Demographics of Yemen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Demographic features of the population of Yemen (Arabic: سكان اليمن) include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population, gathered by census.
| Demographics of Yemen | |
|---|---|
Population pyramid of Yemen in 2020 | |
| Population | 32,684,503[1] (2023 est.) |
| Growth rate | 2.17% (2022 est.) |
| Birth rate | 24.64 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Death rate | 5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 69.21 years |
| • male | 65.19 years |
| • female | 69.94 years |
| Fertility rate | 3.01 children born/woman (2022 est.) |
| Infant mortality | 46.54 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Net migration rate | -0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Immigrant share | 1.0% (2024)[2] |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 39.16% |
| 65 and over | 2.8% |
| Sex ratio | |
| Total | 1.02 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| At birth | 1.05 male(s)/female |
| Under 15 | 1.04 male(s)/female |
| 65 and over | 0.69 male(s)/female |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | Yemeni |
| Major ethnic | Arabs |
| Minor ethnic |
|
| Language | |
| Official | Arabic |
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1,001,000 | — |
| 500 | 2,150,000 | +0.15% |
| 1000 | 2,250,000 | +0.01% |
| 1500 | 2,250,000 | +0.00% |
| 1700 | 2,250,000 | +0.00% |
| 1900 | 2,490,000 | +0.05% |
| 1950 | 4,316,000 | +1.11% |
| 1960 | 5,116,000 | +1.71% |
| 1970 | 6,145,000 | +1.85% |
| 1980 | 7,945,000 | +2.60% |
| 1990 | 11,948,000 | +4.16% |
| 2000 | 17,723,000 | +4.02% |
| 2010 | 24,053,000 | +3.10% |
| 2020 | 30,932,546 | +2.55% |
| Source:[3][4] 2020[5] | ||
The population of Yemen was about 33 million according to 2021 estimates,[6][7] with 46% of the population being under 15 years old and 2.7% above 65 years. In 1950, it was 4.3 million.[8][9] By 2050, the population is estimated to increase to about 60 million.[10]
Yemenis are mainly of Arab ethnicity.[11] When the former states of North and South Yemen were established, most resident minority groups departed.[12] Yemen is still a largely tribal society.[13] In the northern, mountainous parts of the country, there are some 400 Zaidi tribes.[14] There are also hereditary caste groups in urban areas such as Al-Akhdam.[15]
According to the USCRI, Yemen hosted a population of refugees and asylum seekers numbering approximately 69 in 2017. Refugees and asylum seekers living in Yemen were predominantly from Iraq, Somalia, Ethiopia,[16] and Syria.[17]
Age structure
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2013) (Data refer to national projections.):[18]
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 12 844 169 | 12 390 910 | 25 235 079 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 2 069 855 | 1 981 763 | 4 051 618 | 16.06 |
| 5–9 | 1 723 755 | 1 653 391 | 3 377 146 | 13.38 |
| 10–14 | 1 539 447 | 1 467 798 | 3 007 245 | 11.92 |
| 15–19 | 1 530 854 | 1 423 803 | 2 954 657 | 11.71 |
| 20–24 | 1 426 490 | 1 312 083 | 2 738 574 | 10.85 |
| 25–29 | 1 146 775 | 1 080 140 | 2 226 915 | 8.82 |
| 30–34 | 851 154 | 837 094 | 1 688 248 | 6.69 |
| 35–39 | 635 492 | 641 256 | 1 276 748 | 5.06 |
