The majority of Eswatini's population is ethnic Swazi, mixed with a small number of Zulus and white Africans, predominantly of British and Afrikaner origin. This population also includes a small segment within it that is mixed with any number of these ancestries.
Traditionally Swazis have been subsistence farmers and herders, but most now work in the growing urban formal economy and in government. Some Swazis work in the mines in South Africa. Eswatini also received Portuguese settlers and black refugees from Mozambique. Christianity in Eswatini is sometimes mixed with traditional beliefs and practices. Most Swazis ascribe a special spiritual role to the Swazi Royal Family.
The country's official languages are Siswati (a language related to Zulu) and English. Government and commercial business is conducted mainly in English. Asians, Afrikaners, Portuguese, and black Mozambicans speak their own languages.
Population
Demographics of Eswatini, Data of UNDESA (Population Division), year 2019; Number of inhabitants in thousands.
Eswatini's population is 1,113,276 according to the July 2021 estimate from the CIA World Factbook. The 2007 Census put the nation's population at 912,229. This number is lower than the 1997 Census, which gave 929,718 residents. The small difference is believed to be the result of massive emigration of Swazis to South Africa in search of work.[1]
According to the 2010 revision of the World Population Prospects the total population was 1,186,000 in 2010, compared to only 273,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 38.4%, 58.2% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 3.4% was 65 years or older .[2]
Year
Total population
Population percentage
aged 0–14
aged 15–64
aged 65+
1950
273 000
43.0%
54.3%
2.7%
1955
307 000
44.2%
53%
2.8%
1960
349 000
45.2%
52%
2.8%
1965
392 000
46.3%
51.0%
2.7%
1970
446 000
47.2%
50.1%
2.7%
1975
517 000
48.0%
49.3%
2.7%
1980
603 000
48.8%
48.5%
2.7%
1985
706 000
48.9%
48.3%
2.8%
1990
863 000
48.1%
49.2%
2.7%
1995
964 000
47.6%
49.6%
2.8%
2000
1 064 000
44.6%
52.4%
3.0%
2005
1 105 000
41.8%
55%
3.2%
2010
1 186 000
38.4%
58.2%
3.4%
Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 29.IV.2017): [3]
Age Group
Male
Female
Total
%
Total
531 111
562 127
1 093 238
100
0–4
65 218
64 990
130 208
11.91
5–9
65 109
64 719
129 828
11.88
10–14
63 783
63 654
127 437
11.66
15–19
60 955
59 213
120 168
10.99
20–24
52 280
54 236
106 516
9.74
25–29
46 551
50 188
96 739
8.85
30–34
42 148
44 222
86 370
7.90
35–39
33 443
33 538
66 981
6.13
40–44
24 428
25 268
49 696
4.55
45–49
19 194
22 084
41 278
3.78
50–54
14 094
18 724
32 818
3.00
55–59
12 062
15 754
27 816
2.54
60–64
10 059
12 810
22 869
2.09
65–69
7 322
10 037
17 359
1.59
70–74
4 998
8 256
13 254
1.21
75–79
3 484
5 664
9 148
0.84
80+
2 846
6 193
9 039
0.83
Age group
Male
Female
Total
Percent
0–14
194 110
193 363
387 473
35.44
15–64
315 214
336 037
651 251
59.57
65+
18 650
30 150
48 800
4.46
Unknown
3 137
2 577
5 714
0.52
Vital statistics
Registration of vital events in Eswatini is not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. [2]
Period
Live births per year
Deaths per year
Natural change per year
CBR*
CDR*
NC*
TFR*
IMR*
1950–1955
14 000
7 000
7 000
48.1
22.6
25.5
6.70
174
1955–1960
16 000
7 000
9 000
47.6
20.8
26.8
6.70
160
1960–1965
18 000
7 000
10 000
47.9
19.6
28.2
6.75
150
1965–1970
20 000
8 000
13 000
49.0
18.5
30.4
6.85
141
1970–1975
24 000
8 000
16 000
49.3
16.4
32.9
6.87
124
1975–1980
27 000
8 000
19 000
48.5
14.2
34.2
6.73
108
1980–1985
31 000
8 000
23 000
47.7
12.0
35.7
6.54
90
1985–1990
36 000
8 000
28 000
46.1
10.3
35.8
6.13
77
1990–1995
36 000
9 000
28 000
39.9
9.4
30.4
5.30
69
1995–2000
35 000
12 000
22 000
34.1
11.9
22.1
4.49
80
2000–2005
34 000
17 000
17 000
31.8
15.7
16.1
4.01
87
2005–2010
34 000
17 000
17 000
30.1
14.9
15.2
3.57
76
* 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)
Demographic and Health Surveys
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[4]
Year
Total
Urban
Rural
CBR
TFR
CBR
TFR
CBR
TFR
1986
6,4
1991
5,6
1997
4,5
1999–2002
4,2
2006–2007
31,1
3,8 (2,1)
31,9
3,0 (1,8)
31,0
4,2 (2,2)
Life expectancy at birth
Life expectancy from 1950 to 2015 (UN World Population Prospects):[5]
Christian 90% (Zionist – a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship – 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, other 30% – includes Anglican, Methodist, Church of Jesus Christ, Jehovah's Witness), Muslim 2%, other 8% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, indigenous, Jewish) (2015 est.)
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