Demographic features of the population of Ecuador include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Ecuador experienced rapid population growth like most countries, but four decades of economic instability pushed millions of Ecuadorians out of the country. However, a rebound economy in the 2000s in urban centres improved the situation of living standards for Ecuadorians in a traditional class stratified economy.
According to the 2022 census, 77.5% of the population identified as "Mestizos"—a category denoting mixed Spanish and Indigenous American ancestry— reflecting an increase from 71.9% recorded in 2000 census. Conversely, the proportion of individuals identifying as "White" declined significantly, from 6.1% in 2010 to 2.2% in 2022.[2]Amerindians account for 7.7% of the population and 4.8% of the population consists of Afro-Ecuadorians.[2] Other estimations put the Mestizo population at 55% to 65% and the indigenous population at 25%.[3] Genetic research indicates that the ancestry of Ecuadorian Mestizos is predominantly Indigenous.[4]
The Ecuadorian census is conducted by the governmental institution known as INEC, Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas y Censos (National Institute of Statistics and Census).[6] The census in Ecuador is conducted every ten years, and its objective is to obtain the number of people residing within its borders. The current census now includes household information.
According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects[8][9] the total population was 17,797,737 in 2021, compared to only 3,470,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2015 was 29.0%, 63.4% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 6.7% was 65 years or older.[10]
Total population (x 1000)
Proportion aged 0–14 (%)
Proportion aged 15–64 (%)
Proportion aged 65+ (%)
1950
3 470
39.5
55.2
5.3
1955
3 957
41.6
53.5
4.9
1960
4 546
43.3
52.0
4.7
1965
5 250
44.5
51.0
4.5
1970
6 073
44.3
51.5
4.3
1975
6 987
43.7
52.2
4.1
1980
7 976
41.8
54.1
4.1
1985
9 046
40.0
55.9
4.1
1990
10 218
38.2
57.5
4.3
1995
11 441
36.3
59.1
4.6
2000
12 629
34.7
60.3
5.0
2005
13 826
33.1
61.5
5.4
2010
15 011
31.0
63.0
6.0
2015
16 212
29.1
64.3
6.6
2020
17 643
27.4
65.0
7.6
Structure of the population
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2013) (Excludes nomadic Indian tribes. Data refer to projections based on the 2010 Population Census.):[11]
Age group
Male
Female
Total
%
Total
7 815 935
7 958 814
15 774 749
100
0–4
864 669
826 731
1 691 400
10.72
5–9
854 691
816 503
1 671 194
10.59
10–14
815 838
783 725
1 599 563
10.14
15–19
756 376
737 082
1 493 458
9.47
20–24
685 997
682 849
1 368 846
8.68
25–29
620 881
635 987
1 256 868
7.97
30–34
559 055
593 148
1 152 203
7.30
35–39
495 340
538 054
1 033 394
6.55
40–44
437 744
476 215
913 959
5.79
45–49
387 618
419 090
806 708
5.11
50–54
336 267
360 935
697 202
4.42
55–59
279 746
298 503
578 249
3.67
60–64
223 411
238 973
462 384
2.93
65–69
172 623
187 448
360 071
2.28
70–74
128 033
142 255
270 288
1.71
75–79
89 929
101 191
191 120
1.21
80–84
57 585
64 467
122 052
0.77
85–89
31 289
34 891
66 180
0.42
90–94
13 655
15 370
29 025
0.18
95–99
4 898
5 145
10 043
0.06
