People

Population: 1 207 844 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 33% (male 202 364; female 202 249)

15-64 years: 61% (male 372 157; female 364 806)

65 years and over: 6% (male 32 718; female 33 550) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.48% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 28 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 13.23 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 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 85.43 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 56.51 years

male: 53.55 years

female: 59.56 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.81 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)

adjective: Gabonese

Ethnic groups: Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang Eshira Bapounou Bateke) other Africans and Europeans 154 000 including 6 000 French and 11 000 persons of dual nationality

Religions: Christian 55%-75% Muslim less than 1% animist

Languages: French (official) Fang Myene Bateke Bapounou/Eschira Bandjabi

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 63.2%

male: 73.7%

female: 53.3% (1995 est.)