people living in Florida today were born outside of the USA.

Religion in Florida

According to the Pew Research Center, Christianity is the most common religion in Florida. In total, 70% of the population of Florida is believed to be Christian.

Just 6% of people are members of a non-Christian faith – the largest being Jewish (3%). The number of Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus is lower than 1% in each group.

A further 24% of Floridians are not religious.

Protestant Christians are the largest Christian denomination in Florida, making up 40% of the population. Of the total population, 24% of people are reported to be Evangelical Protestants, 14% Mainline Protestants and 8% Historically Black Protestant.

The next largest group of Christians in Florida is Catholic, making up 21% of the population, followed by Mormons (1%) and Jehovah’s Witnesses (1%).

Languages in Florida

English is the most common language in Florida as well as being the official state language.

At the time of the 2010 census, English was the primary language of 73.6% of people in Florida.

Spanish is the next most common language among the Florida population, spoken by 19.54%, followed by French Creole (1.84%).

Florida Life Expectancy

Average life expectancy in Florida is 79.4 years, the 22nd highest in the USA.

Life expectancy varies between different racial or ethnic groups in Florida – from 88.9 years for Asian Americans in Florida down to 75.8 years for Black Floridians.

There is also a wide variation in life expectancy between different parts of the state – the fourth highest disparity in the entire US.

Residents in Collier County, one of the state’s richest counties, can expect to live to 80 years, while those in Baker and Union, two of the poorest counties in the state, have a much lower life expectancy of 68 years.

Sources and further reading

Unless otherwise noted, data in this article comes for the US Census Bureau. Other Florida population resources that we recommend are:

• Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research
• Florida Demographics Charts
• State of Florida Quick Facts
• Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research Population Studies Program