100+
290
252
542
0.03
Age group
Male
Female
Total
Percent
0–14
2 535 198
2 426 959
4 962 157
31.46
15–64
4 782 435
4 980 836
9 763 271
61.89
65+
498 302
551 019
1 049 321
6.65
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2021) (Excludes nomadic Indian tribes.):[12]
Age Group
Male
Female
Total
%
Total
8 783 789
8 967 488
17 751 277
100
0–4
845 954
808 798
1 654 752
9.32
5–9
853 987
817 229
1 671 216
9.41
10–14
861 741
823 598
1 685 339
9.49
15–19
833 964
798 770
1 632 734
9.20
20–24
778 930
755 659
1 534 589
8.64
25–29
712 218
706 341
1 418 559
7.99
30–34
647 958
658 656
1 306 614
7.36
35–39
590 249
618 416
1 208 665
6.81
40–44
528 482
571 807
1 100 289
6.20
45–49
464 207
509 979
974 186
5.49
50–54
406 015
446 926
852 941
4.80
55–59
350 539
387 801
738 340
4.16
60–64
290 143
324 072
614 215
3.46
65–69
226 290
257 338
483 628
2.72
70–74
165 840
194 960
360 800
2.03
75–79
112 069
138 213
250 282
1.41
80–84
66 621
85 696
152 317
0.86
85–89
32 786
42 792
75 578
0.43
90–94
12 487
16 097
28 584
0.16
95–99
3 192
4 184
7 376
0.04
100+
117
156
273
<0.01
Age group
Male
Female
Total
Percent
0–14
2 561 682
2 449 625
5 011 307
28.23
15–64
5 602 705
5 778 427
11 381 132
64.11
65+
619 402
739 436
1 358 838
7.65
Geography
Due to the prevalence of malaria and yellow fever in the coastal region until the end of the 19th century, the Ecuadorian population was most heavily concentrated in the highlands and valleys of the "Sierra" region. In today's population approximately 50% of the population resides in the Coastal (Costa) region, while another 45% lives in the Andean Highland (Sierra) region. This means that roughly 95% of Ecuador's population is concentrated in these two regions, which together comprise only about half of the country's landmass. In contrast, the Amazonian (Oriente) region, which accounts for approximately half of Ecuador's total land area, is home to a 3-4% of the population. The smallest region, the Insular (Galapagos) region, has less than 0.2% of the total population.[13]
The "Oriente" region, consisting of Amazonian lowlands to the east of the Andes and covering about half the country's land area, remains sparsely populated and contains only about 3% of the country's population, that for the most are indigenous peoples who maintain a wary distance from the recent Mestizo and white settlers. The territories of the "Oriente" are home to as many as nine indigenous groups: Quichua, Shuar, Achuar, Waorani, Siona, Secoya, Shiwiar, and Cofan, all represented politically by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon, CONFENIAE.
As a result of the oil exploration and the development of the infrastructure required for the exploitation of the oil fields in the eastern jungles during the seventies and early eighties, there was a wave of settlement in the region. The Majority of these wave of internal immigration came from the southern province of Loja as a result of a drought that lasted three years and affected the southern provinces of the country. This boom of the petroleum industry has led to a mushrooming of the town of Lago Agrio (Nueva Loja) as well as substantial deforestation and pollution of wetlands and lakes.
