People

Venezuelans

Population: 22 803 409 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 34% (male 3 979 045; female 3 733 364)

15-64 years: 62% (male 7 054 525; female 7 011 814)

65 years and over: 4% (male 469 799; female 554 862) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.77% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 22.96 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 4.98 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.27 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 27.52 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 72.66 years

male: 69.68 years

female: 75.87 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Venezuelan(s)

adjective: Venezuelan

Ethnic groups: mestizo 67% white 21% black 10% Amerindian 2%

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96% Protestant 2%

Languages: Spanish (official) native dialects spoken by about 200 000 Amerindians in the remote interior

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 91.1%

male: 91.8%

female: 90.3% (1995 est.)