Demographics of Yemen
Unlike other people of the Arabian Peninsula who have historically been nomads or semi-nomads, Yemenis are almost entirely sedentary and live in small villages and towns scattered throughout the highlands and coastal regions.Yemenis are divided into two principal Islamic religious groups: the Zaidi sect of the Shi'a, found in the north and northwest, and the Shafa'i school of Sunni Muslims, found in the south and southeast. Yemenis are mainly of Semitic origin, although African strains are present among inhabitants of the coastal region. Arabic is the official language, although English is increasingly understood in major cities. In the Mahra area (the extreme east), several non-Arabic languages are spoken. When the former states of north and south Yemen were established, most resident minority groups departed.
Population: 17,479,206 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
47% (male 4,220,621; female 4,076,902)
15-64 years:
49% (male 4,416,139; female 4,224,474)
65 years and over:
4% (male 275,590; female 265,480) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.36% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 43.44 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 9.86 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.04 male(s)/female
total population:
1.04 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 70.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
59.83 years
male:
58.1 years
female:
61.64 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.05 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Yemeni(s)
adjective:
Yemeni
Ethnic groups: predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
Religions: Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
Languages: Arabic
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
38%
male:
53%
female:
26% (1990 est.)
- See also : Yemen