| 40–44 | 448 186 | 468 200 | 916 385 | 3.63 |
| 45–49 | 366 733 | 392 010 | 758 743 | 3.01 |
| 50–54 | 310 025 | 334 665 | 644 689 | 2.55 |
| 55–59 | 238 877 | 249 982 | 488 859 | 1.94 |
| 60–64 | 178 041 | 174 631 | 352 671 | 1.40 |
| 65–69 | 135 090 | 131 812 | 266 902 | 1.06 |
| 70–74 | 98 257 | 97 029 | 195 287 | 0.77 |
| 75–79 | 66 656 | 66 691 | 133 347 | 0.53 |
| 80+ | 78 482 | 78 565 | 157 047 | 0.62 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 5 333 057 | 5 102 952 | 10 436 009 | 41.36 |
| 15–64 | 7 132 627 | 6 913 861 | 14 046 488 | 55.66 |
| 65+ | 378 485 | 374 097 | 752 582 | 2.98 |
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2017) (Data refer to national projections.):[19]
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 14 334 126 | 13 836 282 | 28 170 408 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 2 213 674 | 2 118 177 | 4 331 851 | 15.38 |
| 5–9 | 1 992 122 | 1 901 034 | 3 893 155 | 13.82 |
| 10–14 | 1 639 285 | 1 573 936 | 3 213 221 | 11.41 |
| 15–19 | 1 529 732 | 1 451 328 | 2 981 060 | 10.58 |
| 20–24 | 1 509 363 | 1 398 464 | 2 907 826 | 10.32 |
| 25–29 | 1 367 680 | 1 260 306 | 2 627 986 | 9.33 |
| 30–34 | 1 063 494 | 1 010 846 | 2 074 340 | 7.36 |
| 35–39 | 799 595 | 789 413 | 1 589 008 | 5.64 |
| 40–44 | 577 738 | 587 770 | 1 165 508 | 4.14 |
| 45–49 | 415 599 | 438 461 | 854 059 | 3.03 |
| 50–54 | 343 155 | 371 721 | 714 875 | 2.54 |
| 55–59 | 279 808 | 307 024 | 586 832 | 2.08 |
| 60–64 | 206 651 | 218 537 | 425 188 | 1.51 |
| 65–69 | 148 672 | 150 710 | 299 382 | 1.06 |
| 70–74 | 105 257 | 108 159 | 213 416 | 0.76 |
| 75–79 | 69 010 | 72 586 | 141 596 | 0.50 |
| 80+ | 73 292 | 77 812 | 151 104 | 0.54 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 5 845 081 | 5 593 147 | 11 438 228 | 40.60 |
| 15–64 | 8 092 814 | 7 833 868 | 15 926 682 | 56.54 |
| 65+ | 396 231 | 409 267 | 805 498 | 2.86 |
Urbanization
- Urban population: 31% of total population (2008)
- Rate of urbanization: 4.9% annual rate of change (2005–2010 est.)
Vital statistics
In 2007 the birthrate and death rate were estimated to be 42.7 per 1,000 and 8.1 per 1,000, respectively (CIA est.). The infant mortality rate was almost 58 deaths per 1,000 live births. The rate was estimated to be higher for males than for females—more than 62 male deaths per 1,000 live births, as compared with about 53 female deaths per 1,000 live births. Despite an increase of 14 years in the last decade, life expectancy at birth in Yemen has remained low compared with other developing countries—60.6 years for males and 64.5 years for females, or 62.5 years overall. The country's fertility rate was almost 6.5 children per woman in 2007 free.[20]
UN estimates
| Year[21] | Population | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR1 | CDR1 | NC1 | TFR1 | IMR1 | Life expectancy (years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 4,713,000 | 248,000 | 166,000 | 82,000 | 52.6 | 35.1 | 17.4 | 7.92 | 318.3 | 31.66 |
| 1951 | 4,783,000 | 252,000 | 166,000 | 86,000 | 52.7 | 34.7 | 17.9 | 7.90 | 317.6 | 31.68 |
| 1952 | 4,856,000 | 257,000 | 168,000 | 89,000 | 52.8 | 34.5 | 18.3 | 7.88 | 316.2 | 31.80 |
| 1953 | 4,932,000 | 262,000 | 170,000 | 92,000 | 53.1 | 34.3 | 18.7 | 7.90 | 314.8 | 31.93 |
