Demographics of Kyrgyzstan
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The Demographics of Kyrgyzstan is about the demographic features of the population of Kyrgyzstan, including population growth, population density, ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. The name Kyrgyz, both for the people and the country, means "forty girls" or "forty tribes", a reference to the epic hero Manas who unified forty tribes against the Mongols, as symbolized by the 40-ray sun on the flag of Kyrgyzstan.
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[edit] Demographic trends
Kyrgyzstan's population increased from 2.1 million to 4.8 million between the censuses of 1959 and 1999.[1] Official estimates set the population at 5.2 million in 2007.[2] Of those, 34.4% are under the age of 15 and 6.2% are over the age of 65. The country is rural: only about one-third of Kyrgyzstan's population live in urban areas. The average population density is 69 people per square mile (29 people per km²).
The nation's largest ethnic group are the Kyrgyz, a Turkic people, which comprise 69% of the population (2007 estimate). Other ethnic groups include Russians (9.0%) concentrated in the north and Uzbeks (14.5%) living in the south. Small but noticeable minorities include Tatars (1.9%), Uyghurs (1.1%), Tajiks (1.1%), Kazakhs (0.7%) and Ukrainians (0.5%), and other smaller ethnic minorities (1.7%). Of the formerly sizable Volga German community, exiled here by Stalin from their earlier homes in the Volga German Republic, most have returned to Germany, and only a few small groups remain. A small percentage of the population are also Koreans, who are the descendants of the Koreans deported in 1937 from the Soviet Far East to Central Asia.
Kyrgyzstan has undergone a pronounced change in its ethnic composition since independence. The percentage of ethnic Kyrgyz increased from around 50% in 1979 to nearly 70% in 2007, while the percentage of European ethnic groups (Russians, Ukrainians, and Germans) as well as Tatars dropped from 35% to about 10%.[1][2]
The Kyrgyz have historically been semi-nomadic herders, living in round tents called yurts and tending sheep, horses and yaks. This nomadic tradition continues to function seasonally (see transhumance) as herding families return to the high mountain pasture (or jailoo) in the summer. The retention of this nomadic heritage and the freedoms that it implies continue to have an impact on the political atmosphere in the country.
[edit] CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
- Data from CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
[edit] Population
5,356,869 (July 2008 est.)
[edit] Birth rate
22.8 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
[edit] Death rate
7.08 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
[edit] Net migration rate
-2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
[edit] Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
[edit] Infant mortality rate
34.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
[edit] Life expectancy at birth
total population: 68.49 years
male: 64.48 years
female: 72.7 years (2000 est.)
[edit] Total fertility rate
2.69 children born/woman (2000 est.)
The differences in the number of children by nationality are significant: Uzbeks (3.0 children), Tajiks (3.0 children), Turks (2.9), Kyrgyz (2.9), Dungans (2.8) Russians (1.7), Koreans (1.7), Germans (1.8), Ukrainians (2.1), Tatars (2.1), Kazakhs (2.3) and Ugyhurs (2.5).[1] The TFR for Russians in Kyrgyzstan is more than 60% higher than that in Russia and the TFR for Ukrainians is 100% higher than in Ukraine. TFR for Koreans in Kyrgyzstan is also very high compared to TFR of South Korea. Same is true for Germans.[citation needed]
[edit] Nationality
noun: Kyrgyzstani(s)
adjective: Kyrgyzstani
[edit] Religions
Muslim 85%, Russian Orthodox 10%, other 5%
[edit] Languages
Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) - official language, Russian - official language
In March 1996, the Kyrgyzstani legislature amended the constitution to make Russian an official language, along with Kyrgyz, in territories and work places where Russian-speaking citizens predominate.
[edit] Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.7%
male: 99.3%
female: 98.1% (1989 est.)
[edit] Ethnic groups
According to the 1999 census,[1] the ethnic composition of the population was as follows: Kyrgyz (Kara Kyrgyz) 64.9%, Uzbeks 13.8%, Russians 12.5%, Dungans 1.1%, Ukrainians 1%, Ugyhurs 1%, other 5.7%, including Koreans 0.4% and Germans 0.4% (among them Plattdeutsch-speaking Mennonites). Most Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Germans, and Koreans lived in northeast, especially around the city of Karakol. Most of the Dungans and Ugyhurs are found along the Chinese border. Most of the Tajiks and Uzbeks live in the south. The emigration of non-Turkic people to Russia, Ukraine, and Germany is now negligible, in part because most of them left prior to 1999 and in part because Kyrgyzstan is the most tolerant Central Asian nation.[citation needed]
There is a very small Kalmyk minority living in eastern Kyrgyzstan, especially in villages around Karakol. These are the Kalmyks who remained when the bulk of the nation moved westward in the early 16th century. The Kalmyk language and their traditions are dying out rapidly due to small numbers and majority pressures. Although some of these Kalmyks are now Muslims, most Kalmyks throughout the world remain Tibetan Buddhists (Lamaists). The Kalmyk culture has seen a resurgence of interest in the last 20 years, and most Kalmyks regard the Dalai Lama as their spiritual leader.[citation needed]
The table shows the ethnic composition of Kyrgyzstan's population (in percent) according to three population censuses between 1979 and 1999, with estimates for 2003 and 2007.[1][2] There has been a sharp decline in the European ethnic groups (Russians, Ukrainians, Germans) and also Tatars since independence (as captured in the 1989 and 1999 censuses).
| Nationality | 1979 census | 1989 census | 1999 census | 2003 estimate | 2007 estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population (thou.) | 3,522.8 | 4,257.8 | 4,822.9 | 4,984.4 | 5,189.8 |
| Kyrgyz | 47.9 | 52.4 | 64.9 | 66.9 | 68.9 |
| Uzbeks | 12.1 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 14.1 | 14.4 |
| Russians | 25.9 | 21.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 9.1 |
| Ukrainians | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Tatars | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Dungans | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Uyghurs | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Kazakhs | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Tajiks | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Turks | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Koreans | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Germans | 2.9 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Others | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
[edit] References
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