Demographics of the Solomon Islands

This article is about the demographic features of the population of the 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.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Demographics of the Solomon Islands, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

Population statistics

466,194 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 44% (male 105,024; female 101,065)

15-64 years: 53% (male 124,627; female 121,358)

65 years and over: 3% (male 6,935; female 7,185) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate

2.61% (2006 est.)

Birth rate

34.79 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

4.35 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Human sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

25.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.28 years

male: 68.86 years

female: 73.81 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality

noun: Solomon Islander(s)

adjective: Solomon Islander

Ethnic groups

Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, 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

1. ^ CIA World Factbook. Country profile: Solomon Islands URL Accessed 2007-05-19
2. ^ Ethnologue lists 70 living languages in the Solomon Islands; of these, English and Gilbertese are not indigenous.