Demographic Snapshot
Ecuador's total population is estimated at 12.1 million (2005). The country's total fertility rate is 2.8 lifetime births per woman, on average. Between 1990 and 2004 the population growth rate declined from 2.4 per cent per year to 1.5 per cent. The average life expectancy at birth for both sexes increased from 69.6 years in 1990 to 72.3 years in 2000 (75.1 years for females, 69.7 years for males). Migration from the countryside to towns and cities has accelerated. Over 60 per cent of the total population lives in urban areas and about 12 per cent of Ecuadorians have migrated either internally or to foreign countries (mainly to the United States and Spain).
The maternal mortality ratio averages 130 deaths per 100,000 live births, but in some remote mountainous areas it is believed to be even higher. The infant mortality rate is 24.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, while under-five mortality is 27 deaths per 1,000 live births. Nearly 70 per cent of all births are assisted by trained professionals. The contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods is 58.6 per cent among married women and continues to rise.
Ecuador has made significant progress towards meeting some of the targets of the ICPD Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Primary school education is now nearly universal, and maternal, infant and under-five mortality rates have declined significantly over the past decade. Though the number of women in Parliament and other governing bodies has increased, achieving gender equality remains a major challenge.
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