Brazil population gets older, more urban - census
Date: 20-Dec-01
Country: BRAZIL
Author: Andrei Khalip
Although the yearly population growth of 1.64 percent between 1991 and
2001 was the lowest since the 1940s, Brazil became the world's fifth
most populous country in the world over the period, up from sixth 10
years ago, according to the government's IBGE statistics institute.
With 169.8 million people and 2.8 percent of the global population, the
country is surpassed only by China, India, the United States and
Indonesia in number of people.
The government released preliminary figures for the census earlier this
year but Wednesday's 550-page report included the finishing touches to
data gathered between August and November 2000 from the Amazon rain
forest in the north to the central Pantanal wetlands and sprawling
cities of the south.
In general, the average Brazilian is about 24 years old, lives in the
city in his own home, makes more money than 10 years ago but has fewer
children.
Although the population growth rate is still higher than developed
countries, it is below the 1.93 percent registered in 1991. Average
fertility, meanwhile, was 2.2-2.3 children per woman in reproductive
age, compared to 1.6 children in major industrialized countries. The
average age increased to 24.2 years from 21.7 years a decade ago.
The IBGE said the use of birth control that has slowed demographic
growth since the 1960s had apparently grown in the past decade, while
spending and consumption of goods also generally increased.
Despite the recession in 1991 and a range of world economic crises that
shook Brazil afterward, real income of the population improved. The
average income for heads of households increased to $334 (769 reais) per
month from $236 (542 reais) per month in 1991.
And although other indicators such as literacy and basic sanitation
improved, the institute said the number of illiterates was still
"extremely high."
"Despite an increase in the number of literate people, there are 17.6
million people aged 10 and over who are illiterate, which represents,
still, one of the biggest illiteracy rates in Latin America," it said.
Brazil was also lacking in basic needs like sewage and basic sanitation
equipment. Only 62.2 percent of residences had sewage and just 12.9
percent of rural homes. Some 3.7 million homes had no bathroom or
toilet, mostly in the northeast.
Brazilians, meanwhile, continued cramming into the nation's crowded
cities. According to the census, 81.2 percent of Brazil's population now
live in cities, versus 75.6 percent in 1991. That was high even compared
to relatively overcrowded Europe, where only 75 percent of people live
in cities.
Across Brazil, women outnumbered men slightly and the data showed the
number of women was growing in general. There were 96.9 men on average
per 100 women.
The amount of people between 15 years and 64 years of age who are able
to work rose to 64.6 percent from 60.5 percent, which in part explained
Brazil's unemployment problem.
At the same time, the number of women running a household increased a
dramatic 38 percent over the past decade to 24.9 percent of all
residences.
Some 154 million Brazilians lived in a private house, of which there
were about 40 million. A total of 33.3 million people said they owned
their residence.
