Demographics of Lebanon

Last updated
Demographics of Lebanon
Lebanon single age population pyramid 2020.png
Lebanon population pyramid in 2020
Population5,469,612 (July 2020 est.), [1] including 910,256 Syrians, 170,000 Palestinians, and 5,700 Iraqis (110th)
Growth rate-6.68% (2020 est.)
Birth rate13.6 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Death rate5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Life expectancy78.3 years (2020 est.)
  male77.8 years (2020 est.)
  female79.8 years (2020 est.)
Fertility rate1.72 children born/woman (SRS 2015)
Infant mortality rate0.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years23.32% (male 728,025/female 694,453) (2018 est.)
15–64 years69.65% (male 2,139,885/female 2,108,917) (2018 est.)
65 and over7.03% (male 185,780/female 243,015) (2018 est.)
Sex ratio
At birth1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Under 151.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15–64 years1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
65 and over0.79 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Nationality
Nationalitynoun: Lebanese people, adjective: Lebanese
Language
Official Arabic [2]
Spoken Lebanese Arabic, English, French [2]
Minority languages include Armenian and Aramaic
Demographics of Lebanon Flag of Lebanon.svg
IndicatorRankMeasure
Economy
GDP (PPP) per capita 66th $19,500
Unemployment rate ↓ 21st20.89%*
CO2 emissions 78th3.05t
Electricity consumption 77th49.72GWh
Economic Freedom 95th2.98
Politics
Human Development Index 80th0.757
Political freedom Partly4
Corruption (A higher score means less (perceived) corruption.) ↓ 134th2.5
Press freedom 45th74.00
Society
Literacy Rate 43rd96.7%
Number of Internet users 59th4,545,007 users
E-readiness 14th7.16±
Ease of Doing Business 24thUnknown
Health
Life Expectancy 59th77.0
Birth rate 113th15.6
Fertility rate 157th1.77††
Infant mortality 127th14.39‡‡
Death rate 157th7.5
HIV/AIDS rate 127th0.10%
Notes
* including several non-sovereign entities
↓ indicates rank is in reverse order (e.g. 1st is lowest)
per capita
± score out of 10
per 1000 people
†† per woman
‡‡ per 1000 live births

This is a demography of the population of Lebanon including population density, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Contents

About 95% of the population of Lebanon is either Muslim or Christian, split across various sects and denominations. Because religious balance is a sensitive political issue, a national census has not been conducted since 1932, before the founding of the modern Lebanese state. Consequently, there is an absence of accurate data on the relative percentages of the population of the major religions and groups. [3]

The absence of data and comprehensive statistics also concerns all other demographic studies unrelated to religious balance, due to the all but total inactivity of the concerned public agencies. The only recent (post-war) statistics available are estimates based on studies made by private organizations.[ citation needed ]

The biggest study made after the independence on the Lebanese Population was made by the Central Administration of Statistics (in French: "Administration Centrale de la Statistique") under the direction of Robert Kasparian and Grégoire Haddad's Social Movement: "L'enquête par sondage sur la population active au Liban en 1970" (in English: "The survey on the active population in Lebanon in 1970"). It was conducted on a sample of 130,000 individuals. [4]

There are between 10 and 15 million [5] [6] [7] Lebanese and descendants of Lebanese worldwide, mostly Christians, compared with the internal population of Lebanon of around 4.6 million citizens, in 2020. [8]

Ethnic groups

Ethnic identity revolves increasingly around aspects of cultural self-identification more than descent. To an extent, religious affiliation has also become a substitute in some respects for ethnic affiliation. [9] Generally, the cultural and linguistic heritage of the People of Lebanon is a blend of both indigenous elements and the foreign cultures that have come to rule the land and its people over the course of thousands of years. Moreover, in a 2013 interview, the lead investigator, Pierre Zalloua, pointed out that genetic variation preceded religious variation and divisions: "Lebanon already had well-differentiated communities with their own genetic peculiarities, but not significant differences, and religions came as layers of paint on top. There is no distinct pattern that shows that one community carries significantly more Phoenician than another". [10]

Religious groups

Three Lebanese women in 1873. Zahlefashion.jpg
Three Lebanese women in 1873.

The Lebanese Christians make up one of the oldest groups of Christians in the world. The Maronite Christians belong to the West Syriac Rite. Their Liturgical language is the Syriac-Aramaic language. [11] [12] The Melkite Greek Catholics and the Greek Orthodox, tend to focus more on the Greco-Hellenistic heritage of the region from the days of the Byzantine Empire and Alexander the Great, along with the fact that Greek was maintained as a liturgical language until very recently. Some Lebanese even claim partial descent from Crusader knights who ruled Lebanon for a couple of centuries during the Middle Ages, also backed by recent genetic studies which confirmed this among Lebanese people, especially in the north of the country that was under the Crusader County of Tripoli. This identification with non-Arab civilizations also exists in other religious communities, albeit not to the same extent.

