Belarus

Demographics

The majority of the population of Belarus are native Belarusians, who comprise 81.2 percent of the total population of 10,300,483 people. Russians are the second largest group making up 11.4 percent of the population and the Poles and Ukrainians account for 3.9 and 2.4 percent of the population respectively. Languages commonly spoken in Belarus are Russian and Belarusian, which are both official languages of Belarus. The population density is about 50 persons per square kilometer and 71.7 percent of the total population lives in urban areas, 24 percent of those live in Minsk.{{ref|demographics}} Most of the population, 69.5 percent, are between the ages of 14 and 64. Sixteen percent of the population is under 14 years with the rest of the population, 14.6 percent, being ages 65 or older. The median age of the population is 37. The literacy rate in Belarus, which is the number of people aged 15 and older who can read and write, is at 99 percent, with men at 99.8%, and women at 99.3%. The male-to-female ratio in 2005 was estimated to be .88 males to every female. The average life expectancy for Belarusian citizens is 68.72 years; for males it is 63.03 years and for females it is 74.96 years.

Related Topics:
Population - Belarusians - Russians - Poles - Ukrainians - Russian - Belarusian - Square kilometer - Urban - Age

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Most demographic indicators for Belarus resemble other European countries, notably with both the population growth rate and the natural growth rate in the negative. The population growth is currently at −0.09%{{inote|CIA Factbook}} in 2005, with a fertility rate of 1.39. The population is also growing older, and by the year 2050, the majority of the population will be over the age of 50.{{ref|census}} The migration rate is roughly +2 for every 1 000 people in Belarus. Eighty percent of the population belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church, while other religions, such as Islam, Catholicism, Protestant Christianity, and Judaism, make up the other 20 percent. Prior to World War II, Jews were the second largest ethnic group in what is today Belarus, and comprised more than 50 percent of the population in cities and towns. By 1989, Jews accounted for only 1.1% of the population, mainly due to the Holocaust WWII and emigration from the Soviet Union to nations such as the United States and Israel. {{ref|Jews}}

Related Topics:
2050 - Eastern Orthodox Church - Islam - Catholicism - Protestant Christianity - Judaism - Jews - 1989 - Holocaust - United States - Israel

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