Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 3,822,823; female 3,807,958)
15-64 years: 51.9% (male 4,366,748; female 4,452,686)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 243,411; female 286,118) (2003 est.)

Median age: total: 17.4 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 3.03% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 42.16 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 11.88 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 80.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 71.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 88.63 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 56.14 years
male: 53.82 years
female: 58.53 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.73 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 22,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 870 (2001 est.)

Nationality: noun: Malagasy (singular and plural)
adjective: Malagasy

Ethnic groups: Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

Religions: indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%

Languages: French (official), Malagasy (official)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68.9%
male: 75.5%
female: 62.5% (2003 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Madagascar on this page is re-published from the 2003 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Guinea Geography 2003 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Madagascar People 2003 should be addressed to the CIA.