Vital statistics
Registration of vital events is in Ecuador not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates.[10]
Period
Live births per year
Deaths per year
Natural change per year
CBR*
CDR*
NC*
TFR*
IMR*
Life expectancy
total
males
females
1950–1955
169,000
71,000
98,000
45.6
19.2
26.4
6.75
140
48.4
47.1
49.6
1955–1960
190,000
71,000
119,000
44.8
16.7
28.1
6.75
129
51.4
50.1
52.7
1960–1965
214,000
71,000
143,000
43.6
14.5
29.1
6.65
119
54.7
53.4
56.1
1965–1970
239,000
73,000
166,000
42.2
13.0
29.2
6.40
107
56.8
55.4
58.2
1970–1975
258,000
74,000
184,000
39.6
11.4
28.2
5.80
95
58.9
57.4
60.5
1975–1980
270,000
71,000
199,000
36.2
9.5
26.7
5.05
82
61.4
59.7
63.2
1980–1985
285,000
68,000
217,000
33.5
8.0
25.5
4.45
69
64.5
62.5
66.7
1985–1990
302,000
64,000
238,000
31.4
6.7
24.7
4.00
56
67.5
65.3
69.9
1990–1995
311,000
63,000
248,000
28.7
5.8
22.9
3.55
44
70.1
67.6
72.7
1995–2000
316,000
64,000
252,000
26.3
5.4
20.9
3.20
33
72.3
69.7
75.2
2000–2005
313,000
68,000
245,000
24.2
5.1
19.1
2.94
25
74.2
71.3
77.3
2005–2010
323,000
74,000
249,000
22.1
5.0
17.1
2.69
21
75.0
72.1
78.1
2010–2015
329,000
80,000
249,000
21.0
5.1
15.9
2.56
17
76.4
73.6
79.3
2015–2020
330,000
85,000
245,000
19.9
5.1
14.8
2.44
14
77.6
74.9
80.4
2020–2025
18.5
5.2
13.3
2.32
2025–2030
17.0
5.4
11.6
2.22
* CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)
The Ecuadorian constitution recognizes the pluri-nationality of those who want to exercise their affiliation with their native ethnic groups. There are five major ethnic groups in Ecuador: Mestizo, European, Afroecuadorian, Amerindian, and Montubio. Mestizos constitute more than 85% of the population.[2]
Ecuador's population descends from Spanish immigrants and South American Amerindians, admixed with descendants of black slaves who arrived to work on coastal plantations in the sixteenth century. The mix of these groups is described as Mestizo.
A geography of ethnicity remained well-defined until the surge in migration that began in the 1950s. Whites resided primarily in larger cities. Mestizos lived in small towns scattered throughout the countryside. Indians formed the bulk of the Sierra rural populace, although Mestizos filled this role in the areas with few Indians. Most blacks lived in Esmeraldas Province, with small enclaves found in the Carchi and Imbabura provinces. Pressure on Sierra land resources and the dissolution of the traditional hacienda, however, increased the numbers of Indians migrating to the Costa, the Oriente, and the cities.
Mestizos
Ecuador's population is predominantly mestizo, accounting for approximately 86% of the total. This group, however, is broadly categorized and includes several distinct regional subgroups that live both on the Andes and the Coast, where the bulk of the Ecuadorian population is concentrated.
Also written Montuvio is the term used for the coastal farmers of Ecuador.[15] Some believe the name originates from their horsemanship, positioning them as the archetypal cowboys of Ecuador's Pacific coast—similar to the chagra who is the cowboy of the Ecuadorian Andes, or the llaneros of Colombia and Venezuela. Their attire typically includes a wide-brimmed hat, a light shirt, cloth trousers, boots, a machete, a hook, and a horse for transportation. According to the 2022 Ecuadorian census, Montuvios constitute 7.7% of Ecuador's population, meaning over 1,304,994 Ecuadorians identified as Montuvios in that year. The census also revealed that the majority of Montuvios reside in the provinces of Guayas, Manabí, and Los Ríos.
