Ecuador Population

Ecuador is the world’s largest banana producer, but the country lives on oil revenues. Economic crises and political turmoil have characterized politics for many years, but the country has experienced political stability since Rafael Correa became president (2007-2017).

Key figures and facts

• Capital: Quito
• Ethnic groups: Fertilizers (mixed; Amerindian origin and European origin) 71.9%, Montubio 7.4%, Amerindians 7%, European origin 6.1%, Afro-Ecuadorian 4.3%, other 3.3% (2010)
• Language: Spanish (official) 93%, quechua (native) 4.1%, other 2.9% (2010)
• Religion: Roman Catholic 74%, evangelists 10.4%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.2%, atheists 7.9%, agnostics 0.1%, others 6.4% (2012)
• Population: 16 625 000
• Control Form: Republic
• Area: 256 370 km2
• Currency: USD
• GNP per capita: 11 242 PPP $
• National Day: August 10th

Ecuador’s Population

The population of Ecuador is 17 138 617 (December 2018). The population density is 53.6 residents per km². Life expectancy is 82.9 years for women and 79.9 years for men.

The population is relatively young, but the average age is rising. Fewer children are born and people are living longer. After many years of large population growth, it has stagnated, and every woman gives birth to an average of 1.8 children (2010). Ecuador holds third place for high life expectancy on the American continent after Canada and Chile, but ahead of the US. The village of Vilcabamba in the southern part of the Andean region has attracted international attention for its high number of active hundreds of years.

The proportion of illiterate people over the age of 15 is estimated at 6.8 percent.

Population of Ecuador by Year (Historical)

Year	Population	Annual Growth Rate	Population Density	Global Rank
2020	17,642,943	1.550%	71.0382	67
2019	17,373,551	1.690%	69.9535	67
2018	17,084,247	1.780%	68.7887	67
2017	16,785,250	1.780%	67.5848	69
2016	16,491,005	1.720%	66.4000	68
2015	16,211,909	1.550%	65.2763	68
2010	15,011,006	1.660%	60.4410	66
2005	13,825,736	1.740%	55.6686	63
2000	12,681,012	2.050%	51.0594	63
1995	11,455,093	2.290%	46.1234	63
1990	10,230,823	2.450%	41.1940	67
1985	9,065,998	2.560%	36.5039	71
1980	7,989,075	2.700%	32.1678	72
1975	6,994,223	2.880%	28.1621	73
1970	6,069,265	2.970%	24.4378	73
1965	5,243,866	2.910%	21.1144	75
1960	4,543,555	2.810%	18.2947	77
1955	3,956,509	2.660%	15.9310	78
1950	3,470,048	0.000%	13.9723	80

