Venezuela is a country in South America. The Venezuelan people comprise a combination of heritages, primarily Native American and European. The historically present Native American, Spanish colonists, and African slaves have all contributed to varying degrees. Later, waves of European groups (Italians, Spanish, Portuguese and Germans) migrated to Venezuela in the 20th century, influencing many aspects of Venezuelan life, including its culture, language, food, and music though small in number.
About 25% of the population is mestizo (mixed white and indigenous); Europeans and Arabs (whites) make up 25% of the population, Africans 5%, mulatto/pardo people 40%, Amerindian people 3.5%, and other races, mostly Asians, make up 1.5%.[1][2] Three Amerindian tribes located in the country are the Wayuu, located in the west, in Zulia State, and the Timoto-cuicas, also in the west, in Mérida State, in the Andes.
About 85% of the population live in urban areas in the northern portion of the country and currently resides in the urban conglomerations (Caracas, Maracay, Maracaibo, Valencia, etc.) that are concentrated in Venezuela's northern coastal mountain strip. Nearly half of Venezuela's geographic area lies south of the Orinoco River; however, this region contains only 5% of the Venezuelan population.
The 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects[3][4] estimate puts Venezuela's total population at 28,199,867 inhabitants.[3][4] Additionally, over the past five years, Venezuelan society's general age structure has been trending towards the homologous structure found in Cuba, Western Europe, Japan, and other healthy and rapidly ageing societies. Notably, there has been a significant increase in the proportion and gross numbers of elderly Venezuelans (aged 65 and up), as well as a corresponding drop in the total fertility. More than 7 million people, that is 20 per cent of the population, have left Venezuela in the last years, mostly as refugees due to the economic and political situation.[5]
Population
Census population
Year
Pop.
±%
1873
1,732,411
—
1881
2,005,139
+15.7%
1891
2,221,572
+10.8%
1920
2,479,525
+11.6%
1926
2,814,131
+13.5%
1936
3,364,347
+19.6%
1941
3,850,771
+14.5%
1950
5,034,838
+30.7%
1961
7,523,999
+49.4%
1971
10,721,522
+42.5%
1981
14,516,735
+35.4%
1990
18,105,265
+24.7%
2001
23,232,553
+28.3%
2011
27,722,793
+19.3%
According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects[3][4] the total population was 28,199,867 in 2021, compared to only 5,482,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 29.5%, 64.9% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 5.6% was 65 years or older.[6]
Total population
Proportion aged 0–14 (%)
Proportion aged 15–64 (%)
Proportion aged 65+ (%)
1950
5,482,000
43.5
54.6
1.9
1955
6,758,000
44.8
53.1
2.0
1960
8,147,000
45.6
51.9
2.4
1965
9,825,000
46.4
51.0
2.6
1970
11,588,000
45.7
51.5
2.8
1975
13,361,000
43.3
53.6
3.0
1980
15,344,000
40.7
56.2
3.2
1985
17,508,000
38.8
57.8
3.4
1990
19,862,000
37.9
58.4
3.7
1995
22,189,000
36.3
59.8
3.9
2000
24,192,000
34.0
61.5
4.5
2005
26,432,000
31.7
63.3
5.0
2010
28,440,000
29.9
64.5
5.6
2015
30,082,000
28.4
65.3
6.4
2020
28,436,000
27.3
64.8
8.0
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Life expectancy in Venezuela since 1900Life expectancy in Venezuela since 1960 by gender
total population: 76.2 years
male: 73.2 years
female: 79.3 years (2018 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 88.2% of total population (2018)
rate of urbanisation: 1.28% annual rate of change (2015–20 est.)
Languages:
Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2016 est.)
total population: 97.1%
male: 97%
female: 97.2% (2016 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
Unemployment, youth ages 15–24:
total: 14.6%. Country comparison to the world: 92nd
Sex ratio
Age
Ratio (males/females)
Total:
1.02
At birth:
1.07
Under 15:
1.07
15–64:
1.01
Over 65:
0.83
Race
According to an autosomal DNA genetic study conducted in 2008 by the University of Brasilia (UNB), the composition of Venezuela's population is: 60.60% of European contribution, 23% of Amerindian contribution and 16.30% of African contribution. 3.6% of Venezuelans are fully black, but Mulattos (black mixed with white) are a much larger proportion, with many Venezuelans having African ancestry.[15]
According to the 2011 census, 88.3 per cent of the population is Christian, primarily Roman Catholic (71%), 17 per cent Protestant, and the remaining 0.03 per cent Mormons (LDS Church).[19] The Venezuelans without religion are 9% (atheist 2%, agnostic or indifferent 6% and doesn't know/doesn't respond 1% ), almost 3% of the population follow other religions (1% of them are of Santería).[17][18]
