This is a demography of the population of Timor-Leste including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Population size and structure
1,242,000 (2017)
Age groups
Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 601 112 582 531 1 183 643 100 0-4 77 896 72 410 150 306 12.70 5-9 80 377 75 705 156 082 13.19 10-14 80 721 75 548 156 269 13.20 15-19 69 839 67 033 136 872 11.56 20-24 52 759 54 244 107 003 9.04 25-29 45 486 47 464 92 950 7.85 30-34 35 934 36 461 72 395 6.12 35-39 24 245 24 645 48 890 4.13 40-44 29 097 26 779 55 876 4.72 45-49 25 044 22 274 47 318 4.00 50-54 18 661 16 776 35 437 2.99 55-59 14 436 12 867 27 303 2.31 60-64 13 864 14 516 28 380 2.40 65-69 14 611 16 427 31 038 2.62 70-74 8 949 9 204 18 153 1.53 75-79 4 862 5 009 9 961 0.84 80-84 2 399 2 798 5 197 0.44 85+ 1 932 2 281 4 213 0.36Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0-14 238 994 223 663 462 657 39.09 15-64 329 365 323 059 652 334 55.11 65+ 32 753 35 809 68 562 5.79
Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 642 639 618 768 1 261 407 100 0–4 86 042 78 681 164 723 13.06 5–9 84 950 76 259 161 209 12.78 10–14 82 088 75 015 157 103 12.45 15–19 75 602 71 942 147 544 11.70 20–24 60 513 60 703 121 216 9.61 25–29 46 777 50 239 97 016 7.69 30–34 40 344 42 718 83 062 6.58 35–39 28 909 30 013 58 922 4.67 40–44 24 228 23 965 48 193 3.82 45–49 27 718 25 146 52 864 4.19 50–54 21 620 19 325 40 945 3.25 55–59 16 674 15 419 32 093 2.54 60–64 14 583 14 712 29 295 2.32 65-69 11 764 12 441 24 205 1.92 70-74 9 187 9 388 18 575 1.47 75-79 6 452 6 789 13 241 1.05 80+ 5 188 6 013 11 201 0.89Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 253 080 229 955 483 035 38.29 15–64 356 968 354 182 711 150 56.38 65+ 32 591 34 631 67 222 5.33
Median age In 2015 the median age of the population was 19.6 years old. The population living in rural areas is slightly younger (19.0) compared to the population living in urban areas (20.6). Ainaro Municipality has the lowest median age with 17.3 years, while Dili Municipality has the highest median age with 21.2 years.2015 Timor-Leste Population and Housing Census – Data Sheet
Vital statistics
UN estimates
Registration of vital events is in Timor-Leste not complete. The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates. Population estimates account for under numeration in population censuses.
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)1950 415 18 15 343.435.97.56.61274.229.051951 418 18 14 443.734.29.56.59271.829.301952 423 19 14 443.933.410.56.56268.529.621953 427 19 14 544.232.911.26.54265.829.891954 432 19 14 544.432.511.96.51262.830.201955 437 20 14 544.632.112.56.48259.730.521956 443 20 14 644.831.813.06.45256.730.831957 449 20 14 645.131.613.56.42254.031.121958 455 21 14 645.331.314.06.39251.331.401959 462 21 14 745.531.114.46.36248.631.701960 469 21 14 745.730.615.16.32244.332.201961 476 22 14 745.730.215.56.27241.132.571962 483 22 14 845.729.915.96.22237.932.951963 491 22 15 845.629.516.16.16235.433.261964 499 23 15 845.529.216.36.08232.533.601965 507 23 14 945.228.316.96.01226.434.361966 516 23 14 944.927.617.25.93221.235.001967 525 23 14 944.526.917.65.86215.335.731968 535 24 14 944.126.317.75.79211.536.231969 544 24 14 1043.625.817.85.72207.836.711970 554 24 14 1043.125.317.85.66204.337.171971 564 24 14 1042.424.617.75.58200.237.721972 