People

Population: 4 583 379 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 44% (male 1 017 190; female 1 000 436)

15-64 years: 53% (male 1 191 323; female 1 251 828)

65 years and over: 3% (male 52 836; female 69 766) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.92% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 36.04 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.09 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

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

65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 42.26 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 66.62 years

male: 64.26 years

female: 69.08 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.28 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Nicaraguan(s)

adjective: Nicaraguan

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69% white 17% black 9% Amerindian 5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95% Protestant 5%

Languages: Spanish (official)

note: English- and Amerindian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast