Demographics of Equatorial Guinea

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Equatorial Guinea, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Population

According to the 2019 revision of the World Population Prospects[1][2] the total population was 1,308,975 in 2018, compared to only 226,000 in 1950. The proportion of children between the ages of 0 and 14 in 2010 was 39.2%, 57.9% was between 15 and 64 years of age, while 2.9% was 65 years or older.[3]

	Total population	Population aged 0–14 (%)	Population aged 15–64 (%)	Population aged 65+ (%)
1950	226 000	34.2	60.1	5.6
1955	238 000	35.7	59.0	5.3
1960	252 000	37.0	57.9	5.0
1965	269 000	38.3	56.9	4.8
1970	291 000	38.7	56.7	4.6
1975	238 000	44.8	49.8	5.4
1980	221 000	43.7	50.3	6.0
1985	313 000	34.7	60.4	4.9
1990	374 000	37.7	57.8	4.5
1995	443 000	41.9	54.1	4.1
2000	520 000	42.6	53.8	3.7
2005	608 000	40.5	56.2	3.2
2010	700 000	39.2	57.9	2.9

Structure of the population (DHS 2011) (Males - 9,043, Females - 9,702, Total - 18,745):

Age Group	Male (%)	Female (%)	Total (%)
0–4	16.1	15.2	15.7
5–9	13.2	12.5	12.8
10–14	11.7	10.4	11.1
15–19	8.7	8.4	8.6
20–24	7.3	8.6	8.0
25–29	6.7	6.9	6.8
30–34	5.5	5.7	5.6
35–39	5.1	4.4	4.7
40–44	4.3	4.5	4.4
45–49	4.2	3.7	3.9
50–54	3.8	6.2	5.1
55–59	3.3	3.3	3.3
60–64	3.4	3.3	3.4
65–69	2.2	2.1	2.2
70–74	1.7	1.6	1.6
75–79	1.3	1.1	1.2
80+	1.2	1.8	1.5
unknown	0.4	0.1	0.2

Age group	Male (%)	Female (%)	Total (%)
0–14	41.0	38.1	39.6
15–64	52.2	55.2	53.7
65+	6.4	6.6	6.5

Vital statistics

Registration of vital events is in Equatorial Guinea not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. [3]

Period	Live births per year	Deaths per year	Natural change per year	CBR*	CDR*	NC*	TFR*	IMR*
1950–1955	9 000	7 000	2 000	40.9	30.4	10.5	5.50	196
1955–1960	10 000	7 000	3 000	40.5	28.7	11.8	5.50	186
1960–1965	10 000	7 000	3 000	40.1	26.9	13.3	5.53	176
1965–1970	11 000	7 000	4 000	40.7	25.3	15.3	5.66	167
1970–1975	10 000	6 000	3 000	36.8	23.7	13.1	5.68	157
1975–1980	8 000	5 000	2 000	32.9	22.2	10.8	5.68	149
1980–1985	11 000	6 000	5 000	41.7	21.4	20.3	5.79	138
1985–1990	16 000	7 000	9 000	47.4	20.4	26.9	5.89	128
1990–1995	18 000	8 000	11 000	45.0	18.7	26.3	5.89	118
1995–2000	20 000	8 000	12 000	41.3	17.2	24.0	5.87	114
2000–2005	22 000	9 000	12 000	38.4	16.3	22.1	5.64	111
2005–2010	24 000	10 000	15 000	37.3	15.1	22.2	5.36	102
* 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)

Fertility and births

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[4]

Year	CBR (Total)	TFR (Total)	CBR (Urban)	TFR (Urban)	CBR (Rural)	TFR (Rural)
2011	36.3	5.1 (4.4)	36.5	4.4 (3.8)	36.0	5.9 (5.1)

Fertility data as of 2011 (DHS Program):[4]

Region	Total fertility rate	Percentage of women age 15–49 currently pregnant	Mean number of children ever born to women age 40–49
Insular	4.3	8.4	5.0
Continental	5.4	9.2	6.0