Cholos
Cholo fishermen are a Mestizo group inhabiting the coasts of Guayas, Santa Elena, and Manabí. They represent a blend of indigenous-Mestizo and indigenous-Afro heritage, with a greater indigenous contribution than the Montuvios. The distinction between Cholos, Mestizos, and Montuvios is often blurred, and economic activity is frequently used as a differentiator. Thus, coastal Cholos are primarily associated with fishing, generally artisanal. With the economic development of this region, fishing industrialized around the city of Manta, leading many Cholos to migrate there to continue their economic activity. They are also involved in shrimp farming, another industrialization of this profession, which is currently one of Ecuador's main export products. Despite their significant presence in the coastal population of these three provinces, there are no exact statistics on their numbers.[16]
Conversely, in southern Ecuador, the word "Cholo" refers to the farmers of Azuay, specifically the chola cuencana. This figure is characterized by a traditional costume that evolved in the 18th century and has adapted to the present day. This term is analogous to the chazos of Loja and the chagras of Quito, both referring to the farmers of the Ecuadorian highlands. Beyond her traditional attire, the chola cuencana is known for her dedication to agriculture and participation in the "Pase del Niño," a traditional parade in the city of Loja.[17]
Chazos
Chazos are the traditional farmers of southern Ecuador, concentrated in the province of Loja. They are an integral part of the country's folklore and have a traditional costume similar to the farmers of Colombia's coffee region. This similarity stems from their shared economic activity, as agriculture, particularly coffee cultivation, has flourished in this region. Consequently, the Chazo is often depicted with a coffee harvesting bag. Like the Cholos, there are no exact statistics on their numbers, yet they represent a significant portion of southern Ecuador's population. Currently, Chazos, along with Cholos and Chagras, are not formally represented in the census. The only traditional peasant group in Ecuador that has achieved this recognition are the Montuvios of the coast, who, due to their substantial numbers concentrated around the Gulf of Guayaquil and the Guayas River basin, have gained official visibility.[18]
In Ecuador, Chagras are the farmers of the Ecuadorian Andes known for their cattle ranching activities, considered muleteers or drovers. They are the primary cowboys of the Ecuadorian highlands and should not be confused with the Montuvios, who are the main group of coastal farmers whose economic activity also involves cattle ranching. Their current attire includes a shirt, poncho, felt hat, sheep's wool scarf, and zamarro (leather chaps). Their history revolves around haciendas, as both religious orders and landowners owned large productive properties where this tradition developed from the 17th century. This fostered the culture surrounding the Chagra, who is responsible for caring for the livestock. They are typically Mestizos, either hired by landowners or themselves small to medium-sized proprietors of land and cattle. Currently, events like the "Paseo del Chagra de Machachi" in July, the "Fiestas Parroquiales de Conocoto" in June, and the "Fiestas del Maíz y del Turismo de Sangolquí" in September celebrate this culture.[19]
Pupos
Pupo is the name given to the farmers of northern Ecuador, especially in the province of Carchi. The word "Pupo" is etymologically derived from the Chaima language, meaning "head." Its use began as a metaphor, implying that the people of Carchi are the "heads" of these regions or even the "head" of the national territory. It is closely linked to Colombian history following the conservative revolution, when some Colombian generals invaded Ecuador. However, an Ecuadorian leader named Rafael Arellano organized liberal troops and thwarted the invasion, defeating the Colombian conservatives. In retaliation, Mercedes Landázuri, a conservative leader, insulted the Ecuadorian troops by calling them "pupos" because the soldiers' uniforms were too small, exposing their navels. This word was reappropriated and is now used to commemorate this triumph and defense of Ecuadorian sovereignty.[20]
Afro-Ecuadorians are an ethnic group in Ecuador who are descendants of black African slaves brought by the Spanish during their conquest of Ecuador. They make up from 3% to 5% of Ecuador's population.[21][22]
A large part of their population has historically been distributed in the province of Esmeraldas and the Chota Valley; more recently, there is a significant population across all provinces of the country. They originally settled in Esmeraldas, Imbabura, Carchi; subsequently, in the 1960s, due to immigration, their population inhabits the provinces of Guayas, Pichincha, El Oro, Los Ríos, Manabí, and the Ecuadorian East. Afro-Ecuadorians settled in the Chota Valley and the basin of the Mira River, geographically in the provinces of Imbabura and Carchi, whose settlement is linked to colonial haciendas that concentrated enslaved population. A large part of Ecuadorian Black people descend from survivors of slave ships that ran aground on the northern coast of Ecuador and the southern coast of Colombia between the 17th and 18th centuries. These individuals organized their own communities outside the influence of indigenous peoples and Spanish colonizers, being self-liberated. They settled in the Esmeraldas area and its surroundings and have subsequently experienced a process of migration to other areas. Another percentage comes from slaves who arrived in the 18th century from haciendas in Colombia, the coast, and the highlands, who gained their freedom after the 1860s. Both groups, the freed people of Esmeraldas and the slaves in the rest of the country, typically came from the peoples of West Africa, and have Spanish surnames derived from their former masters or genuinely African but Hispanized surnames. Later arrivals of Black people to Ecuador occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the construction of the Durán-Quito railway under the government of Eloy Alfaro, who massively contracted them as construction workers from Jamaica, causing a small immigration. Many of them stayed in the country and formed families. Chronologically, they were the first people organized under the ideologies of the working-class labor movement in Ecuador, especially anarchism. However, they did not engage in proselytizing work outside of the Jamaican migrant workers due to language, cultural, and racial differences with Ecuadorians. They are characterized by their Anglo-Saxon surnames and are currently completely assimilated into the cities.[23]
Ecuador has a population of about 1,120,000 descendants from African people. The Afro-Ecuadorian culture is found primarily in the country's northwest coastal region. Africans form a majority (70%) in the province of Esmeraldas and also have an important concentration in the Valle del Chota in the Imbabura Province. They can be also found in important numbers in Quito and Guayaquil.
