People

Population: 17.1 million (est. July 2006)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 47% (male 3 629 286; female 3 590 782)

15-64 years: 51% (male 4 049 355; female 3 842 508)

65 years and over: 2% (male 170 120; female 164 180) (July 2006est.)

Population growth rate: 2.41% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 42.15 births/1 000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 16.12 deaths/1 000 population (2006 est.) 

Net migration rate: -1.96 migrant(s)/1 000 population (2006 est.)

note: of the more than 350 000 refugees that fled to Cote d'Ivoire since 1989 to escape the civil war in Liberia only about 210 000 remained in Cote d'Ivoire according to a 1997 census

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 95.95 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 46.24 years

male: 44.73 years

female: 47.8 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.97 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Ivorian(s)

adjective: Ivorian

Ethnic groups: Baoule 23% Bete 18% Senoufou 15% Malinke 11% Agni foreign Africans (mostly Burkinabe and Malians about 3 million) non-Africans 130 000 to 330 000 (French 30 000 and Lebanese 100 000 to 300 000)

Religions: Muslim 60% Christian 12% indigenous 25% (some of these are also numbered among the Christians and Muslims)

Languages: French (official) 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 40.1%

male: 49.9%

female: 30% (1995 est.)