The sectarian system

Lebanon's religious divisions are extremely complicated, and the country is made up by a multitude of religious groupings. The ecclesiastical and demographic patterns of the sects and denominations are complex. Divisions and rivalries between groups date back as far as 15 centuries, and still are a factor today. The pattern of settlement has changed little since the 7th century, but instances of civil strife and ethnic cleansing, most recently during the Lebanese Civil War, has brought some important changes to the religious map of the country. (See also History of Lebanon.)

Lebanon has by far the largest proportion of Christians of any Middle Eastern country, but both Christians and Muslims are sub-divided into many splinter sects and denominations. Population statistics are highly controversial. The various denominations and sects each have vested interests in inflating their own numbers. Shias, Sunnis, Maronites and Eastern Orthodox (the four largest denominations) all often claim that their particular religious affiliation holds a majority in the country, adding up to over 150% of the total population, even before counting the other denominations. One of the rare things that most Lebanese religious leaders will agree on is to avoid a new general census, for fear that it could trigger a new round of denominational conflict. The last official census was performed in 1932.

Religion has traditionally been of overriding importance in defining the Lebanese population. Dividing state power between the religious denominations and sects, and granting religious authorities judicial power, dates back to Ottoman times (the millet system). The practice was reinforced during French mandate, when Christian groups were granted privileges. This system of government, while partly intended as a compromise between sectarian demands, has caused tensions that still dominate Lebanese politics to this day.

The Christian population majority is believed to have ended in the early 1970s, but government leaders would agree to no change in the political power balance. This led to Muslim demands for increased representation, and the constant sectarian tension slid into violent conflict in 1958 (prompting U.S. intervention) and again in the grueling Lebanese Civil War, in 1975–90.

Natural Growth Rate in Lebanon throughout years Natural Growth Rate in Lebanon throughout years.png
Natural Growth Rate in Lebanon throughout years

The balance of power has been slightly adjusted in the 1943 National Pact, an informal agreement struck at independence, in which positions of power were divided according to the 1932 census. The Sunni elite was then accorded more power, but Maronites continued to dominate the system. The sectarian balance was again adjusted towards the Muslim side but simultaneously further reinforced and legitimized. Shia Muslims (by now the second largest sect) then gained additional representation in the state apparatus, and the obligatory Christian-Muslim representation in Parliament was downgraded from a 6:5 to a 1:1 ratio. Christians of various denominations were then generally thought to constitute about 40% of the population, although often Muslim leaders would cite lower numbers, and some Christians would claim that they still held a majority of the population.

18 recognized religious groups

An estimate of the area distribution of Lebanon's main religious groups Lebanon religious groups.jpg
An estimate of the area distribution of Lebanon's main religious groups
Distribution of Lebanon's religious groups according to 2009 municipal election data Lebanon religious groups distribution.jpg
Distribution of Lebanon's religious groups according to 2009 municipal election data

The present Lebanese Constitution officially acknowledges 18 religious groups (see below). These have the right to handle family law according to their courts and traditions, and they are the basic players in Lebanon's complex sectarian politics.

Religious population statistics

Note: stateless Palestinians and Syrians are not included in the statistics below since they do not hold Lebanese citizenship. The numbers only include the present population of Lebanon, and not the Lebanese diaspora.

The 1932 census stated that Christians made up 50% of the resident population. Maronites, the largest among the Christian denomination and then largely in control of the state apparatus, accounted for 29% of the total resident population.

The total population of Lebanon was reported to be 1,411,000 in 1956. [13] The largest communities were Maronites (424,000), Sunni Muslims (286,000), Shiite Muslims (250,000), Greek Orthodox (149,000), Greek Catholics (91,000), Druzes (88,000), Armenian Orthodox (64,000), Armenian Catholics (15,000), Protestants (14,000), Jews (7,000), Syriac Catholics (6,000), Syriac Orthodox (5,000), Latins (4,000) and Nestorian Chaldeans (1,000). [13]

A 2010 study conducted by Statistics Lebanon, a Beirut-based research firm, cited by the United States Department of State found that Lebanon's population of approximately 4.3 million was estimated to be: [14]

There is also a very small number of other religious minorities such as, Baháʼís, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and Mormons. [14]

In 2022, the CIA World Factbook specified that of the citizen population (data do not include Lebanon's sizable Syrian and Palestinian refugee populations), 55.3% are Muslims (25.65% Sunni, 25.65% Shia, with smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), 44.7% are Christians (mostly Maronites, and Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholics, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic, Assyrian Church of the East, Syriac Orthodox, Chaldean Catholic, Syriac Catholic), and 4.5% are Druze. [15]

