Haiti is the 83rd most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of 11,123,178 as of July 2018.[1] The last national census in Haiti was done in 2003. Although much of that data has not been released, the population recorded was 8,812,245.
According to population DNA tests,[which?] approximately 80% of the population of Haiti is Afro-Haitian.[citation needed] Within Black Haitian DNA, according to a study, the composition is approximately 88% African, the rest are European or mixed European. This is evidenced in DNA ancestry read outs where the average Haitian consistently tests at nearly 100 percent sub-Saharan African DNA.
About two-thirds of Haitian people live in rural areas. Several demographic studies, including those by social work researcher Athena Kolbe, have provided estimates of the demographic information of urban residents. In 2006, each Haitian household had an average of 4.5 members.
Population of Haiti
According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects[2][3] the total population of Haiti in 2018 was 11,447,569, as compared to 3,221,000 in 1950. In 2015, the proportion of children below the age of 15 was 36.2%. 59.7% of the population was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 4.5% was 65 years or older.[4] According to the World Bank, Haiti's dependency rate is 7.51 dependents per 100 working age persons.[5]
Structure of the population
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2010) (Projections produced by l’Institut Haïtien de Statistique et d’Informatique (IHSI) and the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE) - Population Division of ECLAC.): [6]
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2011) (Projections produced by l’Institut Haïtien de Statistique et d’Informatique (IHSI) and the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE) - Population Division of ECLAC.): [7]
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2018) (Projections produced by l’Institut Haïtien de Statistique et d’Informatique (IHSI) and the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE) - Population Division of ECLAC.): [7]
Vital statistics
The registration of vital events in Haiti is incomplete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. Population estimates account for under numeration in population censuses.[8]
While limited, some evidence suggests that large scale disasters can cause human populations to increase in the long term, rather than decrease.[9] Accordingly, in Haiti's case, some sources reported that a tripled fertility rate was expected after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[10] However, data since then does not show a diversion from the pre-disaster trend of decreasing fertility rates.
Births and deaths
Number of births and deaths are calculated based on Crude Birth and Death Rates.[11]
Fertility and births
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[12]
Other sources of demographic statistics
Demographic statistics below are based on the 2022 World Population Review.[13]
One birth every 2 minutes
One death every 5 minutes
One net migrant every 16 minutes
Net gain of one person every 4 minutes
Demographic statistics below are based on the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.[14]
Population
11,334,637 (2022 est.)
10,788,440 (July 2018 est.)
Ethnic composition
Black 95%, mixed and White 5%
Age structure
Haiti's population pyramid can be categorized as "expansive," indicating a growing population. However, it is categorized as being at stage 3 of demographic transition, as the birth and death rate are falling and net population is increasing at a slower rate.
urban population: 58.8% of total population (2022)
rate of urbanization: 2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 55.3% of total population (2018)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Religions
Catholic 55%, Protestant 29%, Vodou 2.1%, other 4.6%, none 10% (2018 est.)
note: 50-80% of Haitians incorporate some elements of Vodou culture or practice in addition to another religion, most often Roman Catholicism; Vodou was recognized as an official religion in 2003
Education expenditures
1.7% of GDP (2018) Country comparison to the world: 183rd
2.4% of GDP (2016) Country comparison to the world: 162nd
Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
total population: 61.7%
male: 65.3%
female: 58.3% (2016)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: very high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Languages
Taíno was the major pre-Columbian language in the region of what is Haiti (or Ayti), a name referring to the entire island of Hispaniola.[15][16] The phrase means "land of high mountains."[17]
Today, the Republic of Haiti has two official languages, French and Haitian Creole. Haitian Creole is a French-based creole with 90% of its vocabulary derived from or influenced by Portuguese, Spanish, Taíno, and various West African languages.[18] French is the primary written and administrative language (as well as the main language of the press) and is spoken by 42% of Haitians.[19][20] The language is generally spoken by educated Haitians, is the medium of instruction in most schools, and is used in the business sector. It is also spoken in ceremonial events such as weddings, graduations, and church masses.
Haiti is one of two independent nations in the Americas (along with Canada) to designate French as an official language; other French-speaking areas are all overseasdépartements, or collectivités, of France. Haitian Creole,[21] which was recently standardized, is spoken by virtually the entire population of Haiti.[22] It is related to the other French creoles but most closely to the Antillean Creole and Louisiana Creole variants.
Spanish is spoken by some Haitians along the border with the Dominican Republic, as well as by some who have been deported from Spanish-speaking countries. English is used increasingly within the business sector, but only by a small proportion of the total population.[23]
Religion
The most common religions in Haiti are Roman Catholicism, Pentecostalism and Baptist. The state religion is Roman Catholicism, which is professed by 55–60% of the population. 30–35% of Haitians practice Protestantism, mostly Pentecostalism, which arrived in Haiti in the 1970s.[14] Almost 99% of Haitians claim to be a part of at least one religion, with a fraction of them practicing some part of Vodou along with another religion.[24]
Vodou bears similarities to Cuban Santeria due to the large Cuban population in Haiti.[25] The practice of Vodou revolves around family spirits called Lwa that protect children. To repay the spirits, children perform two ceremonies where the Lwa are given gifts like food and drinks. The timing of the ceremonies depends on the monetary status of the family performing them; poorer families try to save money, waiting until there is a need to perform the rituals.[26] The practice of Vodou is rare among the urban elite.