574 24 14 1041.624.017.65.49195.838.321973 584 24 14 1040.723.217.55.39190.738.991974 592 24 15 939.825.014.85.29200.836.881975 600 23 24 − 039.139.8 −0.75.19241.224.831976 610 23 23 038.337.90.45.12229.825.961977 619 23 24 −137.939.9 −2.05.09242.624.431978 628 24 27 − 437.943.8 −5.95.09266.921.841979 635 24 27 − 238.342.3 −3.95.14258.822.531980 642 25 21 339.033.65.45.22203.328.451981 649 27 21 641.332.58.85.53193.529.571982 655 27 21 741.631.310.35.56183.430.821983 662 28 20 741.930.611.35.59177.031.641984 671 28 19 942.228.413.75.61161.533.751985 682 29 19 942.428.513.95.65161.433.801986 694 29 19 1042.528.114.55.67157.434.341987 708 30 19 1142.526.715.75.68148.735.641988 723 31 19 1142.526.615.85.72148.435.751989 740 31 14 1742.319.123.35.76144.444.551990 758 32 14 1842.218.723.55.81142.644.951991 773 32 14 1841.818.423.35.84140.844.991992 784 33 14 1941.617.524.15.87134.246.281993 795 33 13 2041.216.824.45.88128.547.251994 807 33 13 2040.916.124.85.91123.648.251995 819 33 13 2040.616.324.35.94123.548.021996 831 34 13 2040.215.824.45.94118.748.821997 843 34 13 2139.915.424.55.96114.249.521998 855 34 13 2139.615.723.95.96115.149.121999 867 34 16 1939.418.021.45.97118.045.702000 878 35 9 2639.110.228.95.9877.058.572001 893 35 9 2639.19.929.26.0173.359.362002 910 36 9 2739.09.629.46.0269.760.152003 927 36 9 2738.39.329.05.9566.560.872004 946 36 9 2737.69.128.55.8563.161.632005 969 35 9 2736.58.827.75.7159.862.332006 995 35 8 2735.48.526.95.5656.763.072007 1 019 35 8 2634.28.325.95.4053.963.722008 1 043 35 8 2633.28.125.15.2351.464.332009 1 066 35 9 2632.38.024.35.0449.264.852010 1 088 34 9 2631.48.023.44.8247.365.302011 1 113 34 9 2530.77.922.84.6145.765.702012 1 138 34 9 2529.87.722.14.4044.166.082013 1 162 34 9 2529.17.621.54.2142.666.442014 1 185 34 9 2528.47.620.94.0041.266.792015 1 206 33 9 2427.77.520.23.7839.867.142016 1 225 33 9 2427.07.319.73.5838.567.452017 1 243 33 9 2426.57.219.33.4037.367.752018 1 262 33 9 2425.97.018.93.2436.268.022019 1 280 33 9 2425.56.918.63.1235.268.272020 1 300 33 9 2425.36.818.43.0134.268.482021 1 321 33 10 2324.97.217.72.8933.467.7420222.8020232.7120242.6320252.56
Demographic and Health Surveys Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):
Year CBR (Total) TFR (Total) CBR (Urban) TFR (Urban) CBR (Rural) TFR (Rural) 2003 52.1 7.8 50.5 7.4 2009–2010 33.2 5.7 (5.1) 33.1 4.9 (4.2) 33.2 6.0 (5.4) 2016 26.8 4.2 (3.5) 28.4 3.5 (3.0) 26.2 4.6 (3.8) 2025-26 24.3 3.4 22.8 2.7 24.8 3.8
Fertility rate By municipality Aileu Municipality and Ainaro Municipality have the highest fertility rate with 5.5 children per woman, followed by Ermera Municipality with 5.4 children per woman. Municipality Fertility rate in 2004 Fertility rate in 2010 Fertility rate in 2015 Decline between 2004 and 2015 Dili 6.7 5.3 3.9 2.8 Liquiçá 7.1 6.2 5.1 2.0 Covalima 7.0 5.6 4.7 2.3 Manufahi 7.3 5.6 4.9 2.4 Manatuto 6.7 5.6 4.6 2.1 Aileu 8.4 7.0 5.5 3.0 Lautém 7.7 6.4 5.2 2.5 Bobonaro 6.9 5.9 4.7 2.2 Baucau 6.9 5.8 4.7 2.2 Viqueque 6.3 5.3 4.6 1.7 Ermera 8.2 6.9 5.4 2.8 Ainaro 8.3 6.4 5.5 2.8 Oecusse (SAR) 6.9 5.2 4.2 2.7 7.2 5.9 4.7 2.5 Between 2014/15, around 43.5% of the births occurred in a health facility, up from 36.3% in 2010/11. This percentage varies widely from 77.5% in Dili Municipality to only 15.1% of all births in Ermera Municipality.