The Sierra Indigenous had an estimated population of 1.5 to 2 million in the early 1980s and live in the intermontane valleys of the Andes. Prolonged contact with Hispanic culture, which dates back to the conquest, has had a homogenizing effect, reducing the variation among the indigenous Sierra tribes.[24]
The Indigenous people of the Sierra are separated from whites and Mestizos by a caste-like gulf. They are marked as a disadvantaged group; to be an Indigenous person in Ecuador is to be stigmatized. Poverty rates are higher and literacy rates are lower among Indigenous than the general population. They enjoy limited participation in national institutions and are often excluded from social and economic opportunities available to more privileged groups. However, some groups of Indigenous, such as the Otavalo people, have increased their socioeconomic status to extent that they enjoy a higher standard of living than many other Indigenous groups in Ecuador and many Mestizos of their area.
Visible markers of ethnic affiliation, especially hairstyle, dress, and language, separate Indigenous from the rest of the populace. Indigenous wore more manufactured items by the late 1970s than previously; their clothing, nonetheless, was distinct from that of other rural inhabitants. Indigenous in communities relying extensively on wage labor sometimes assumed Western-style dress while still maintaining their Indigenous identity. Indigenous speak Spanish and, Quichua—a Quechua dialect—although most are bilingual, speaking Spanish as a second language with varying degrees of facility. By the late 1980s, some younger Indigenous no longer learned Quichua.[24]
On the other hand, the oriente indigenous people first came into contact with Europeans in the 16th century, the encounters were more sporadic than those of most of the country's indigenous population. Until the 19th century, most non-Amerindians entering the region were either traders or missionaries. Beginning in the 1950s, however, the government built roads and encouraged settlers from the Sierra to colonize the Amazon River Basin. Virtually all remaining Indians were brought into increasing contact with national society. The interaction between Indians and outsiders had a profound impact on the indigenous way of life.[25]
In the late 1970s, roughly 30,000 Quichua speakers and 15,000 Jívaros lived in Oriente Indigenous communities. Quichua speakers (sometimes referred to as the Yumbos) grew out of the detribalization of members of many different groups after the Spanish conquest. Subject to the influence of Quichua-speaking missionaries and traders, various elements of the Yumbos adopted the tongue as a lingua franca and gradually lost their previous languages and tribal origins. Yumbos were scattered throughout the Oriente, whereas the Jívaros—subdivided into the Shuar and the Achuar—were concentrated in southeastern Ecuador. Some also lived in northeastern Peru. Traditionally, both groups relied on migration to resolve intracommunity conflict and to limit the ecological damage to the tropical forest caused by slash-and-burn agriculture.[25]
Both the Yumbos and the Jívaros depended on agriculture as their primary means of subsistence. Manioc, the main staple, was grown in conjunction with a wide variety of other fruits and vegetables. Yumbo men also resorted to wage labor to obtain cash for the few purchases deemed necessary. By the mid-1970s, increasing numbers of Quichua speakers settled around some of the towns and missions of the Oriente. Indians themselves had begun to make a distinction between Christian and jungle Indians. The former engaged in trade with townspeople. The Jívaros, in contrast to the Christian Quichua speakers, lived in more remote areas. Their mode of horticulture was similar to that of the non-Christian Yumbos, although they supplemented crop production with hunting and some livestock raising.[25]