Census of 1932

ResidentsEmigrants before 30/08/1924Emigrants after 30/08/1924
paying taxesdoes not paypaying taxesdoes not pay
Sunni178,1002,6539,8401,0893,623
Shi'i155,0352,9774,5431,7702,220
Druze53,3342,0673,2051,1832,295
Maronite227,80031,69758,45711,43421,809
Greek Catholic46,7097,19016,5441,8554,038
Greek Orthodox77,31212,54731,5213,9229,041
Protestant6,8696071,575174575
Armenian Orthodox26,1021601911,718
Armenian Catholic5,89095020375
Syriac Orthodox2,723634354
Syriac Catholic2,80391966101
Jews3,58862147188
Chaldean Orthodox1900000
Chaldean Catholic54806019
Miscellaneous6,39321275859234
Total793,39659,981127,00321,71346,290
Foreigners61.297
source [16]

Muslims

A map of religious and ethnic communities of Syria and Lebanon (1935) Population map Syria & Liban (1935).jpg
A map of religious and ethnic communities of Syria and Lebanon (1935)

According to the CIA World Factbook, [15] in 2021 the Muslim population was estimated at 60% within Lebanese territory and 20% of the over 4 million [5] [6] [7] Lebanese diaspora population. In 2012 a more detailed breakdown of the size of each Muslim sect in Lebanon was made:

  • Other Muslim sects have a small presence, with the Isma'ilis and Alawites combined comprising less than 1% of the population and are included among Lebanese Shia Muslims. Alawites are eligible for two seats in the Lebanese parliament, representing Alawites of Akkar and Tripoli.

Christians

Religion map of Lebanon by municipality according to municipal elections data. Lebanon religion map by municipality.png
Religion map of Lebanon by municipality according to municipal elections data.

According to the CIA World Factbook, [15] in 2021, the Christian population in Lebanon was estimated at 35%. In 2012 a more detailed breakdown of the size of each Christian sect in Lebanon was made:

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the deputy Prime Minister are reserved for Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Druze

The Druze constitute 5% [15] of the population and are almost entirely concentrated in Aley and Chouf in southern Mount Lebanon, and in the Hasbaya and Rashaya districts. [17] Even though the faith originally developed out of Isma'ili Shia Islam, most Druze do not identify as Muslims, [29] [30] and do not accept the five pillars of Islam. [31]

Other religions

Other religions account for only an estimated 0.3% of the population mainly foreign temporary workers, according to the CIA World Factbook. There was a large and vibrant Jewish population, traditionally centered in Beirut who fled to Israel in the 1940s and 1950s.

Diaspora

Prominent Lebanese Figures
وجوه من لبنان
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Charbel.jpg
Estephane-Douaihi.jpg
Peter Hoayek.JPG
Young Youssef Bey Karam.jpg
Camille chamoun.jpg
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Kahlil Gibran 1913.jpg
Carlos Slim Helu.jpg
Sabah - Al Mawed.jpg
Carlos Ghosn - India Economic Summit 2009.jpg
Elie Saab in Beirut 2005.jpg
CharlesElachi.jpg
John Abizaid.jpg
Elissar Zakaria Khoury.jpg
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Ray LaHood official DOT portrait.jpg
Michel Temer.jpg
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Cardinal Nasrallah Peter Sfeir.jpg
Bechara-Rai.jpg
Cristina Kirchner con Michel Sleiman 03.jpg
Prominent Lebanese people and people of Lebanese descent.

Apart from the four and a half million citizens of Lebanon proper, there is a sizeable Lebanese diaspora. There are more Lebanese people living outside of Lebanon (over 4 million [5] [6] [7] ), than within (4.6 million citizens plus 1.5 million refugees). The majority of the diaspora population consists of Lebanese Christians; however, there are some who are Muslim. They trace their origin to several waves of Christian emigration, starting with the exodus that followed the 1860 Lebanon conflict in Ottoman Syria.

Under the current Lebanese nationality law, diaspora Lebanese do not have an automatic right of return to Lebanon. Due to varying degrees of assimilation and high degree of interethnic marriages, most diaspora Lebanese have not passed on the Arabic language to their children, while still maintaining a Lebanese ethnic identity.

Many Lebanese families are economically and politically prominent in several Latin American countries (in 2007 Mexican Carlos Slim Helú, son of Lebanese immigrants, was determined to be the wealthiest man in the World by Fortune Magazine), and make up a substantial portion of the Lebanese American community in the United States. The largest Lebanese diaspora is located in Brazil, where about 6–7 million people have Lebanese descent (see Lebanese Brazilian). In Argentina, there is also a large Lebanese diaspora of approximately 1.5 million people having Lebanese descent. (see Lebanese Argentine). In Canada, there is also a large Lebanese diaspora of approximately 250,000-500,000 people having Lebanese descent. (see Lebanese Canadians).

