People

Population: 2 6458 123 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 43% (male 569 382; female 563 327)

15-64 years: 54% (male 700 507; female 734 447)

65 years and over: 3% (male 36 383; female 54 077) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.21% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 38.5 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 16.45 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 102.69 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 47.07 years

male: 45.29 years

female: 48.89 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.98 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Congolese (singular and plural)

adjective: Congolese or Congo

Ethnic groups: Kongo 48% Sangha 20% M'Bochi 12% Teke 17% Europeans NA%; note - Europeans estimated at 8 500 mostly French before the 1997 civil war; may be half of that in 1998 following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997

Religions: Christian 50% animist 48% Muslim 2%

Languages: French (official) Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages) many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 74.9%

male: 83.1%

female: 67.2% (1995 est.)