Life expectancy

Period	Life expectancy in Years[5]
1950–1955	34.48
1955–1960	35.99
1960–1965	37.49
1965–1970	38.99
1970–1975	40.50
1975–1980	42.04
1980–1985	45.54
1985–1990	47.21
1990–1995	49.35
1995–2000	51.75
2000–2005	53.57
2005–2010	54.93
2010–2015	56.84

Ethnic groups

Ethnic groups in Equatorial Guinea[6]
Fang			85.7%
Bubi			6.5%
Mdowe			3.6%
Annobonese			1.6%
Other			1.4%
Bujeba			1.1%

Map of ethnic groups. 1. Fernandino (Malabo city and Luba)
2. Bubi (Bioko Island)
3. Igbo (far northwest)
4. Baka (Acot area)
5. Kwasio (Bujeba)
6. Benga (Playeros)
7. Gabonese (Cocobeach City)
8. Annobonese (mixed Portuguese, Angolan, Spanish)
9. Annobonese Creoles (Annobon Island)
10. Fang

Peoples considered as natives

The majority of the people of Equatorial Guinea are of Bantu origin. The largest ethnic group, the Fang, are indigenous to the mainland, but substantial migration to Bioko Island has resulted in Fang dominance over the earlier Bubi inhabitants. The Fang constitute 80% of the population and are themselves divided into 67 clans. Those in the northern part of Rio Muni speak Fang-Ntumu, while those in the south speak Fang-Okah; the two dialects are mutually unintelligible. The Bubi, who constitute 15% of the population, are indigenous to Bioko Island.

In addition, there are coastal ethnic groups, collectively referred to as Ndowe or Playeros ("Beach People" in Spanish): Combes, Bujebas, Balengues and Bengas on the mainland and small islands and a Fernandino community of Krio descended people on Bioko. Together, these groups compose 5% of the population.

Two small groups of Pygmies also inhabit the country, the Beyele and the Bokuign,[7] the former being located in the Altos de Nsork region.[8] Their population is dwindling, them being subjected to heavy pressure from their neighbours, who don't even consider them as human.[9]

8,800 black and white mixed race people, named Fernandino peoples, also live in Equatorial Guinea.[10] The Asian Africans, the Fernandino peoples and the White Africans represent 10% of the total population of Equatorial Guinea.

Recently immigrated peoples

Some Europeans (largely of Spanish or Portuguese descent) – among them mixed with African ethnicity – also live in the nation. Most Spaniards left after independence. There is a growing number of foreigners from neighboring Cameroon, Nigeria, and Gabon. Equatorial Guinea received Asians and black Africans from other countries as workers on cocoa and coffee plantations. In the late 20th century, Equatorial Guinea became home to more than 80,000 Hispanics from Mexico, Central America, and other Spanish speaking nations in the Americas. 17,000[11] Spanish people and 5,000[12] Chinese people also live in Equatorial Guinea. The non-Africans living in Equatorial Guinea represent almost 10% of the nation's total population. Other black Africans came from Liberia, Angola, and Mozambique, and Asians are mostly Chinese with small numbers of Indians. Equatorial Guinea also allowed many fortune-seeking European settlers of other nationalities, including British, French and Germans. After independence, thousands of Equatorial Guineans went to Spain. Another 100,000 Equatorial Guineans went to Cameroon, Gabon, and Nigeria because of dictatorship of Francisco Macías Nguema. Some of its communities also live in Brazil, United States, Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Portugal, and France.

Languages

See also: Pichinglis

Spanish, French and Portuguese are the official languages and spoken as second languages. Spanish is the language of education, and for this reason a majority of the population (about 88%) can speak it, though only about 10–15% have a high competence in the language.[13] Annobonese speak a Portuguese Creole, named Annobonese, as their first language. Asian migrants and descendants of European settlers (mostly Spaniards, Britons and Portuguese) usually speak their ancestral languages along with Spanish. Other Africans usually speak their native languages and their nation's official languages – English and Igbo[14][15] for Nigerians; English for Cameroonians and Liberians; French for Cameroonians and Gabonese; and Portuguese for Angolans and Mozambicans. The latter was made an official language since July 13, 2007. 82% of first foreign language learners choose the French language and 18% the English language.[16] The Roman Catholic Church has greatly influenced both religion and education.