There are also sizable populations in West Africa, particularly Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Senegal.

The large size of Lebanon's diaspora may be partly explained by the historical and cultural tradition of seafaring and traveling, which stretches back to Lebanon's ancient Phoenician origins and its role as a "gateway" of relations between Europe and the Middle East. It has been commonplace for Lebanese citizens to emigrate in search of economic prosperity. Furthermore, on several occasions in the last two centuries the Lebanese population has endured periods of ethnic cleansing and displacement (for example, 1840–60 and 1975–90). These factors have contributed to the geographical mobility of the Lebanese people.

While under Syrian occupation, Beirut passed legislation which prevented second-generation Lebanese of the diaspora from automatically obtaining Lebanese citizenship. This has reinforced the émigré status of many diaspora Lebanese. There is currently a campaign by those Lebanese of the diaspora who already have Lebanese citizenship to attain the vote from abroad, which has been successfully passed in the Lebanese parliament and will be effective as of 2013 which is the next parliamentary elections. If suffrage was to be extended to these 1.2[ citation needed ] million Lebanese émigré citizens, it would have a significant political effect, since as many as 80% of them are believed to be Christian.[ citation needed ]

Lebanese Civil War refugees and displaced persons

With no official figures available, it is estimated that 600,000–900,000 persons fled the country during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–90). Although some have since returned, this permanently disturbed Lebanese population growth and greatly complicated demographic statistics.

Another result of the war was a large number of internally displaced persons. This especially affected the southern Shia community, as Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon in 1978, 1982, and 1996 prompted waves of mass emigration, in addition to the continual strain of occupation and fighting between Israel and Hezbollah (mainly 1982 to 2000).

Many Shias from Southern Lebanon resettled in the suburbs south of Beirut. After the war, the pace of Christian emigration accelerated, as many Christians felt discriminated against in a Lebanon under increasingly oppressive Syrian occupation.

According to a UNDP study, as much as 10% of the Lebanese had a disability in 1990. [32] Other studies have pointed to the fact that this portion of society is highly marginalized due to the lack of educational and governmental support of their advancement. [32]

Languages

Modern Standard Arabic is the official language of the country, but the Lebanese dialect of Levantine Arabic is used in conversations. French and English are taught in many schools from a young age. Among the Armenian ethnic minority in Lebanon, the Armenian language is taught and spoken within the Armenian community.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

US Census Statistics PopulationPyramid of Lebanon.jpg
US Census Statistics
Population, fertility rate and net reproduction rate, United Nations estimates Lebanon Population 1950-2021 Forecast 2022-2032 UN World Population Prospects 2022.svg
Population, fertility rate and net reproduction rate, United Nations estimates

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Total population: 6,100,075 (July 2018 est.)
Lebanese nationals: 4,680,212 (July 2018 est.)
Syrian refugees: 944,613 (April 2019 est.) registered at the UNHCR (down from 1,077,000 in June 2014)
Palestinian refugees: 175,555 (2018 est.)
Iraqi refugees: 5,695 (2017 est.)

Age structure:

Total: 31.3 years
Male: 30.7 years
Female: 31.9 years (2018 est.)
1.04% (2005 est.)
0.96% (2011 est.)
−3.13% (2018 est.)
−4.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
−40.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Life expectancy at birth in Lebanon Life expectancy by WBG -Lebanon -diff.png
Life expectancy at birth in Lebanon
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
total population: 77.9 years
male: 76.6 years
female: 79.3 years (2018 est.)

Vital statistics

UN estimates

The website Our World in Data prepared the following estimates based on statistics from the Population Department of the United Nations. [33]

