This article is about the
demographic
Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings.
Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as edu ...
features of the
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
, including
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
,
ethnicity
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
About 90% of the
Seychellois
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Seychelles, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
About ...
people live on the island of
Mahé. Most of the rest live on
Praslin
Praslin () is the second largest island (38.5 km2) of the Inner Seychelles, lying northeast of Mahé in the Somali Sea. Praslin has a population of around 7,533 people and comprises two administrative districts: Baie Sainte Anne and Gra ...
and
La Digue
La Digue is the third most populated island of the Seychelles, and fourth largest by land area, lying east of Praslin and west of Felicite Island. In size, it is the fourth-largest granitic island of Seychelles after Mahé, Praslin and Silhouett ...
, with the remaining smaller islands either sparsely populated or uninhabited.
Most Seychellois are descendants of early
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
settlers and
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historical ...
ns who arrived in the 19th century.
Tamils
The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar ( ta, தமிழர், Tamiḻar, translit-std=ISO, in the singular or ta, தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, translit-std=ISO, label=none, in the plural), or simply Tamils (), are a Drav ...
, along with other South Indians and
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
(1.1% of the population) account for the other permanent inhabitants. About 1,703 (2000) expatriates live and work in Seychelles. In 1901, there were roughly 3500 Tamil speakers out of the country's population of 19,237. Tamil immigrants arrived in Seychelles as early as 1770 and were among the first settlers to the originally sparsely inhabited island nation.
Seychelles culture is a mixture of French and African (
Creole) influences. The local
Seychellois Creole (''Kreol''), a
creole language
A creole language, or simply creole, is a stable natural language that develops from the simplifying and mixing of different languages into a new one within a fairly brief period of time: often, a pidgin evolved into a full-fledged language. ...
derived from French and African tongues, is the native language of 91.8% of the people; but English and French are also commonly used. English remains the language of government and commerce.
About 91.9% of the adult population is literate, and the
literacy
Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...
rate of school-aged children has risen to well over 98%. Increases are expected, as nearly all children of primary school age attend school, and the government encourages
adult education
Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...
.
Vital statistics
Structure of the population
Structure of the population (2013 estimates):
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020):
Other demographic statistics
Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022.
*One birth every 360 minutes
*One death every 720 minutes
*One net migrant every 1440 minutes
*Net gain of one person every 1440 minutes
The following demographic are from the
CIA World Factbook
''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available ...
unless otherwise indicated.
Population
:97,017 (2022 est.)
:96,387 (July 2021 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.5% (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecostal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 2.4%, Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other non-Christian 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est.)
Age structure
:''0-14 years:'' 18.85% (male 9,297 /female 8,798)
:''15-24 years:'' 12.39% (male 6,283 /female 5,607)
:''25-54 years:'' 49.03% (male 25,209 /female 21,851)
:''55-64 years:'' 11.46% (male 5,545 /female 5,455)
:''65 years and over:'' 8.27% (male 3,272 /female 4,664) (2020 est.)
:''0–14 years:'' 26.4% (male 10,839; female 10,601)
:''15–64 years:'' 67.4% (male 26,709; female 28,025)
:''65 years and over:'' 6.2% (male 1,622; female 3,392) (2005 est.)
Median age
:total: 36.8 years. Country comparison to the world: 76th
:male: 36.3 years
:female: 37.4 years (2020 est.)
Birth rate
:12.37 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 148th
:12.63 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 146th
Death rate
:6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 123rd
:6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 125th
Total fertility rate
The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if:
# she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime
# she were t ...
:1.82 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 141st
:1.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Population growth rate
:0.64% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 139th
:0.67% (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 142nd
:0.79% (2005 est.)
Demographics profile
Seychelles has very little indigenous population and was first permanently settled by a small group of French colonizers, African, and South Indians in 1770. Seychelles’ modern population is composed of the descendants of French and later British colonizers, Africans, and Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern traders and is concentrated on three of its 155 islands – the vast majority on Mahe and lesser numbers on Praslin and La Digue. Seychelles’ population grew rapidly during the second half of the 20th century, largely due to natural increase, but the pace has slowed because of fertility decline. The total fertility rate dropped sharply from 4.0 children per woman in 1980 to 1.9 in 2015, mainly as a result of a family planning program, free education and health care, and increased female labor force participation. Life expectancy has increased steadily, but women on average live 9 years longer than men, a difference that is higher than that typical of developed countries.
The combination of reduced fertility and increased longevity has resulted in an aging population, which will put pressure on the government's provision of pensions and health care. Seychelles’ sustained investment in social welfare services, such as free primary health care and education up to the post-secondary level, have enabled the country to achieve a high human development index score, among the highest in Africa. Despite some of its health and education indicators being nearly on par with Western countries, Seychelles has a high level of income inequality.
Net migration rate
:0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 67th
:0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 62nd
Dependency ratio
The dependency ratio is an age-population ratio of those typically not in the labor force (the ''dependent'' part ages 0 to 14 and 65+) and those typically in the labor force (the ''productive'' part ages 15 to 64). It is used to measure the press ...
s
:total dependency ratio: 46.7 (2020 est.)
:youth dependency ratio: 34.9 (2020 est.)
:elderly dependency ratio: 11.8 (2020 est.)
:
potential support ratio
The potential support ratio (PSR) is the number of people age 15–64 per one older person aged 65 or older. This ratio describes the burden placed on the working population (unemployment and children are not considered in this measure) by the non ...
: 8.5 (2020 est.)
Urbanization
:urban population: 58.4% of total population (2022)
:rate of urbanization: 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
:urban population: 55.7% of total population (2018)
:rate of urbanization: 1.26% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.1 years. Country comparison to the world: 109th
male: 71.67 years
female: 80.66 years (2022 est.)
:total population: 75.8 years
:male: 71.4 years
:female: 80.4 years (2021 est.)
Sex ratio
''at birth:''
1.03 male(s)/female
''under 15 years:''
1.06 male(s)/female
''15-64 years:''
0.95 male(s)/female
''65 years and over:''
0.70 male(s)/female
''total population:''
1.07 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Nationality
''noun:'' Seychellois (singular and plural), ''adjective:'' Seychelles
Ethnic groups
predominantly creole (mainly of East African and Malagasy heritage); also French, Indian, Chinese, and Arab populations
Languages
Seychellois Creole
Seychellois Creole (), also known as kreol, is the French-based creole language spoken by the Seychelles Creole people of the Seychelles. It shares national language status with English and French (in contrast to Mauritian and Réunion Creole, ...
(official) 89.1%,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
(official) 5.1%,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
(official) 0.7%, Other 3.8%, Unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)
Education expenditures
:3.9% of GDP (2019) Country comparison to the world: 110th
Literacy
''definition:'' age 15 and over can read and write
:total population: 95.9%
:male: 95.4%
:female: 96.4% (2018 est.)
:''total population:'' 91.9%
:''male:'' 91.4%
:''female:'' 92.3% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
:total: 14 years
:male: 13 years
:female: 15 years (2020)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
:total: 16.4%
:male: 17.4%
:female: 15.5% (2020 est.)
Census
The Seychelles census has now been postponed by one year, from August 2020 to August 2021. Field mapping, questionnaire design, and pretest of data collection tools using tablets, are all proceeding.
References
{{Seychelles topics
Society of Seychelles