Shamans (curanderos) played a pivotal role in social relations in both groups. As the main leaders and the focus of local conflicts, shamans were believed to both cure and kill through magical means. In the 1980s group conflicts between rival shamans still erupted into full-scale feuds with loss of life.[25]
The Oriente Indigenous population dropped precipitously during the initial period of intensive contact with outsiders. The destruction of their crops by Mestizos laying claim to indigenous lands, the rapid exposure to diseases to which Indians lacked immunity, and the extreme social disorganization all contributed to increased mortality and decreased birth rates. One study of the Shuar in the 1950s found that the group between ten and nineteen years of age was smaller than expected. This was the group that had been youngest and most vulnerable during the initial contact with national society. Normal population growth rates began to reestablish themselves after approximately the first decade of such contact.[25]
Ancestry
Map of interpolated probabilities of inferred ancestry of Y-chromosome profiles. Interpolation is based on average probabilities per province.
Over the past few years, several studies have been conducted on the genetic composition of Ecuadorians. These studies have helped determine the genetic origin of mestizaje (mixed-ancestry) in Ecuador. Various international universities and independent research teams, such as Cornell University and the University of Brasilia, have carried out these studies, with their findings published in scientific journals like DNA Tribes, Science Direct, PLoS Genetics, Research Gate, American Journal of Biology, and Nature, among others. Based on an average of the recent studies since 2008, the genetic composition of Ecuadorians is approximately:
53.8% Amerindian ancestry
38.3% European ancestry
7.4% African ancestry
The studies based on Y-STRs and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) offer complementary views into Ecuadorian ancestry due to their distinct inheritance patterns: Y-STRs, found on the Y-chromosome, are passed exclusively from father to son, making them ideal for tracing the direct paternal line. Conversely, mtDNA, located in cellular mitochondria, is inherited solely from mother to all her children, allowing for the direct tracing of the maternal line. To better understand the mestizaje in Ecuador, a study analyzing Y-STRs in 415 Ecuadorian men across the Amazon, Andes, and Pacific coast revealed that the majority of ancestry is European is located in the coast and the south of Ecuador. The concentration of Amerindian ancestry was located in the northern andes and the Amazon Region, while the African component concentrated in the northwest part of the country.[26] The list of the most relevant studies is the following:
Amerindian
European
African
Arab
Asian
Study
Year
Source
64,6%
31,0%
4,4%
—
—
O impacto das migrações na constituição genética de populações latino-americanas
Ecuador's diverse cultural landscape is shaped by its varied geography and rich history. The Sierra Centro-Norte (Region 1), with its volcanic terrain, was a crucial center for early indigenous settlements and later became known for its hacienda culture and the renowned Quito School of art.[35] This region also played a significant role in scientific advancements, such as the French Geodesic Mission, which ultimately lent its name to the country.[36]
Meanwhile, the coastal Río Guayas and Golfo de Guayaquil (Region 2), with its extensive river network, fostered a distinct "montuvia" and "porteña" culture, deeply connected to agriculture and maritime activities. This area developed a unique abstract art style and is celebrated for its influential literary "Grupo de Guayaquil" and its contributions to the national "pasillo" music.[37][38]