| 1954 | 5,011,000 | 267,000 | 172,000 | 95,000 | 53.2 | 34.3 | 18.9 | 7.90 | 313.4 | 32.04 |
| 1955 | 5,092,000 | 272,000 | 175,000 | 98,000 | 53.4 | 34.2 | 19.2 | 7.89 | 312.0 | 32.17 |
| 1956 | 5,175,000 | 278,000 | 177,000 | 101,000 | 53.6 | 34.2 | 19.4 | 7.90 | 310.6 | 32.27 |
| 1957 | 5,261,000 | 283,000 | 180,000 | 103,000 | 53.7 | 34.2 | 19.5 | 7.89 | 309.2 | 32.36 |
| 1958 | 5,350,000 | 289,000 | 181,000 | 108,000 | 53.9 | 33.8 | 20.1 | 7.90 | 303.4 | 32.79 |
| 1959 | 5,444,000 | 295,000 | 182,000 | 113,000 | 54.1 | 33.4 | 20.7 | 7.92 | 298.1 | 33.19 |
| 1960 | 5,542,000 | 302,000 | 183,000 | 119,000 | 54.4 | 33.0 | 21.4 | 7.94 | 293.0 | 33.68 |
| 1961 | 5,647,000 | 309,000 | 185,000 | 124,000 | 54.7 | 32.7 | 22.0 | 7.96 | 287.8 | 34.10 |
| 1962 | 5,753,000 | 316,000 | 191,000 | 124,000 | 54.8 | 33.2 | 21.6 | 7.96 | 283.8 | 33.62 |
| 1963 | 5,860,000 | 323,000 | 197,000 | 125,000 | 54.9 | 33.6 | 21.4 | 7.98 | 280.0 | 33.25 |
| 1964 | 5,974,000 | 331,000 | 192,000 | 139,000 | 55.3 | 32.1 | 23.2 | 8.04 | 272.0 | 34.74 |
| 1965 | 6,097,000 | 339,000 | 193,000 | 146,000 | 55.4 | 31.5 | 23.9 | 8.07 | 265.0 | 35.37 |
| 1966 | 6,228,000 | 347,000 | 192,000 | 155,000 | 55.6 | 30.8 | 24.8 | 8.13 | 257.1 | 36.10 |
| 1967 | 6,368,000 | 355,000 | 192,000 | 164,000 | 55.7 | 30.1 | 25.6 | 8.17 | 248.9 | 36.87 |
| 1968 | 6,516,000 | 362,000 | 190,000 | 172,000 | 55.5 | 29.2 | 26.4 | 8.20 | 240.3 | 37.80 |
| 1969 | 6,674,000 | 369,000 | 184,000 | 185,000 | 55.2 | 27.5 | 27.6 | 8.22 | 230.3 | 39.47 |
| 1970 | 6,844,000 | 378,000 | 182,000 | 196,000 | 55.1 | 26.5 | 28.6 | 8.24 | 221.3 | 40.50 |
| 1971 | 7,024,000 | 387,000 | 180,000 | 207,000 | 55.1 | 25.6 | 29.5 | 8.26 | 212.9 | 41.54 |
| 1972 | 7,216,000 | 398,000 | 179,000 | 219,000 | 55.0 | 24.7 | 30.3 | 8.30 | 204.8 | 42.46 |
| 1973 | 7,418,000 | 406,000 | 177,000 | 229,000 | 54.7 | 23.9 | 30.8 | 8.30 | 197.1 | 43.35 |
| 1974 | 7,630,000 | 416,000 | 175,000 | 241,000 | 54.5 | 23.0 | 31.5 | 8.34 | 189.5 | 44.33 |
| 1975 | 7,856,000 | 430,000 | 174,000 | 256,000 | 54.6 | 22.1 | 32.5 | 8.40 | 181.5 | 45.25 |
| 1976 | 8,095,000 | 442,000 | 172,000 | 270,000 | 54.5 | 21.2 | 33.3 | 8.44 | 173.2 | 46.24 |
| 1977 | 8,348,000 | 456,000 | 170,000 | 286,000 | 54.5 | 20.3 | 34.2 | 8.50 | 164.8 | 47.29 |
| 1978 | 8,615,000 | 468,000 | 167,000 | 300,000 | 54.2 | 19.4 | 34.8 | 8.52 | 156.4 | 48.39 |
| 1979 | 8,900,000 | 488,000 | 166,000 | 322,000 | 54.7 | 18.6 | 36.2 | 8.67 | 147.9 | 49.39 |
| 1980 | 9,205,000 | 504,000 | 162,000 | 341,000 | 54.6 | 17.6 | 37.0 | 8.71 | 139.8 | 50.65 |
| 1981 | 9,529,000 | 519,000 | 160,000 | 359,000 | 54.4 | 16.7 | 37.6 | 8.75 | 132.0 | 51.71 |
| 1982 | 9,872,000 | 536,000 | 159,000 | 377,000 | 54.2 | 16.1 | 38.1 | 8.79 | 125.5 | 52.41 |
| 1983 | 10,237,000 | 554,000 | 154,000 | 400,000 | 54.0 | 15.0 | 39.0 | 8.83 | 118.1 | 53.92 |
| 1984 | 10,626,000 | 570,000 | 151,000 | 418,000 | 53.5 | 14.2 | 39.3 | 8.85 | 112.0 | 54.93 |
| 1985 | 11,037,000 | 588,000 | 150,000 | 438,000 | 53.2 | 13.6 | 39.7 | 8.86 | 106.5 | 55.69 |
| 1986 | 11,465,000 | 606,000 | 161,000 | 445,000 | 52.8 | 14.1 | 38.8 | 8.86 | 102.0 | 53.82 |
| 1987 | 11,916,000 | 625,000 | 149,000 | 476,000 | 52.4 | 12.5 | 39.9 | 8.83 | 97.9 | 57.10 |
| 1988 | 12,387,000 | 643,000 | 149,000 | 495,000 | 51.9 | 12.0 | 39.9 | 8.79 | 94.3 | 57.76 |