Mid-year population (thousands)Live births (thousands)Deaths (thousands)Natural change (thousands)Crude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000) Total fertility rate (TFR) Infant mortality (per 1000 live births) Life expectancy (in years)
19501 350  55  17  3840.812.628.25.8175.061.04
1951  1 388  57  17  3940.812.628.25.8073.861.37
1952  1 428  58  18  4140.712.328.45.8071.461.73
1953  1 469  60  18  4240.612.028.65.8069.162.23
1954  1 512  61  18  4440.511.728.85.8167.162.65
1955  1 556  63  18  4540.311.728.65.8167.462.42
1956  1 602  64  18  4640.111.029.05.8163.263.38
1957  1 649  66  18  4839.810.729.25.8161.463.90
1958  1 697  67  19  4839.511.328.25.8159.862.08
1959  1 747  69  18  5139.210.129.25.8258.264.61
1960  1 798  70  18  5238.89.829.05.8256.764.84
1961  1 853  71  18  5338.39.528.85.8155.465.29
1962  1 912  72  18  5537.99.328.55.8054.365.40
1963  1 972  74  18  5637.49.128.35.7853.065.67
1964  2 030  74  18  5736.78.827.85.7251.965.95
1965  2 087  75  18  5735.98.627.35.6550.966.07
1966  2 146  76  18  5735.28.526.85.5750.066.16
1967  2 203  76  18  5834.78.226.45.4949.266.52
1968  2 262  77  18  5934.18.126.05.3848.666.61
1969  2 324  78  19  6033.78.025.75.2848.066.70
1970  2 382  79  19  6133.37.925.55.1747.566.76
1971  2 442  80  19  6133.07.825.25.0447.066.82
1972  2 506  82  19  6332.87.725.14.9346.566.91
1973  2 570  83  19  6432.47.525.04.8145.967.23
1974  2 633  85  20  6532.27.424.84.6945.367.29
1975  2 692  86  30  5631.911.120.84.5645.258.13
1976  3 070  8785231.831.20.64.42102.933.74
1977  3 458  110  37  7331.710.721.04.3152.859.28
1978  3 183  111  37  7431.510.620.94.2051.759.38
1979  2 902  91  31  6131.410.520.94.0950.659.47
1980  2 964  93  31  6231.410.421.04.0349.459.67
1981  3 027  95  31  6431.510.221.33.9848.2g59.92
1982  3 070  96  60  3631.219.411.83.8970.145.13
1983  3 107  96  31  6530.89.920.93.7939.959.96
1984  3 164  96  31  6530.49.820.73.7038.660.30
1985  3 227  96  31  6529.89.720.13.5937.460.49
1986  3 308  96  31  6529.39.419.83.5035.860.97
1987  3 391  98  31  6628.89.319.63.4340.161.43
1988  3 457  99  32  6828.79.119.53.4038.761.72
1989  3 526  101  28  7328.68.020.73.3927.864.16
1990  3 594  100  28  7227.87.820.03.3026.764.48
1991  3 667  99  19  8026.95.221.73.1925.771.18
1992  3 745  97  20  7825.95.220.73.0824.871.19
1993  3 819  95  20  7524.95.219.72.9723.771.38
1994  3 888  93  20  7323.95.118.92.8722.571.68
1995  3 960  92  20  7223.15.018.22.7821.572.04
1996  4 034  91  20  7222.74.917.72.7420.672.29
1997  4 108  90  20  7122.04.817.22.6619.672.78
1998  4 179  90  20  7021.44.816.62.6018.772.94
1999  4 250  89  20  6921.04.616.32.5517.973.49
2000  4 321  89  20  6920.54.615.92.5017.073.93
2001  4 389  89  20  6920.24.515.72.4615.974.37
2002  4 447  88  19  6919.74.315.42.4114.975.06
2003  4 505  86  19  6719.24.215.02.3513.975.59
2004  4 575  85  19  6618.64.214.42.2713.075.98
2005  4 643  84  19  6418.04.213.92.2012.076.27
2006  4 720  83  20  6317.74.313.42.1611.276.08
2007  4 810  83  20  6417.34.113.22.1110.477.08
2008  4 888  84  20  6417.114.013.12.089.777.58
2009  4 951  85  20  6517.24.013.22.099.277.89
2010  4 996  88  20  6817.64.113.52.138.778.16
2011  5 045  90  21  6917.94.113.82.168.478.40
2012  5 178  92  21  7017.94.113.82.178.078.63
2013  5 679  95  22  7317.94.213.72.177.878.77
2014  6 274  110  26  8417.94.213.72.187.578.97
20156 399116  288817.84.213.52.187.279.23
2016  6 259  111  28  8317.44.313.12.186.879.51
2017  6 109  105  28  7716.94.512.42.176.679.65
2018  5 951  99  29  7016.34.711.62.156.479.73
2019  5 782  93  31  6315.85.210.62.136.279.24
2020  5 663  88  36  5215.36.39.12.106.077.80
2021  5 593  84  47  3814.98.36.72.095.875.05

Registered births and deaths

[34] [35] Average populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)
199070,90313,26357,640
199182,74215,77366,969
199294,60718,04276,565
199390,94724,22366,724
199490,71218,42172,291
199591,19619,23071,966
199686,99719,96267,035
199785,01819,88465,134
199884,25020,09764,153
199985,95519,81366,142
200087,79519,43568,360
200183,69317,56866,125
200276,40517,29459,111
200371,70217,18754,515
200473,90017,77456,1261.75
200573,97318,01255,961
200672,79018,78754,003
20073,759,13780,89621,09259,80421.55.615.9
200884,82321,04863,77522.35.516.8
200990,38822,26068,12823.45.817.6
201095,21822,92672,29223.25.417.8
201198,49124,73173,76025.46.019.61.60
201294,82625,73169,09523.35.817.5
201396,17824,35171,82723.26.117.1
2014104,85125,62579,22623.06.516.5
201598,16425,46872,69622.36.615.7
201697,37225,60071,77223.16.416.7
2017103,93126,95376,97823.56.716.91.8
20183,864,000115,22926,82988,40023.26.516.7
20193,910,000120,83930,35590,48422.06.415.6
20203,944,00093,52029,09764,42318.96.812.1
20213,966,00086,61335,62150,992
20223,989,00080,61630,06250,554
202383,81926,94556,874