Further south, the Sierra Sur and Cordillera del Cóndor (Region 3), historically more isolated, witnessed a faster process of mestizaje and an economy focused on quinine trade. It's also recognized for early musical forms like the "Tono del niño" and its significant literary output of the cities of Loja and Cuenca. This region historically was characterized by the "communities of mute individuals" a term coined by Dr. Haim Avni, which are believed to have been founded in the Loja province of Ecuador. This communities were conformed by Jewish refugees fleeing the Inquisition during the colonial era. These groups, settling along the Chira and Catamayo rivers, formed small, insular, and often endogamous communities. Their clandestine nature extended to activities like mining in Zaruma, where they resisted official inquiries.[39]
Moving to the northern coast, Río Portoviejo and Río Chone (Region 4), primarily Manabí province, boasts a strong montuvio identity. Despite its historical isolation, it thrives on fishing and agriculture. The pre-Columbian Manteño culture, known for its maritime skills, laid the foundation for Manabí's rich gastronomy, which is now recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The region's vibrant cultural expressions include the chigualo celebration and the traditional "amorfinos." [40]
Adjacent to this, the Río Esmeraldas and Río Cayapas (Region 5), often called the "green province," is a vital part of the Chocó biogeographic area. This region is the heart of Afro-Ecuadorian culture, shaped by the descendants of cimarrones. Their heritage is vividly expressed through rich mythology, the distinctive marimba esmeraldeña music (a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), and a syncretic literary tradition. The discovery of oil in the Amazon, leading to a refinery in Esmeraldas, profoundly transformed the national economy and spurred development in this coastal area.[41]
Ecuador's Amazonía (Region 6), a sprawling plain around the Napo and Pastaza river basins, holds immense cultural and political significance, especially in debates surrounding resource exploitation and historical territorial claims. It's home to indigenous communities like the Waorani, Kichwa, and Shuar, whose languages are vital to intercultural relations. Scientific exploration, notably by Manuel Villavicencio, has been crucial in mapping and understanding this biodiverse region. The discovery of oil here in the late 1960s dramatically altered Ecuador's economic landscape, turning it into a major oil exporter.[42]
Off the coast, the Galápagos Islands (Region 7) are a globally celebrated ecological wonder, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and the planet's second-largest marine reserve. Known for its unique biodiversity and active volcanic landscape, the islands are a major tourist destination and have inspired numerous literary works.[43]
Language
Distribution of indigenous "nationalities" and proportion of the indigenous population (circa 1'302.057 people or 7.7% of the total) that speaks an indigenous language.
Most Ecuadorians speak Spanish.[44] According to the last Census of 2022, of the 7.7% of the population that identifies as indigenous, 3.2% speak an indigenous language.[45][46] That means that from a total indigenous population of 1'302.057 people, 50,4% of them do not speak an indigenous language. In absolute numbers, that 3.2% of the population amounts to 645.821 people that speak an indigenous language.[45] The distribution is the following:
Kichwa with 527,333 speakers, making up 40.5% of the total indigenous population.
Shuar with 59,894 speakers, making up 4.6% of the total indigenous population.
Other languages with 58,594 speakers, making up 4.5% of the total indigenous population.
The other amerindian languages spoken in Ecuador include Awapit (spoken by the Awá), A'ingae (spoken by the Cofan), Achuar Chicham (spoken by the Achuar), Shiwiar (spoken by the Shiwiar), Cha'palaachi (spoken by the Chachi), Tsa'fiki (spoken by the Tsáchila), Paicoca (spoken by the Siona and Secoya), and Wao Tededeo (spoken by the Waorani). Though most features of Ecuadorian Spanish are those universal to the Spanish-speaking world, there are several idiosyncrasies.
