STATISTICS: NIGER

Niger Official name: Rpublique du Niger (Republic of Niger). Form of government: republic{1} with a single legislative body (National Assembly{2} . Head of state and government: President assisted by Prime Minister. Capital: Niamey. Official language: French. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = CFAF 560.38; 1 = CFAF 954.05. Demography Population (1998): 9,672,000. Density (1998){4}: persons per sq mi 19.8, persons per sq km 7.6. Urban-rural (1995): urban 17.0%; rural 83.0%. Sex distribution (1995): male 49.40%; female 50.60%. Age breakdown (1995): under 15, 48.4%; 15-29, 25.7%; 30-44, 14.4%; 45-59, 7.5%; 60-74, 3.4%; 75 and over, 0.6%. Population projection: (2000) 10,260,000; (2010) 13,678,000. Doubling time: 23 years. Ethnic composition (1988): Hausa 53.0%; Zerma- (Djerma-) Songhai 21.2%; Tuareg 10.4%; Fulani (Peul) 9.8%; Kanuri-Nanga 4.4%; Teda 0.4%; Arab 0.3%; Gurma 0.3%; other 0.2%. Religious affiliation (1995): Muslim, primarily Sunni, 88.7%; traditional beliefs 11.0%; Christian 0.3%. Major cities (1988): Niamey 391,876; Zinder 119,827; Maradi 110,005; Tahoua 49,948; Agadez 32,272. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1996): 54.5 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1996): 24.6 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1996): 29.9 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1996): 7.4. Marriage rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Divorce rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Life expectancy at birth (1996): male 41.1 years; female 40.2 years. Major causes of death: n.a.; however, among selected major causes of infectious disease registered at medical facilities were malaria, measles, diarrhea, meningitis, pneumonia, diphtheria, tetanus, viral hepatitis, and poliomyelitis; malnutrition and shortages of trained medical personnel are widespread. National economy Budget (1996). Revenue: CFAF 123,500,000,000 (taxes 54.2%, external aid and gifts 38.8%, nontax revenue 7.0%). Expenditures: CFAF 120,200,000,000 (current expenditures 73.0%, development expenditures 27.0%). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$1,350,000,000. Tourism (1995): receipts from visitors U.S.$15,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$21,000,000. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$1,879,000,000 (U.S.$200 per capita). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1996): millet 1,832,000, cowpeas 430,000, sorghum 425,000, cassava (manioc) 225,000, onions 178,000, sugarcane 145,000, rice 70,000, peanuts (groundnuts) 57,000, tomatoes 47,000, tobacco leaf 930; livestock (number of live animals) 5,869,000 goats, 3,849,000 sheep, 1,987,000 cattle, 450,000 asses, 380,000 camels, 82,000 horses; roundwood (1995) 5,866,000 cu m; fish catch (1994) 2,200. Mining and quarrying (1996): salt 3,000{5}; uranium 3,326. Manufacturing (value added in CFAF '000,000; 1993): traditional-sector handicrafts 36,900; food and beverages 2,900; soaps and other chemical products 2,100; construction materials 600. Construction (value added in CFAF; 1994): 16,100,000,000. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 178,000,000 (375,000,000); coal (metric tons; 1994) 133,500 (174,000); crude petroleum, none (none); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) none (211,000); natural gas, none (none). Population economically active (1988){6}: total 2,315,694; activity rate of total population 31.9% (participation rates: ages 15-64, 55.2%; female 20.4%). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1988) 6.4; income per household: n.a.; expenditure (1987): food and beverages 43.1%, housing 22.8%, clothing 10.0%. Land use (1994): forested 2.0%; meadows and pastures 8.2%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 2.9%; other (largely desert) 86.9%. Foreign trade{7} Imports (1994): CFAF 135,600,000,000 (consumer goods 72.3%, of which cereals 10.8%, petroleum products 7.7%; intermediate and capital goods 27.7%). Major import sources{8}: France 20%; Cte d'Ivoire 11%; China 4%; Belgium 4%; unspecified countries 14%. Exports (1995): CFAF 143,000,000,000 (uranium 52.9%; livestock [mostly live cattle, sheep, and goats] 13.9%; cowpeas 5.2%). Major export destinations (1994){8}: France 66%; Cte d'Ivoire 8%; United Kingdom 5%. Transport Transport. Railroads: none. Roads (1995): total length 6,129 mi, 9,863 km (paved 9%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 37,500, trucks and buses 14,100. Air transport (1996){9}: passenger-mi 139,644,000, passenger-km 224,736,000; short ton-mi cargo 11,247,000, metric ton-km cargo 16,420,000; airports (1996) with scheduled flights 6. Education and health Educational attainment (1988). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 85.0%; Koranic education 11.2%; primary education 2.5%; secondary 1.1%; higher 0.2%. Literacy (1995): total population age 15 and over literate 641,000 (13.6%); males literate 482,000 (20.9%); females literate 159,000 (6.6%). Health: physicians (1993) 242 (1 per 35,141 persons); hospital beds (1987) c. 3,500 (1 per 2,000 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1996) 117.6. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 2,136 (vegetable products 94%, animal products 6%); 91% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1996): 5,300 (army 98.1%, air force 1.9%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 1.2% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$2. {1} Leader of military coup of January 1996 (now president) promulgated a new constitution on May 22, 1996; president approved dissolution of military ruling council in December 1996. {2} November 1996 elections to National Assembly were boycotted by major opposition parties. {3} Occupied seats only. {4} The departmental areas and total shown are obsolete. The total area, according to recent official estimates, is 489,000 sq mi (1,267,000 sq km); but subtotals distributing this total among the departments remain unpublished. {5} 1994. {6} Excluding nomadic population. {7} Imports c.i.f. in balance of trade and f.o.b. in commodities and trading partners. {8} Estimated figures. {9} Represents 1/11 of the traffic of Air Afrique, which is operated by 11 West African states.