Demographics of Algeria

Ninety-one percent of the Algerian population lives along the Mediterranean coast on 12% of the country's total land mass. Forty-five percent of the population are urban, and urbanization continues, despite government efforts to discourage migration to the cities. About 1.5 million nomads and semi-settled Bedouin still live in the Saharan area. According to the CIA World Factbook, an estimated 29.9% of the population is under age 15.

Ninety-nine percent of the population is classified as Arab/ Berber; most Algerians are considered to be of Berber descent, but only about 20% speak Berber languages. Europeans account for less than 1%.

Almost all Algerians are Sunni Muslims. The few non-Sunni Muslims are mainly Ibadis from the M'Zab valley. (See also Islam in Algeria.) A mostly foreign Roman Catholic community of about 45,000 exists, as do very small Protestant and Jewish communities.

Algeria's educational system has grown dramatically since 1962; in the last 12 years, attendance has doubled to more than 5 million students. Education is free and compulsory to age 16. Despite government allocation of substantial educational resources, population pressures and a serious shortage of teachers have severely strained the system, as have terrorist attacks against the educational infrastructure during the 1990s. Modest numbers of Algerian students study abroad, primarily in Europe and Canada. In 2000, the government launched a major review of the country's educational system.

Housing and medicine continue to be pressing problems in Algeria. Failing infrastructure and the continued influx of people from rural to urban areas has overtaxed both systems. According to the UNDP, Algeria has one of the world's highest per housing unit occupancy rates for housing, and government officials have publicly stated that the country has an immediate shortfall of 1.5 million housing units.

Demographic data from the CIA World Factbook

Population

32,531,853 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure

0–14 years: 29% (male 4,811,086/female 4,626,271)

15–64 years: 66.3% (male 10,861,862/female 10,701,459)

65 years and over: 4.7% (male 719,460/female 811,715) (2005 est.)

Population growth rate

1.22% (2005 est.)

Birth rate

17.13 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate

4.6 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate

-0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Total: 31 deaths/1,000 live births

Male: 34.83 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 26.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 73 years

Male: 71.45 years

Female: 74.63 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.92 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Algerian(s)

Adjective: Algerian

Ethnic groups

Arab- Berber 99%, European less than 1%

Religions

Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%

Languages

Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects ( Kabyle, Chaouia, Tamahaq, Chenoua, Tumzabt..).

Literacy

Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write

Total population: 70%

Male: 78.8%

Female: 61% ( 2003 est.)