| 1989 | 12,872,000 | 660,000 | 149,000 | 510,000 | 51.2 | 11.6 | 39.6 | 8.71 | 91.4 | 58.22 |
| 1990 | 13,375,000 | 678,000 | 150,000 | 528,000 | 50.6 | 11.2 | 39.4 | 8.61 | 88.8 | 58.70 |
| 1991 | 13,896,000 | 696,000 | 151,000 | 544,000 | 50.0 | 10.9 | 39.1 | 8.46 | 86.4 | 59.05 |
| 1992 | 14,434,000 | 713,000 | 153,000 | 561,000 | 49.4 | 10.6 | 38.8 | 8.27 | 84.3 | 59.43 |
| 1993 | 14,988,000 | 730,000 | 154,000 | 576,000 | 48.7 | 10.2 | 38.4 | 8.05 | 82.5 | 59.86 |
| 1994 | 15,553,000 | 738,000 | 157,000 | 581,000 | 47.5 | 10.1 | 37.3 | 7.80 | 80.9 | 59.71 |
| 1995 | 16,103,000 | 743,000 | 156,000 | 588,000 | 46.1 | 9.6 | 36.4 | 7.53 | 79.5 | 60.45 |
| 1996 | 16,614,000 | 720,000 | 156,000 | 565,000 | 43.3 | 9.3 | 33.9 | 7.02 | 78.2 | 60.57 |
| 1997 | 17,109,000 | 729,000 | 153,000 | 576,000 | 42.5 | 8.9 | 33.6 | 6.83 | 76.4 | 61.12 |
| 1998 | 17,608,000 | 732,000 | 153,000 | 579,000 | 41.5 | 8.7 | 32.8 | 6.64 | 74.1 | 61.38 |
| 1999 | 18,115,000 | 746,000 | 151,000 | 596,000 | 41.1 | 8.3 | 32.8 | 6.51 | 71.5 | 61.98 |
| 2000 | 18,629,000 | 751,000 | 148,000 | 603,000 | 40.2 | 7.9 | 32.3 | 6.32 | 68.7 | 62.59 |
| 2001 | 19,143,000 | 753,000 | 145,000 | 608,000 | 39.2 | 7.6 | 31.7 | 6.11 | 65.9 | 63.22 |
| 2002 | 19,661,000 | 762,000 | 142,000 | 620,000 | 38.7 | 7.2 | 31.5 | 5.94 | 62.8 | 63.91 |
| 2003 | 20,189,000 | 780,000 | 140,000 | 641,000 | 38.5 | 6.9 | 31.6 | 5.82 | 59.9 | 64.54 |
| 2004 | 20,733,000 | 794,000 | 139,000 | 656,000 | 38.2 | 6.7 | 31.6 | 5.71 | 57.2 | 65.01 |
| 2005 | 21,321,000 | 810,000 | 137,000 | 673,000 | 37.9 | 6.4 | 31.5 | 5.58 | 54.8 | 65.54 |
| 2006 | 21,966,000 | 831,000 | 136,000 | 694,000 | 37.8 | 6.2 | 31.6 | 5.43 | 52.3 | 65.99 |
| 2007 | 22,642,000 | 842,000 | 135,000 | 707,000 | 37.2 | 6.0 | 31.2 | 5.27 | 50.0 | 66.57 |
| 2008 | 23,329,000 | 857,000 | 135,000 | 723,000 | 36.7 | 5.8 | 31.0 | 5.13 | 47.9 | 66.96 |
| 2009 | 24,030,000 | 871,000 | 136,000 | 735,000 | 36.2 | 5.7 | 30.5 | 4.99 | 46.4 | 67.20 |
| 2010 | 24,744,000 | 886,000 | 139,000 | 748,000 | 35.8 | 5.6 | 30.2 | 4.86 | 45.7 | 67.28 |
| 2011 | 25,476,000 | 905,000 | 142,000 | 763,000 | 35.5 | 5.6 | 29.9 | 4.74 | 45.4 | 67.42 |
| 2012 | 26,223,000 | 922,000 | 146,000 | 775,000 | 35.1 | 5.6 | 29.5 | 4.63 | 45.5 | 67.34 |
| 2013 | 26,984,000 | 939,000 | 149,000 | 791,000 | 34.8 | 5.5 | 29.3 | 4.53 | 45.4 | 67.55 |
| 2014 | 27,753,000 | 956,000 | 155,000 | 802,000 | 34.4 | 5.6 | 28.9 | 4.43 | 45.5 | 67.38 |
| 2015 | 28,517,000 | 968,000 | 175,000 | 793,000 | 33.9 | 6.1 | 27.8 | 4.32 | 46.3 | 65.87 |
| 2016 | 29,274,000 | 977,000 | 177,000 | 800,000 | 33.3 | 6.1 | 27.3 | 4.21 | 46.2 | 66.06 |
| 2017 | 30,034,000 | 983,000 | 183,000 | 800,000 | 32.7 | 6.1 | 26.6 | 4.11 | 46.1 | 65.96 |
| 2018 | 30,791,000 | 995,000 | 204,000 | 791,000 | 32.3 | 6.6 | 25.7 | 4.04 | 46.6 | 64.58 |
| 2019 | 31,547,000 | 1,003,000 | 203,000 | 801,000 | 31.8 | 6.4 | 25.4 | 3.96 | 46.5 | 65.09 |
| 2020 | 32,284,000 | 1,010,000 | 210,000 | 800,000 | 31.3 | 6.5 | 24.7 | 3.89 | 45.9 | 64.65 |
| 2021 | 32,982,000 | 1,009,000 | 226,000 | 783,000 | 30.5 | 6.8 | 23.7 | 3.80 | 46.8 | 63.75 |
| 1 CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births | ||||||||||
Demographic and Health Surveys
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[22]