Major Cities in Ecuador by Population

Rank	City	Population
1	Guayaquil	1,951,918
2	Quito	1,399,703
3	Cuenca	276,853
4	Santo Domingo de los Colorados	200,310
5	Machala	198,012
6	Manta	183,055
7	Portoviejo	170,215
8	Eloy Alfaro	167,673
9	Esmeraldas	165,105
10	Ambato	154,258
11	Tutamandahostel	139,889
12	Milagro	133,397
13	Ibarra	132,866
14	Riobamba	124,367
15	Quevedo	119,325
16	Loja	117,685
17	Tulcan	86,387
18	Babahoyo	76,168
19	La Libertad	75,770
20	Latacunga	51,606
21	Velasco Ibarra	48,643
22	Puerto Francisco de Orellana	48,033
23	Ventanas	46,597
24	Pasaje	44,749
25	Chone	44,640
26	Salinas	43,751
27	Santa Elena	42,103
28	Rosa Zarate	42,010
29	Santa Rosa	41,705
30	Balzar	40,004
31	Huaquillas	39,646
32	Bahia de Caraquez	36,945
33	La Troncal	36,242
34	Jipijapa	35,790
35	Azogues	34,766
36	Naranjito	34,095
37	Vinces	32,386
38	Otavalo	32,219
39	El Triunfo	32,171
40	Naranjal	31,934
41	Playas	30,453
42	Yaguachi Nuevo	27,836
43	Cayambe	26,471
44	Machachi	25,631
45	Puyo	24,770
46	Nueva Loja	24,100
47	Samborondon	24,007
48	Macas	23,576
49	Pedro Carbo	23,261
50	Guaranda	22,088
51	Boca Suno	20,202
52	San Lorenzo de Esmeraldas	20,098
53	Catamayo	18,454
54	Montecristi	18,240
55	Atuntaqui	17,345
56	Calceta	17,175
57	Tena	17,061
58	Gualaceo	17,011
59	Pinas	16,870
60	Cariamanga	16,751
61	Pelileo	16,461
62	La Mana	16,339
63	Pujili	16,057
64	Montalvo	15,436
65	Sucre	15,175
66	Zamora	15,165
67	San Gabriel	15,001
68	Tosagua	14,569
69	Alausi	14,183
70	Muisne	13,282
71	Macara	12,924
72	Santa Ana	12,722
73	Guano	12,548
74	Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno	12,506
75	San Miguel	12,464
76	Santa Lucia	12,412
77	Zaruma	12,394
78	Balao	12,094
79	Valdez	11,330
80	Catacocha	10,761
81	San Miguel de Salcedo	10,727
82	Rocafuerte	10,163
83	Yantzaza	9,859
84	Canar	9,789
85	Catarama	9,612
86	Portovelo	9,597
87	Banos	9,390
88	Colimes	9,273
89	Palestina	9,253
90	Pajan	9,072
91	Junin	9,017
92	Palenque	8,972
93	Puerto Ayora	8,885
94	Puerto Bolivar	8,189
95	Cotacachi	8,127
96	Lomas de Sargentillo	7,431
97	Pillaro	7,351
98	Sucua	7,302
99	Pimampiro	7,297
100	Archidona	7,198
101	Coronel Marcelino Mariduena	7,192
102	Palora	6,361
103	Pedernales	5,872
104	Celica	5,388
105	Sangolqui	5,003
106	Puerto Baquerizo Moreno	4,103

Settlement

Ecuador is the most densely populated country in South America. Most live in the coastal region (La Costa) and the duck region (Las Sierras) which make up about half the country. The region east of the Andes (El Oriente), which makes up the other half, consists largely of rainforest and is sparsely populated.

78 percent of the population lives in urban areas. Movement from the countryside to the cities and from the smaller towns to the larger ones is steadily increasing. Every third Ecuadorian lives in Quito (2.2 million residents) or Guayaquil (2.5 million residents).

From the late 1990s, many Ecuadorians, mainly to Europe, Spain and Italy, but also to the United States and Canada, emigrated to find work. After the economic crisis in 2009, many have returned. At the same time, there are migrations to Ecuador from other South American countries, especially neighboring Colombia and Peru. It is estimated that half a million Colombians and approximately 200,000 Peruvians live in the country. Many have fled the riots in Colombia. The dollar as a currency also makes it attractive to look for work in Ecuador.

In 2017 and 2018, there has been a huge influx of Venezuelans who have left their country due to the economic crisis. They usually arrive in Ecuador from the Colombian border in the north. Authorities estimate that by the fall of 2018, there were 250,000 Venezuelans in Ecuador. However, many of them are considered to be traveling to Peru or Chile.

Ethnic conditions

The Constitution of 1998 states that Ecuador is multiethnic and multicultural. The aim is that most of the population is descendants of both indigenous and Europeans. There are also African-related features. The cultural picture is broken between the different regions; coast, mountains and rainforest.

According to the 2010 census, 71.9 percent identified themselves as mastics, 7 percent as indigenous people, 6.1 percent as white, 7.2 percent as Afro-Ecuadorians, and 7.4 percent as Montubios. This census encouraged people to state first and foremost where they felt culturally at home. It may have been a tendency to designate white or mestizo, as these are at the top of the traditional social ladder. More technical studies have estimated that the number of indigenous peoples is higher, without being able to give a good explanation.