Languages of traditional names

Equatoguineans tend to have both a Spanish first name and an African first and last name. When written, the Spanish and African first names are followed by the father's first name (which becomes the principal surname) and the mother's first name. Thus people may have up to four names, with a different surname for each generation.

Other demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2020.[17]

• One birth every 12 minutes
• One death every 42 minutes
• One net migrant every 37 minutes
• Net gain of one person every 11 minutes

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook.[18]

Population

836,178 (July 2020 est.)

note: 2002 census results claim 1,015,000 residents, although this most likely was inflated in anticipation for the December election.[19]

Age structure

Population pyramid of Equatorial Guinea in 2017

0-14 years: 38.73% (male 164,417 /female 159,400)

15-24 years: 19.94% (male 84,820 /female 81,880)

25-54 years: 32.72% (male 137,632 /female 135,973)

55-64 years: 4.69% (male 17,252 /female 22,006)

65 years and over: 3.92% (male 13,464 /female 19,334) (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

2.35% (2020 est.) Country comparison to the world: 29th

Birth rate

30.7 births/1,000 population (2020 est.) Country comparison to the world: 31st

Death rate

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.) Country comparison to the world: 112th

Total fertility rate

4.11 children born/woman (2020 est.) Country comparison to the world: 29th

Median age

total: 20.3 years. Country comparison to the world: 192nd

male: 19.9 years

female: 20.7 years (2020 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

12.6% (2011)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.) Country comparison to the world: 81st

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 64.4 (2020 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 60.5 (2020 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 3.9 (2020 est.)

potential support ratio: 25.5 (2020 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 73.1% of total population (2020)

rate of urbanization: 4.28% annual rate of change (2015–20 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 65.7 years (2020 est.) Country comparison to the world: 192nd

male: 64.4 years (2020 est.)

female: 66.9 years (2020 est.)

Religions

nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

total population: 95.3% (2015 est.)

male: 97.4% (2015 est.)

female: 93% (2015 est.)

See also

• Equatorial Guinea

References

1. ""World Population prospects – Population division"". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
2. ""Overall total population" – World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision" (xslx). population.un.org (custom data acquired via website). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
3. "Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision". Esa.un.org. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
4. "Encuesta Demográfi ca y de Salud (EDSGE-I) 2011" (PDF). Dhsprogram.com. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
5. "World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations". esa.un.org. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
6. "Africa :: EQUATORIAL GUINEA". CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-14. Retrieved 2011-09-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. Monte Alén-Monts de Cristal Landscape: Ethnic groups. In: Observatoire des Fôrets de l'Afrique Centrale (2006). The Forests of the Congo Basin. The State of the Forest 2006, p. 117.
9. "La página solicitada no existe – Foros". Foroguineoecuatorian.mforos.com. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
10. https://www.peoplegroups.org/Explore/groupdetails.aspx?peid=13164
11. https://www.britannica.com/place/Equatorial-Guinea
12. https://www.fastcompany.com/849690/chinas-new-oil-supplier
13. Gloria Nistal Rosique: El caso del español en Guinea Ecuatorial (in Spanish)
14. "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples – Equatorial Guinea : Overview". UNHCR. 20 May 2008. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
15. Dickovick, James Tyler (2012). Africa 2012. Stryker Post. p. 180. ISBN 1-61048-882-2. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
17. "Equatorial Guinea Population 2019", World Population Review
18. "The World FactBook – Equatorial Guinea", The World Factbook, June 1, 2020 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
19. "Equatorial Guinea". State.gov. Retrieved 7 November 2017.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document: "2006 edition".