Before 1950 Years 1925192619271928192919301931193219331934Total Fertility Rate in Timor-Leste6.526.526.526.526.526.526.526.526.526.52 Years 1935193619371938193919401941194219431944Total Fertility Rate in Timor-Leste6.526.526.516.516.516.516.516.516.516.51 Years 19451946194719481949Total Fertility Rate in Timor-Leste6.516.516.516.516.51
Life expectancy at birth Average life expectancy at age 0 of the total population. PeriodLife expectancy in YearsPeriodLife expectancy inYears1950–195530.01985–199046.51955–196032.51990–199550.51960–196535.01995–200057.01965–197037.52000–200561.51970–197540.02005–201066.41975–198031.22010–201567.71980–198539.9
Ethnic groups
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian: Welaun people, Tokodede people, Tetun people, Mambai people, Kemak people, Kawaimina people, Idalaka people, Habun people, Galoli people, Atoni people), Papuan (Bunak people, Fataluku people, Makalero people, Makasae people), small Chinese particularly Hokkien people/Hakka people/Cantonese people and European particularly Portuguese people descent.
Religion
Roman Catholic 97.6% (2015 est.) Protestant/Evangelical 2% (2015 est.) Islam 0.2% (2015 est.) Other 0.2% (2015 est.)
Languages Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian (constitutionally defined as a 'working language') and English (constitutionally defined as a 'working language').
Note: There are a total of about 16 indigenous languages, of which Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people. The Tetum language is partially influenced by European languages, particularly Portuguese, a legacy of Portuguese rule.
An extinct Portuguese creole language, Bidau Creole Portuguese, was spoken in the Dili suburb of Bidau, Nain Feto, spoken by the Portuguese-Timorese mestiço population; it went extinct by the 1960s. A dialect of Malay-based local creole called Dili Malay is spoken by a number of residents in the capital Dili.
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write {| class="wikitable" | total population || |- | male || |- | female || |}(2015 est.)
After achieving independence, Timor-Leste had a high illiteracy rate, with 55% of women and 46% of men illiterate. Approximately 18% of the adult population had achieved secondary education and approximately 1.4% of them had an academic degree or achieved other higher education, nearly all of whom resided in urban areas, primarily the capital Dili. Attempts to improve education services face challenges in the form of a lack of educated and experienced teachers. Continuing high fertility rates also translates to greater strains on the government to increase education budgets. The United Nations (UN) has assisted in rebuilding the education system increasing the number of teachers and rehabilitating many schools, leading to a rapid increase in school enrollment. However, problems remain as the quality of education was deemed secondary to the need to increase enrollment in Timor-Leste.
Another problem faced in increasing the education levels includes the economic conditions of the population. With high proportions of the population living below the poverty line and large households with many children, the direct costs of schooling is significant for families. Lack of monetary resources to send children to school imposes greater difficulty in increasing enrollment rates in schools. In addition, parents may be disillusioned with the poor quality of education and thus may not even be interested to send their children to schools. Much remains to be done to establish a new curriculum and support it with texts and learning materials to improve the quality of education. The variety of language spoken also means a large number of children do not speak the language of instruction – Portuguese – and this causes them to be marginalised. Many teachers do not speak Portuguese.
The inaccessibility of schools with proper facilities adds to the problem of providing adequate education to the population. Schools are located far away from homes and, coupled with the poor conditions of schools, may inhibit the early enrollment of children or lead to early drop-outs. Schools in rural areas face substantial lack of facilities to render them safe. As for the schools in urban areas, significant urban migration has meant that the supply of schools in urban areas have not managed to keep up with the increasing demand; leading to overcrowding in urban schools.