Population and Demographic Indicators

Adult illiteracy rate is the percentage of adults ages 15 and above who cannot, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.

Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents—people younger than 15 and older than 65—to the working-age population—those age 15–64.

Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring per year per 1,000 midyear population. The difference between birth and death rates is the rate of natural increase.

Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring per year per 1,000 midyear population. The difference between birth and death rates is the rate of natural increase.

Future population growth due to above-replacement fertility is the projected change in population from 2000 onward that would occur if fertility were not at replacement level.

Future population growth due to momentum is the projected increase in population from 2000 onward that would occur if fertility were at replacement level. A negative number indicates that negative momentum has built up in the age structure as the result of fertility being below replacement level for several decades.

Future population growth due to mortality improvements is the projected increase in population from 2000 onward due to projected changes in mortality and net migration.

Life expectancy at age 15 indicates the number of years a 15 year-old would live if prevailing patterns of mortality were to stay the same throughout its life.

Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

Net migration rate is the difference between immigration and emigration per thousand population.

Net reproduction rate (which measures the number of daughters a woman will bear during her lifetime, assuming fixed age-specific fertility and mortality rates) reflects the extent to which a cohort of girls will reproduce themselves.

Population age 60 and above is the percentage of the total population that is 60 or older.

Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers.

Population growth rate is the exponential rate of growth for the period indicated.

Population is a World Bank estimate for mid-year population, based, in most cases, on a de facto definition, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. Note, however, that refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum are generally considered to be part of the population of their country of origin. Population numbers are either current census data or historical census data extrapolated through certain demographic models.

Population momentum is the ratio of the population when zero growth has been achieved to the population in year t (in this case the year 2000), given the assumption that fertility remains at replacement level from year t onward.

Projected additional population from 2000 is the projected increase in population between 2000 and the projected stationary population that is reached after fertility has been at replacement level for many decades. A negative number indicates a projected decline in population.

Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with prevailing age-specific fertility rates.

Under 5 mortality is the probability that a new born will die before reaching age 5, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates.

Urban population is the midyear population of areas defined as urban in each country as reported to the United Nations. It is measured here as the percentage of the total population.

Women age 60 and above is the ratio of women to men in that age group.