| Year | Total | Urban | Rural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBR | TFR | CBR | TFR | CBR | TFR | |
| 1997 | 39.2 | 6.48 | 35.2 | 5.01 | 40.6 | 7.03 |
| 2013 | 33.4 | 4.4 (3,1) | 27.4 | 3.2 (2,4) | 36.2 | 5.1 (3,5) |
| Years | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934[23] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fertility Rate in Yemen | 6.88 | 6.90 | 6.91 | 6.93 | 6.94 | 6.96 | 6.98 | 6.99 | 7.01 | 7.02 |
| Years | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944[23] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fertility Rate in Yemen | 7.04 | 7.05 | 7.07 | 7.09 | 7.10 | 7.12 | 7.13 | 7.15 | 7.16 | 7.18 |
| Years | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949[23] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fertility Rate in Yemen | 7.20 | 7.21 | 7.23 | 7.24 | 7.26 |
Life expectancy
| Period | Life expectancy in years |
Period | Life expectancy in years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 34.7 | 1985–1990 | 56.8 |
| 1955–1960 | 34.7 | 1990–1995 | 58.5 |
| 1960–1965 | 34.7 | 1995–2000 | 59.8 |
| 1965–1970 | 39.1 | 2000–2005 | 61.0 |
| 1970–1975 | 43.3 | 2005–2010 | 62.8 |
| 1975–1980 | 48.1 | 2010–2015 | 64.2 |
| 1980–1985 | 53.0 |
Source: UN World Population Prospects[24]
Ethnic groups
The ethnic makeup of Yemen consists predominantly of Arabs; but also includes minorities from the Horn of Africa, South Asia, and Europe. Yemen was formerly also home to a Jewish diaspora community.
Languages
Arabic is the official language; English is also used in official and business circles.[20] In the Mahra area (the extreme east), several others Arabic languages (including Mehri) are spoken.[25] When the former states of North and South Yemen were established, most resident minority groups departed.[25]
Religion
- Shafi'i Islam (65.0%)
- Zaydi Islam (34.0%)
- Ismaili Shia, Twelver Shi'ism, Baháʼí, Hindu, Christian or irreligious (1.00%)
Religion in Yemen consists primarily of two principal Islamic religious groups: by various sources, 53-65% of the Muslim population is Sunni and 30–44.5% is Shia.[28][29][20][30][31][32] Sunnis primarily adhere to the Shafi'i school, and there are also significant followers of the Maliki and Hanbali schools. Shias are primarily Zaidi and also have significant minorities of Twelver[28][33] and Ismaili Shias.[28]
Zaidis are generally found in the interior north and northwest, and Shafi'is on the coast and in the south and southeast.[25] There is also a small minority of Christians and Jews.[20]
Migration
Emigration
The Yemeni diaspora is largely concentrated in the United Kingdom, where between 70,000 and 80,000 Yemenis live. Over 20,000 Yemenis reside in the United States, and an additional 2,812 live in Italy. Other Yemenis also reside in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, as well as Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and the former USSR. A smaller number of modern-day Pakistanis are of Yemeni descent, their original ancestors having left Yemen for the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia over four centuries ago.[34] 350,000 Yemenite Jews live in Israel. In 2015, due to the conflict in Yemen, many Yemenis have migrated to the northern coasts of Djibouti and Somalia.