Religious epic poem Parusía, written by José Rumazo
According to the Ecuadorian National Institute of Statistics and Census, 91.95% of the country's population have a religion, 7.94% are atheists and 0.11% are agnostics. Among those with a religion, 80.44% are Roman Catholic, 11.30% are Protestants, and 8.26% other (mainly Jewish, Buddhists and Latter-day Saints).[47][48]
In the rural parts of Ecuador, indigenous beliefs and Catholicism are sometimes syncretized. Most festivals and annual parades are based on religious celebrations, many incorporating a mixture of rites and icons.[49]
The "Jewish Community of Ecuador" (Comunidad Judía del Ecuador) has its seat in Quito and has approximately 300 members. Nevertheless, this number is declining because young people leave the country towards the United States of America or Israel.[52] The Community has a Jewish Center with a synagogue, a country club and a cemetery. It supports the "Albert Einstein School", where Jewish history, religion and Hebrew classes are offered. Since 2004, there has also been a Chabad house in Quito.[53]
There are very small communities in Cuenca and Ambato. The "Comunidad de Culto Israelita" reunites the Jews of Guayaquil. This community works independently from the "Jewish Community of Ecuador".[54] Jewish visitors to Ecuador can also take advantage of Jewish resources as they travel[55] and keep kosher there, even in the Amazon Rainforest.[56] The city has also synagogue of Messianic Judaism.[57]
In recent decades, there has been a high rate of emigration due to the economic crisis that seriously affected the economy of the country in the 1990s, over 400,000 Ecuadorians left for Spain and Italy, and around 100,000 for the United Kingdom while several hundred thousand Ecuadorians live in the US, (500,000 by some estimates) mostly in the cities of the Northeastern corridor. Many other Ecuadorians have emigrated across Latin America, thousands have gone to Japan and Australia. One famous American of Ecuadorian descent is pop music vocalist Christina Aguilera.
In Ecuador there are about 100,000 Americans and over 30,000 European Union expatriates. They move to Ecuador for business opportunities and as cheaper place for retirement.
As a result of the political conflict in Colombia and of the criminal gangs that had appeared in the areas of power vacuum a constant flow of refugees and asylum seekers as well as economic migrants of Colombian origin had moved into Ecuadorian territory. Over the last decade at least 45,000 displaced people are now residents in Ecuador, the Ecuadorian government and international organizations are assisting them. According to the UNHCR 2009 report as many as 167,189 refugees and asylum seekers are temporary residents in Ecuador.[58]
Following the migratory trend to Europe many of the jobs that those that left held in the country had been taken over by Peruvian economic migrants. Those jobs are mostly in agriculture and unskilled labor. There are no official statistics but some press reports estimate their number into the tens of thousands.
There is a diverse community of Middle Eastern Ecuadorians, numbering in the tens of thousands, mostly from Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian descent; prominent in commerce and industry, and concentrated in the coastal cities of Guayaquil, Quevedo and Machala. They are well assimilated into the local culture and are referred commonly as "turcos" since the early migrants of these communities arrived with passports issued by the Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the century.[59]
Ecuador is also home to communities of Spaniards, Italians, Germans, Portuguese, French, Britons and Greek-Ecuadorians. Ecuadorian Jews, who number around 450 are mostly of German or Italian descent. There are 225,000 English speakers and 112,000 German speakers in Ecuador of which the great majority reside in Quito, mainly all descendants of immigrants who arrived in the late 19th century and of retired emigrees that returned to their terroir. Most of the descendants of European immigrants strive for the preservation of their heritage. Therefore, some groups even have their own schools (e.g. German School Guayaquil and German School Quito), Liceé La Condamine (French Heritage), Alberto Einstein (Jewish Heritage) and The British School of Quito (Anglo-British), cultural and social organizations, churches and country clubs. Their contribution for the social, political and economical development of the country is immense, specially in relation to their percentage in the total population. Most of the families of European heritage belong to the Ecuadorian upper class and had married into the wealthiest families of the country.
There is also a small Asian-Ecuadorian (see Asian Latino) community estimated in a range from 2,500 to 25,000, mainly consists of those having any amount of ChineseHan descent, and possibly 10,000 being Japanese whose ancestors arrived as miners, farm hands and fishermen in the late 19th century. Guayaquil has an East Asian community, mostly Chinese including Taiwanese, and Japanese, as well as a Southeast Asian community, mostly Filipinos.
↑ Mafla, Jorge Cabezas (1995). Vivencias y sabor popular del Carchi (in Spanish). Centro Cultural "Comuneros", Departamento de Cultura del H. Consejo Provincial del Carchi.
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