Demographics of Dominica
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of Dominica
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Almost all Dominica
ns are descendants of Africa
n slave
s brought in by colonial
planters in the 18th century. Dominica is the only island in the eastern Caribbean
to retain some of its pre-Columbian
population—the Carib Indians—about 3,000 of whom live on the island's east coast.
The population growth rate is very low, due primarily to emigration to more prosperous Caribbean Islands, the United Kingdom
, the United States
, and Canada
. English
is the official language and universally understood; however, because of historic French
domination, Antillean Creole
, a French-lexified creole language, is also widely spoken. About 80% of the population is Catholic. In recent years, a number of Protestant
churches have been established.
29% (male 10,556; female 10,254)
15-64 years:
63% (male 23,151; female 21,984)
65 years and over:
8% (male 2,294; female 3,301) (2000 est.)
1.05 male(s)/female
under 100 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.69 male(s)/female
total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Life expectancy
total population:
73.35 years
male:
70.9 years
female:
76.36 years (2000 est.)
Religion
Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-day Adventist
3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, Buddhist 0.5%, other 6%
Literacy
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population:
94%
male:
94%
female:
94% (1970 est.)
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Almost all Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
ns are descendants of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s brought in by colonial
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
planters in the 18th century. Dominica is the only island in the eastern Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
to retain some of its pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
population—the Carib Indians—about 3,000 of whom live on the island's east coast.
The population growth rate is very low, due primarily to emigration to more prosperous Caribbean Islands, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is the official language and universally understood; however, because of historic French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
domination, Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole is a creole language with a vocabulary based on French. It is spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. Its grammar and vocabulary also include elements of Carib and African languages. Antillean Creole is related to Haitian Creole, but has a number of distinctive features; they are...
, a French-lexified creole language, is also widely spoken. About 80% of the population is Catholic. In recent years, a number of Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
churches have been established.
Parishes
| Name | Population | Percentage of national population | Total area (km²) | Population density |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Andrew Saint Andrew Parish, Dominica Saint Andrew is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. John and St. Peter , St. Joseph , and St. David .... |
10,461 | 14.77% | 59 | |
| Saint David Saint David Parish, Dominica Saint David is one of Dominica's ten administrative parishes, located on the eastern side of the island. It is bordered by St. Andrew to the north; St. Joseph, St. Paul and St. George to the west; and St. Patrick to the south. It has an area of 131.6 km² , and has a population of... |
6,789 | 9.58% | 52 | |
| Saint George Saint George Parish, Dominica Saint George is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by Saint Paul and part of the Boeri River , Saint Patrick , and Saint Luke .... |
20,211 | 28.54% | 360 | |
| Saint John Saint John Parish, Dominica Saint John is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. Andrew to the east, and St. Peter and the Espagnole River to the south. It has an area of 59 km² .... |
5,897 | 8.33% | 59 | 100 |
| Saint Joseph Saint Joseph Parish, Dominica Saint Joseph is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. Peter to the north, St. Andrew to the northeast, St. David to the east, and St. Paul to the south. It has an area of 120.1 km² , and a population of 5,765.... |
5,765 | 8.14% | 48 | |
| Saint Luke Saint Luke Parish, Dominica Saint Luke is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. George , St. Mark , and St. Patrick .... |
1,576 | 2.22% | 203 | |
| Saint Mark Saint Mark Parish, Dominica Saint Mark is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. Luke and St. Patrick . With an area of 9.9 km² , it is the smallest in the island. It has a population of 1,891 people.... |
1,891 | 2.67% | 191 | |
| Saint Patrick Saint Patrick Parish, Dominica Saint Patrick is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. George, St. Luke and St. Mark to the west, and St. David to the north. It has an area of 84.4 km² , and has a population of 8,383.... |
8,383 | 11.84% | 99 | |
| Saint Paul Saint Paul Parish, Dominica Saint Paul is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. Joseph to the north, St. David to the east, and St. George to the south. It has an area of 67.4 km² , and a population of 8,397.... |
8,397 | 11.86% | 125 | |
| Saint Peter Saint Peter Parish, Dominica Saint Peter is one of Dominica's 10 administrative parishes. It is bordered by St. John to the north, St. Joseph to the south, and St. Andrew to the east. It has an area of 27.7 km² , and has a population of 1,452. Colihaut , Dublanc and Bioche are its only settlements.... |
1,452 | 2.05% | 52 | |
| 70,822 | 100% | 105 |
CIA World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.Age structure
0-14 years:29% (male 10,556; female 10,254)
15-64 years:
63% (male 23,151; female 21,984)
65 years and over:
8% (male 2,294; female 3,301) (2000 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth:1.05 male(s)/female
under 100 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.69 male(s)/female
total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Life expectancyLife expectancyLife expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
at birth
total population:73.35 years
male:
70.9 years
female:
76.36 years (2000 est.)
ReligionReligionReligion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s
Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-day AdventistSeventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, Buddhist 0.5%, other 6%
LiteracyLiteracyLiteracy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
definition:age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population:
94%
male:
94%
female:
94% (1970 est.)