Modern day Vodou has been shaped by both Protestant and Catholic Christianity. Under the rule of the Catholic French, the population was not allowed to practice Vodou. However, they were occasionally allowed to have dances on the weekends. These dances were actually disguised Vodou services. The underground practice of Vodou continued until Haiti gained its independence in 1804. Most Haitians see practicing both Vodou and Christianity as normal due to their significant similarities. The Catholic Church, however, was not always as accepting of Vodou. In 1941-42, a holy war was declared against Vodou, leading to the deaths of many high level religious officials in the Vodou religion. Persecution of the religion largely ended in 1950 when the Catholics gave up trying to prosecute those who practiced Vodou. Protestants, however, are still critical of the religion, often describing it as "devil worship".[27]
A fictionalized version of Vodou, commonly called "voodoo", has been used in American movies and by authors such as H.P. Lovecraft. Vodou and voodoo are not conceptually the same, although the idea of "voodoo" lives on in American pop culture.[28]
Education
Although public education in Haiti at the primary level is free, private and parochial schools provide around 75% of educational programs offered to the public.
In recent years, several literacy campaigns launched by the Martelly administration have increased adult literacy in Haiti.[29]UNESCO projects an overall literacy rate of 61.1% in Haiti by 2015.[30]
As of December 2014, the World Bank has reported an increase in school enrollment from 78% to 90% in Haiti, close to the federal goal of universal child enrollment.[31]
^"World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950-2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
^"Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision". Esa.unorg. Archived from the original on 6 May 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^"Population ages 15-64 (% of total) - Data". Data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^"United Nations Statistics Division - Demographic and Social Statistics". unstats.un.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^ a b"UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics". unstats.un.org. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
^Frankenberg, Laurito & Thomas, Duke University, 2014, The Demography of Disasters
^"Haiti's rate of fertility tripled - report". jamaica-gleaner.com. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^"DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE: HAITI" (PDF). Caricomstats.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^"MEASURE DHS: Demographic and Health Surveys". microdata.worldbank.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^"Haiti Population 2022", World Population Review
^ a b This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "World Factbook CENTRAL AMERICA : HAITI", The World Factbook, 2022
^Guitar, Lynne; Ferbel-Azcárate, Pedro; Estevez, Jorge (2006). "iii: Ocama-Daca Taíno (Hear me, I am Taíno)". Indigenous Resurgence in the Contemporary Caribbean. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. p. 41. ISBN 0-8204-7488-6. LCCN 2005012816. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
^Senauth, Frank (2011). The Making and Destruction of Haiti. Bloomington, Indiana, USA: AuthorHouse. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-4567-5384-9. LCCN 2011907203.
^Haydn, Joseph; Vincent, Benjamin (1860). "A Dictionary of Dates Relating to All Ages and Nations: For Universal Reference Comprehending Remarkable Occurrences, Ancient and Modern, The Foundation, Laws, and Governments of Countries-Their Progress In Civilization, Industry, Arts and Science-Their Achievements In Arms-And Their Civil, Military, And Religious Institutions, And Particularly of the British Empire". p. 321. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
^Bonenfant, Jacques L. (December 1989). Haggerty, Richard A. (ed.). "History of Haitian-Creole: From Pidgin to Lingua Franca and English Influence on the Language" (PDF). Library of CongressFederal Research Division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
^La langue française dans le monde 2014 (PDF). Nathan. 2014. ISBN 978-2-09-882654-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^À ce propos, voir l'essai Prétendus Créolismes : le couteau dans l'igname, Jean-Robert Léonidas, Cidihca, Montréal 1995
^Valdman, Albert. "Creole: The National Language of Haiti". Footsteps. 2 (4). Indiana University Creole Institute: 36–39. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
^"creolenationallanguageofhaiti". Indiana University. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
^"What Languages Are Spoken in Haiti?". WorldAtlas. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
^"Religious Beliefs In Haiti". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
^"Religious Beliefs In Haiti". WorldAtlas. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
^"Haiti: Introduction to Voodoo". faculty.webster.edu. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
^McGee, Adam (2012). "Haitian Vodou and voodoo: Imagined religion and popular culture". Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses. 41 (2): 231–256. doi:10.1177/0008429812441311. S2CID 40197372.
^"Haiti – Social : The fight against illiteracy, one of the Government's priorities". Haitilibre.com. September 9, 2014.[permanent dead link]
^"Literacy Statistics trends 1985–2015" (PDF). Uis.unesco.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
^"Extreme poverty drops in Haiti. Is it sustainable?". Worldbank.org. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
^Cohen, Gigi (2004-03-24). "Haiti's Dark secret:The Restavecs". National Public Radio.
^IBP, Inc (August 2013). Haiti Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments, Volume 1. Lulu.com, 2013. p. 106. ISBN 978-1438774565. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
^Jr, James C. Mckinley; Skipp, Catharine (18 January 2010). "For 45,000 Americans in Haiti, the Quake Was 'a Nightmare That's Not Ending' - The New York Times". The New York Times.