Nationality:
noun: Argentine(s)
adjective: Argentine
Ethnic groups:
white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3%
Languages:
Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French, indigenous (Mapudungun, Quechua)
Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%
Demographic profile:
Argentina's population continues to grow but at a slower rate because of its steadily declining birth rate. Argentina's fertility decline began earlier than in the rest of Latin America, occurring most rapidly between the early 20th century and the 1950s and then becoming more gradual. Life expectancy has been improving, most notably among the young and the poor. While the population under age 15 is shrinking, the youth cohort - ages 15-24 - is the largest in Argentina's history and will continue to bolster the working-age population. If this large working-age population is well-educated and gainfully employed, Argentina is likely to experience an economic boost and possibly higher per capita savings and investment. Although literacy and primary school enrollment are nearly universal, grade repetition is problematic and secondary school completion is low. Both of these issues vary widely by region and socioeconomic group.
Argentina has been primarily a country of immigration for most of its history, welcoming European immigrants after its independence in the 19th century and attracting especially large numbers from Spain and Italy. European immigration diminished in the 1950s, when Argentina's military dictatorships tightened immigration rules and European economies rebounded. Regional migration, however, continued to supply low-skilled workers and today it accounts for three-quarters of Argentina's immigrant population. The first waves of highly skilled Argentine emigrant workers headed mainly to the United States and Spain in the 1960s and 1970s. The ongoing European economic crisis is driving the return migration of some Argentinean and other Latin American nationals, as well as the immigration of Europeans to South America, where Argentina is a key recipient.
Population:
43,431,886 (July 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.74% (male 5,498,766/female 5,244,555)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 15.59% (male 3,458,318/female 3,311,765)
[see also: Age structure 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 39.01% (male 8,452,645/female 8,489,476)
[see also: Age structure 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 9.11% (male 1,917,317/female 2,040,750)
[see also: Age structure 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 11.55% (male 2,088,160/female 2,930,134) (2015 est.)
[see also: Age structure 65 years and over country ranks ]
population pyramid:
A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 56.5%
[see also: Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio country ranks ]
youth dependency ratio: 39.4%
[see also: Dependency ratios - youth dependency ratio country ranks ]
elderly dependency ratio: 17.1%
[see also: Dependency ratios - elderly dependency ratio country ranks ]
potential support ratio: 5.8% (2015 est.)
[see also: Dependency ratios - potential support ratio country ranks ]
Median age:
total: 31.4 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 30.3 years
[see also: Median age - male country ranks ]
female: 32.6 years (2015 est.)
[see also: Median age - female country ranks ]
Population growth rate:
0.93% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
16.64 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
7.33 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 91.8% of total population (2015)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 1.04% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
[see also: Urbanization - rate of urbanization country ranks ]
Major urban areas - population:
BUENOS AIRES (capital) 15.18 million; Cordoba 1.511 million; Rosario 1.381 million; Mendoza 1.009 million; San Miguel de Tucuman 910,000; La Plata 846,000 (2015)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 65 years and over country ranks ]
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
52 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.69 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - total country ranks ]
male: 10.86 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - male country ranks ]
female: 8.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
[see also: Infant mortality rate - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 140
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.69 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - total country ranks ]
male: 74.46 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - male country ranks ]
female: 81.09 years (2015 est.)
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 66
Total fertility rate:
2.23 children born/woman (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
78.9% (2004/05)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
7.3% of GDP (2013)
country comparison to the world: 52
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
3.86 physicians/1,000 population (2013)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
4.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 99% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 99.1% of population
[see also: Drinking water source - Improved - total country ranks ]
unimproved:
urban: 1% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0.9% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 96.2% of population
rural: 98.3% of population
total: 96.4% of population
[see also: Sanitation facility access - Total Improved country ranks ]
unimproved:
urban: 3.8% of population
rural: 1.7% of population
total: 3.6% of population (2015 est.)
[see also: Sanitation facility access - Total UnImproved country ranks ]
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.47% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
[see also: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
126,600 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
[see also: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS country ranks ]
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,500 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
[see also: HIV/AIDS - deaths country ranks ]
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
26.5% (2014)
country comparison to the world: 29
[see also: Obesity - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
2.3% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 119
[see also: Children under the age of 5 years underweight country ranks ]
Education expenditures:
5.1% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 32
[see also: Education expenditures - percent of GDP country ranks ]
Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
[see also: Literacy - total country ranks ]
male: 98%
[see also: Literacy - male country ranks ]
female: 98.1% (2015 est.)
[see also: Literacy - female country ranks ]
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 18 years
[see also: School life expectancy - total country ranks ]
male: 17 years
[see also: School life expectancy - male country ranks ]
female: 19 years (2012)
[see also: School life expectancy - female country ranks ]
Child labor - children ages 5-14:
total number: 435,252
[see also: Child labor - children ages 5-14 - total number country ranks ]
percentage: 7%
[see also: Child labor - children ages 5-14 - percentage country ranks ]
note: data represents children ages 5-13 (2003 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 23.5%
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - total country ranks ]
male: 17%
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - male country ranks ]
female: 19.4% (2013 est.)
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 63