Immigrants and ethnic groups

There are substantial numbers of immigrants from other Arab countries (mainly Palestine, Syria, Iraq) and non-Arab-speaking Muslim countries. Also, recent years have seen an influx of people from Ethiopia [36] and South East Asian countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, [37] as well as smaller numbers of other immigrant minorities, including Colombians and Brazilians (many of Lebanese descent themselves). Most of these are employed as guest workers in the same fashion as Syrians and Palestinians, and entered the country to search for employment in the post-war reconstruction of Lebanon. Apart from the Palestinians, there are approximately 180,000 stateless persons in Lebanon.

Armenians

Armenian Church in north Beirut Antelias - Armeni.jpg
Armenian Church in north Beirut

Armenians have lived in Lebanon for centuries. According to Minority Rights Group International, there are 156,000 Armenians in Lebanon, around 4% of the population. Prior to the Lebanese Civil War, the number was higher, but the community lost a portion of its population to emigration.

French and Italians

During the French Mandate of Lebanon, there was a fairly large French minority and a tiny Italian minority. Most of the French and Italian settlers left after Lebanese independence in 1943 and only 22,000 French Lebanese and 4,300 Italian Lebanese continue to live in Lebanon. The most important legacy of the French Mandate is the frequent use and knowledge of the French language by most of the educated Lebanese people, and Beirut is still known as the "Paris of the Middle East".

Palestinians

Around 175,555 Palestinian refugees were registered in Lebanon with the UNRWA in 2014, who are refugees or descendants of refugees from the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Some 53% live in 12 Palestine refugee camps, who "suffer from serious problems" such as poverty and overcrowding. [38] Some of these may have emigrated during the civil war, but there are no reliable figures available. There are also a number of Palestinians who are not registered as UNRWA refugees, because they left earlier than 1948 or were not in need of material assistance. The exact number of Palestinians remain a subject of great dispute and the Lebanese government will not provide an estimate. A figure of 400,000 Palestinian refugees would mean that Palestinians constitute less than 7% of the resident population of Lebanon.

Palestinians living in Lebanon are considered foreigners and are under the same restrictions on employment applied to other foreigners. Prior to 2010, they were under even more restrictive employment rules which permitted, other than work for the U.N., only the most menial employment. Palestinian refugees, who constitute nearly 6.6% of the country's population, have long been denied basic rights in Lebanon. They are not allowed to attend public schools, own property or pass on inheritances, measures Lebanon says it has adopted to preserve their right to return to their property in what constitutes Israel now. [39]

Their presence is controversial, and resisted by large segments of the Christian population, who argue that the primarily Sunni Muslim Palestinians dilute Christian numbers. Many Shia Muslims also look unfavorably upon the Palestinian presence since the refugee camps have tended to be concentrated in their home areas. The Lebanese Sunnis, however, would be happy to see these Palestinians given the Lebanese nationality, thus increasing the Lebanese Sunni population by well over 10% and tipping the fragile electoral balance much in favor of the Sunnis. Late prime minister Rafiq Hariri —himself a Sunni— had hinted on more than one occasion on the inevitability of granting these refugees Lebanese citizenship. Thus far the refugees lack Lebanese citizenship as well as many rights enjoyed by the rest of the population, and are confined to severely overcrowded refugee camps, in which construction rights are severely constricted.

Palestinians may not work in a large number of professions, such as lawyers and doctors. However, after negotiations between Lebanese authorities and ministers from the Palestinian National Authority some professions for Palestinians were allowed (such as taxi driver and construction worker). The material situation of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is difficult, and they are believed to constitute the poorest community in Lebanon, as well as the poorest Palestinian community with the possible exception of Gaza Strip refugees. Their primary sources of income are UNRWA aid and menial labor sought in competition with Syrian guest workers.

The Palestinians are majority Sunni Muslims with a Christian minority, though at some point Christians counted as high as 40% with Muslims at 60%. The numbers of Palestinian Christians has diminished in later years, as many have managed to leave Lebanon.

60,000 Palestinians have received Lebanese citizenship.

