STATISTICS: MAURITIUS

Mauritius Official name: Republic of Mauritius. Form of government: republic with one legislative house (National Assembly ). Chief of state: President. Head of government: Prime Minister. Capital: Port Louis. Official language: English. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 Mauritian rupee (Mau Re; plural Mau Rs) = 100 cents; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = Mau Rs 24.26; 1 = Mau Rs 41.30. Demography Population (1998): 1,157,000. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 1,468.3, persons per sq km 567.1. Urban-rural (1994): urban 43.6%; rural 56.4%. Sex distribution (1995): male 50.02%; female 49.98%. Age breakdown (1995){2}: under 15, 27.3%; 15-29, 27.2%; 30-44, 24.6%; 45-59, 12.3%; 60-74, 6.8%; 75 and over, 1.8%. Population projection: (2000) 1,169,000; (2010) 1,298,000. Doubling time: 54 years. Ethnic composition (1992): Indo-Pakistani 68.0%; Creole (mixed Caucasian, Indo-Pakistani, and African) 27.0%; Chinese 3.0%; white 2.0%. Religious affiliation (1990): Hindu 50.6%; Roman Catholic 27.2%; Muslim 16.3%; Protestant 5.2%; Buddhist 0.3%; other 0.4%. Major cities (1995): Port Louis 145,584; Beau Bassin-Rose Hill 98,014; Vacoas-Phoenix 95,600; Curepipe 77,765; Quatre Bornes 74,636. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1995): 18.3{2} (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1995): 6.7{2} (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1995): 11.6{2} (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1995): 2.1{2}. Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1995): 9.5{2}. Life expectancy at birth (1993-95): male 66.5 years; female 74.0 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1995): diseases of the circulatory system 288.6; diseases of the respiratory system 63.4%; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 60.2; homicide, suicide, and accidents 49.9. National economy Budget (1995-96). Revenue: Mau Rs 14,250,100,000 (tax revenue 86.3%, of which import duties 39.3%, income tax 14.3%, sales tax 10.2%, excise tax 8.0%). Expenditures: Mau Rs 15,900,000,000 (social services 36.1%, of which education, art, and culture 14.6%, social security 12.1%, health 8.0%). Tourism (1995): receipts from visitors U.S.$430,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$159,000,000. Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$1,153,000,000. Gross national product (at current market prices; 1996): U.S.$4,205,000,000 (U.S.$3,710 per capita). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1995): sugarcane 5,159,000, green tea 19,512, potatoes 15,718, tomatoes 13,486, bananas 9,437, cabbages 5,200, black tea 5,000, pineapples 4,199, onions 3,600, peanuts (groundnuts) 1,049; livestock (number of live animals) 98,000 goats, 34,000 cattle, 17,000 pigs, 7,000 sheep; roundwood 12,400 cu m; fish catch (1995) 16,023. Manufacturing (value added in Mau Rs '000; 1994): apparel 5,065,000; beverages and tobacco 1,995,800; food products 1,580,400; metal and metal products 882,900; textile yarn and fabrics 676,400; chemical products 505,600. Construction (1994): residential 1,097,858 sq m; nonresidential 210,755 sq m. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1995) 922,100,000 (904,000,000); coal (metric tons; 1994) none (65,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) none (476,000). Population economically active (1994){3}: total 503,346; activity rate of total population 46.5% (participation rates: ages 15-64, 67.0%; female 34.5%; unemployed 7.1%). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1990) 4.5{3}; income per household (1979) Mau Rs 15,540 (U.S.$2,430); sources of income (1990): salaries and wages 48.4%, entrepreneurial income 41.2%, transfer payments 10.4%; expenditure (1986-87){4}: food, beverages, and tobacco 49.1%, housing 13.5%, transportation 9.3%, clothing and footwear 8.4%, recreation, entertainment, education, and cultural services 6.0%. Land use (1994): forested 21.7%; meadows and pastures 3.4%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 52.2%; other 22.7%. Foreign trade Imports (1995): Mau Rs 34,363,000,000 (manufactured goods classified chiefly by material 34.4%, machinery and transport equipment 25.8%, food 13.6%, chemicals 7.8%, mineral fuels and lubricants 7.0%, inedible crude materials excluding fuels 3.5%, animal and vegetable oils and fats 1.3%). Major import sources: France 12.9%; South Africa 11.1%; India 8.4%; United Kingdom 6.6%; Japan 4.8%; Hong Kong 4.8%; Germany 4.5%; Malaysia 2.9%. Exports (1995): Mau Rs 27,326,000,000 (clothing 54.2%, sugar 23.1%, yarn 3.8%, pearls and precious stones 1.7%). Major export destinations: United Kingdom 33.6%; France 20.7%; United States 14.5%; Germany 5.7%. Transport Transport. Railroads: none. Roads (1991): total length 1,138 mi, 1,831 km (paved 93%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 37,766; trucks and buses 10,625. Air transport (1996){5}: passenger-km 3,403,889,000; metric ton-km cargo 136,344,000; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 1. Education and health Educational attainment (1990). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal education 18.3%; incomplete primary 42.6%; primary 6.1%; incomplete secondary 18.0%; secondary 13.1%; higher 1.9%. Literacy (1995): percentage of total population age 15 and over literate 82.9%; males literate 87.1%; females literate 78.8%. Health (1995): physicians 960 (1 per 1,182 persons); hospital beds (1993) 3,330 (1 per 351 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births 19.7{2}. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 2,943 (vegetable products 84%, animal products 16%); 130% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel: none; however, a special 1,300-person paramilitary force ensures internal security. Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1994): 0.3% (world 3.0%); per capita expenditure U.S.$10. {1} Includes 4 nonelective seats. {2} Excludes Agalega and Cargados Carajos Shoals. {3} Island of Mauritius only. {4} Current weights of CPI components; Island of Mauritius only. {5} Air Mauritius only.