People

Population: 2 089 829 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 40% (male 420 526; female 419 059)

15-64 years: 55% (male 558 068; female 596 598)

65 years and over: 5% (male 39 782; female 55 796) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.91% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 31.84 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 12.76 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: 0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 78.3 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 53.97 years

male: 52.18 years

female: 55.81 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.13 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Mosotho (singular) Basotho (plural)

adjective: Basotho

Ethnic groups: Sotho 99.7% Europeans 1 600 Asians 800

Religions: Christian 80% rest indigenous beliefs

Languages: Sesotho (southern Sotho) English (official) Zulu Xhosa

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 71.3%

male: 81.1%

female: 62.3% (1995 est.)