Syrians

In 1976, the then Syrian president Hafez al-Assad sent troops into Lebanon to fight PLO forces on behalf of Christian militias. This led to escalated fighting until a cease-fire agreement later that year that allowed for the stationing of Syrian troops within Lebanon. The Syrian presence in Lebanon quickly changed sides; soon after they entered Lebanon they had flip-flopped and began to fight the Christian nationalists in Lebanon they allegedly entered the country to protect. The Kateab Party and the Lebanese Forces under Bachir Gemayel strongly resisted the Syrians in Lebanon. In 1989, 40,000 Syrian troops remained in central and eastern Lebanon under the supervision of the Syrian government. Although, the Taif Accord, established in the same year, called for the removal of Syrian troops and transfer of arms to the Lebanese army, the Syrian Army remained in Lebanon until the Lebanese Cedar Revolution in 2005 ended the Syrian occupation of Lebanon.

In 1994, the Lebanese government under the pressure of the Syrian government, gave Lebanese passports to thousands of Syrians. [40]

There are nearly 1.08 million registered [41] Syrian refugees in Lebanon [42] but is estimated that Lebanon hosts 1.5 million. [43]

Assyrians

There are an estimated 40,000 to 80,000 Iraqi Assyrian refugees in Lebanon. The vast majority of them are undocumented, with a large number having been deported or put in prison. [44] They belong to various denominations, including the Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, and Syriac Catholic Church.

Iraqis

Due to the US-led invasion of Iraq, Lebanon received a mass influx of Iraqi refugees numbering at around 100,000. The vast majority of them are undocumented, with a large number having been deported or put in prison. [44]

Kurds

There are an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 Kurdish refugees from Turkey and Syria within Lebanese territory. Many of them are undocumented. As of 2012, around 40% of all Kurds in Lebanon do not have Lebanese citizenship. [45]

Turks

The Turkish people began to migrate to Lebanon once the Ottoman sultan Selim I conquered the region in 1516. Turks were encouraged to stay in Lebanon by being rewarded with land and money. [46] Today the Turkish minority numbers approximately 80,000. [47] Moreover, since the Syrian Civil War, approximately 125,000 to 150,000 Syrian Turkmen refugees arrived in Lebanon, and hence they now outnumber the long established Turkish minority who settled since the Ottoman era. [48] [49]

Circassians

The Circassians migrated to the Ottoman Empire including Lebanon and neighboring countries in the 18th and 19th century. However, they are mostly located in Akkar Governorate, in which they have come to Berkail since 1754. Today the Circassian minority numbers approximately 100,000. [50] [51]

See also

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    The National Pact is an unwritten agreement that laid the foundation of Lebanon as a multiconfessional state following negotiations between the Shia, Sunni, and Maronite leaderships. Erected in the summer of 1943, the National Pact was formed by the then-president Bechara El Khoury and the prime minister Riad Al Solh. Mainly centered around the interests of political elites, the Maronite elite served as a voice for the Christian population of Lebanon while the Sunni elite represented the voice of the Muslim population. The pact also established Lebanon's independence from France.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanese people</span> People inhabiting or originating from Lebanon; citizens or natives of Lebanon

    The Lebanese people are the people inhabiting or originating from Lebanon. The term may also include those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state. The major religious groups among the Lebanese people within Lebanon are Shia Muslims (27%), Sunni Muslims (27%), Maronite Christians (21%), Greek Orthodox Christians (8%), Melkite Christians (5%), Druze (5%), Protestant Christians (1%). The largest contingent of Lebanese, however, comprise a diaspora in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Africa, which is predominantly Maronite Christian.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church in Lebanon</span>

    The Catholic Church in Lebanon is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Lebanon</span> Overview of the history, presence and impact of Christianity in Lebanon

    Christianity in Lebanon has a long and continuous history. Biblical Scriptures show that Peter and Paul evangelized the Phoenicians, whom they affiliated to the ancient Patriarchate of Antioch. Christianity spread slowly in Lebanon due to pagans who resisted conversion, but it ultimately spread throughout the country. Even after centuries of Muslim rule, it remains the dominant faith of the Mount Lebanon region and has substantial communities elsewhere.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Syria</span> Overview of the role of Islam in Syria

    Several different denominations and sects of Islam are practised within Syria, whom collectively, constitute approximately 87% of the population and form a majority in most of the districts of the country.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Syria</span> Overview of Christianity and churches in Syria

    Christians in Syria made up about 10% of the pre-war Syrian population. The country's largest Christian denomination is the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, closely followed by the Maronite Church and the Assyrian Church of the East; the cities of Damascus and Aleppo are believed to have the largest number of Christians in Syria. There is a small minority of Protestants in the country.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Keserwan District</span> District in Keserwan-Jbeil, Lebanon

    Keserwan District is a district (qadaa) in Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon, to the northeast of Lebanon's capital Beirut. The capital, Jounieh, is overwhelmingly Maronite Christian. The area is home to the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnic groups in Syria</span>

    Arabs represent the major ethnicity in Syria, in addition to the presence of several, much smaller ethnic groups.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Lebanon</span> Cultural, historical and legal aspects of religions in Lebanon

    Lebanon is an eastern Mediterranean country that has the most religiously diverse society within the Middle East, comprising 18 recognized religious sects. The religions are Islam and Christianity. The Druze comprise around 5% of Lebanon's population.