The aphids, which nevertheless make up the vast majority, have both native American and European genes. They are dominant throughout the country, but the proportion is highest in the mountain region. The Spanish conquerors and immigrants who arrived in the mid-1500s were largely men. They made connections with women from the indigenous population and had children with them. Later, many were born under extramarital circumstances. Some of them were included in the father’s family as second-class members. Others were referred to live with their mother in her village. Eventually, the Mistis manifested themselves as a separate group. In the colonial period, they were a middle class working on crafts; carpenters, tailors and masons, or they were businessmen on a smaller scale. On the large farms – the hacienda– they often served as administrators or printers. There were also many talented artists among them who did outstanding work on the construction and decoration of the numerous churches in the country. During the Liberal Revolution of 1895, the idea of ​​Ecuador as a Mistisian nation was born.

The whites are of European, mainly Spanish origin.

The Montubians (los montubios), a separate Ecuadorian group, are relatively white in skin but with mostly Mistonian features. They are mostly farmers living in the lowlands between the coast and the Andes.

Africans were transported as slaves to replace indigenous people as labor in the hottest areas. Some also made their way to the Ecuadorian coast of Esmeraldas after a shipwreck and established freedom there. Slavery was officially abolished in 1851. Most Afro-Ecuadorians still live in the province of Esmeraldas northwest of the country, but there is also a significant settlement in the highlands around Zamora.

The indigenous population, as previously, denoted as “Indians” (indios), the country’s original residents when the Spaniards arrived, ushering in the European immigration. It is believed that the indigenous population was significantly reduced following battles against the Spaniards and diseases they brought with them. The indigenous people today live in the rural areas of the mountains and in the Amazon. There are different tribes, or nations, with their own languages ​​and customs. The largest nation is Kichwa, which is located in different areas throughout the Andean region. Chachi, Awà and Tsàchila hold to the north of the coastal region. In the Amazon region we find Shuar, Cofan, Achuar, Siona, Amazonaskichwaer and Huaroani. In the rainforest there are also people without contact with the rest of the community. These are called Taromenane or Tagaeri. We know little about these, but there have been violent conflicts, including killings, between the Taromenans and the Huaroanis. The progressive oil recovery in the rainforest threatens their isolated existence.

Religion

In a survey conducted in 2012, 91.55 percent of respondents said they perceived themselves as religious, 7.94 percent were atheists and 0.11 percent were agnostics.

Of the religious, 80.4 percent were Catholics and 11.3 percent were Evangelical Christians (Protestants). Of the others, there were Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and Buddhists.

The Catholic Church and Catholicism have had and have a significant role in Ecuador. Until 1895, it had a religious monopoly until “The Liberal Revolution” dissolved the state church and introduced religious freedom. At the same time, the state created public registries for censorship and marriage.

The church nevertheless maintained a good grip on people’s daily lives. Most private schools and universities are Catholic. 60.2 percent state that they attend church regularly. The support of religious celebrations and the celebration of religious patron saints is formidable. Thousands gather for progressions on Good Friday and in honor of the Virgin of Cisne in Loja in September.

Nevertheless, evangelical missionaries, mainly from the United States, have made progress. They work in poor areas in the cities and among the indigenous people in the countryside. They are actively pursuing welfare work for poor families, which has contributed to their success. Some of the reasons may also be the Catholic Church’s conservatism and support for large landowners in their conflicts with the indigenous people.

Language

Spanish is the official language. In addition, 13 different languages ​​are still practiced among the indigenous people. Several of these describe researchers as endangered. In the rainforest areas, there are languages ​​spoken by only about 300 people. Spanish is the only language taught in schools. The urbanization and modernization of the country, television and the internet have made Spanish even more dominant and displaced the other native languages.

In a 2010 survey, 691,000 minority linguists were listed. That is, about 4.6 percent of the country’s population.

Of the minority languages, kichwa is by far the largest group of 591 448 practitioners. This is a variant of the Peruvian quechua that was the language of the Incas. Ecuador is spoken in the mountainous regions with a center of gravity in the provinces of Chimborazo and Imbabura. A national plan has been made to strengthen kichwa as part of indigenous culture. Among other things, it will be introduced as a third language in 605 schools. Over the course of ten years, the authorities want to set up a school with Kichwa as their language of instruction.