Demographics of the Solomon Islands
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Solomon Islands, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The Solomon Islanders comprise diverse cultures, languages, and customs. Of its 552,438 persons, 94.5% are Melanesian, 3% Polynesian, and 1.2% Micronesian.[1] In addition, small numbers of Europeans and Chinese are registered. About 120 vernaculars are spoken.
Most people reside in small, widely dispersed settlements along the coasts. Sixty percent live in localities with fewer than 200 persons, and only 10% reside in urban areas.
The capital city of Honiara, situated on Guadalcanal, the largest island, has over 30,000 inhabitants. The other principal towns are Gizo, Auki, and Kirakira.
Most Solomon Islanders are Christian, with the Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, South Seas Evangelical, and Seventh-day Adventist faiths predominating. About 5% of the population maintain traditional beliefs.
The chief characteristics of the traditional Melanesian social structure are:
- The practice of subsistence economy;
- The recognition of bonds of kinship, with important obligations extending beyond the immediate family group;
- Generally egalitarian relationships, emphasizing acquired rather than inherited status; and
- A strong attachment of the people to the land.
Most Solomon Islanders maintain this traditional social structure and find their roots in village life.
The World Factbook demographic statistics
The following demographic statistics are from The World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Population statistics
571,890 (2011 est.)
Population growth rate
2.17% (2012 est.)
Birth rate
27.46 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Death rate
3.91 deaths/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Net migration rate
-1.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 19% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2010-2015)
Human sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2012 est.)
Infant mortality rate
17.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.24 years
male: 71.83 years
female: 77.14 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.51 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Health expenditure
5.4% of GDP (2009)
Physicians density
0.186 physicians/1,000 population (2005)
Hospital bed density
1.4 beds/1,000 population (2005)
Nationality
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic groups
Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Religions
Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% - see Religion in the Solomon Islands
Languages
Pijin is the lingua franca in much of the country. English is the official language but is spoken by only 1–2% of the population.
There are 68 indigenous languages.[2]
Literacy
definition: NA
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
References
- ↑ CIA World Factbook. Country profile: Solomon Islands URL Accessed 2007-05-19
- ↑ Ethnologue lists 70 living languages in the Solomon Islands; of these, English and Gilbertese are not indigenous.
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