    For approximately a millennium, the Abrahamic religions have been predominant throughout all of the Middle East. The Abrahamic tradition itself and the three best-known Abrahamic religions originate from the Middle East: Judaism and Christianity emerged in the Levant in the 6th century BCE and the 1st century CE, respectively, while Islam emerged in Arabia in the 7th century CE.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in the Middle East</span>

    Christianity, which originated in the Middle East during the 1st century AD, is a significant minority religion within the region, characterized by the diversity of its beliefs and traditions, compared to Christianity in other parts of the Old World. Christians now make up approximately 5% of the Middle Eastern population, down from 13% in the early 20th century. Cyprus is the only Christian majority country in the Middle East, with Christians forming between 76% and 78% of the country's total population, most of them adhering to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Lebanon has the second highest proportion of Christians in the Middle East, around 40%, predominantly Maronites. Egypt has the next largest proportion of Christians, at around 10% of its total population. Copts, numbering around 10 million, constitute the single largest Christian community in the Middle East.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Syria</span>

    Religion in Syria refers to the range of religions practiced by the citizens of Syria. Historically, the region has been a mosaic of diverse faiths with a range of different sects within each of these religious communities.

    According to Article 9 of the Lebanese Constitution, all religions and creeds are to be protected and the exercise of freedom of religion is to be guaranteed providing that the public order is not disturbed. The Constitution declares equality of rights and duties for all citizens without discrimination or preference. Nevertheless, power is distributed among different religious and sectarian groups. The position of president is reserved for a Maronite Christian; the role of Presidency of Parliament for a Shiite Muslim; and the role of Prime Minister for a Sunni Muslim. The government has generally respected these rights; however, the National Pact agreement in 1943 restricted the constitutional provision for apportioning political offices according to religious affiliation. There have been periodic reports of tension between religious groups, attributable to competition for political power, and citizens continue to struggle with the legacy of the civil war that was fought along sectarian lines. Despite sectarian tensions caused by the competition for political power, the Lebanese continue to coexist.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Maronites</span> Christian ethnoreligious group in the Levant

    Maronites are a Syriac Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of West Asia, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the largest concentration long residing near Mount Lebanon in modern Lebanon. The Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic sui iuris particular church in full communion with the pope and the rest of the Catholic Church.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanese Druze</span> Ethnoreligious group in Lebanon

    The Lebanese Druze are an ethnoreligious group constituting about 5.2 percent of the population of Lebanon. They follow the Druze faith, which is an esoteric Abrahamic religion originating from the Near East, and self identify as unitarians.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanese Sunni Muslims</span> Sunni Muslims in Lebanon

    Lebanese Sunni Muslims refers to Lebanese people who are adherents of the Sunni branch of Islam in Lebanon, which is one of the largest denomination in Lebanon tied with Shias. Sunni Islam in Lebanon has a history of more than a millennium. According to a CIA 2018 study, Lebanese Sunni Muslims constitute an estimated 30.6% of Lebanon's population.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanese Maronite Christians</span> Religious group in Lebanon associated with the Catholic Church

    Lebanese Maronite Christians refers to Lebanese people who are members of the Maronite Church in Lebanon, the largest Christian denomination in the country. The Lebanese Maronite population is concentrated mainly in Mount Lebanon and East Beirut. They are believed to constitute about 30% of the total population of Lebanon.

    Lebanese Protestant Christians refers to Lebanese people who are adherents of Protestantism in Lebanon.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Beirut I</span>

    Beirut I is an electoral district in Lebanon. The district elects eight members of the Lebanese National Assembly – three Armenian Orthodox, one Armenian Catholic, one Greek Catholic, one Greek Orthodox, one Maronite and one Minorities.

    Sectarianism in Lebanon refers to the formal and informal organization of Lebanese politics and society along religious lines. It has been formalized and legalized within state and non-state institutions and is inscribed in its constitution. Lebanon recognizes 18 different sects: 67.6% of the population is Muslim, 32.4% is Christian, the majority being Maronites Catholics and Greek Orthodox, while 4.52% is Druze. The foundations of sectarianism in Lebanon date back to the mid-19th century during Ottoman rule. It was subsequently reinforced with the creation of the Republic of Lebanon in 1920 and its 1926 constitution, and in the National Pact of 1943. In 1990, with the Taif Agreement, the constitution was revised but did not structurally change aspects relating to political sectarianism. The dynamic nature of sectarianism in Lebanon has prompted some historians and authors to refer to it as "the sectarian state par excellence" because it is a mixture of religious communities and their myriad sub-divisions, with a constitutional and political order to match.

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