Demographics of Mauritius
Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox place demographics Template:Use dmy dates Mauritian society contains several ethnic groups. The majority of the residents of Mauritius are descendants of people from India, also Africans(mainly descendants of Malagasy and Mozambique) and Chinese. Mauritius also contains descendants of colonial France and Britain, as well as mixed race Mauritians(mainly of French/Indian or a mixture of French/African/Chinese/Indian. Mauritius also comprises migrants from continental Africa, Asia, France, South Africa and the East African island of Madagascar. As of 2023, Mauritius had the highest population density in Africa.
Population
According to Template:UN Population, the total population was Template:UN Population in Template:UN Population, compared to 479,000 in 1950.<ref name="WPP 2010"/>
The proportion of the population aged under 15 was 21.9% in 2010.<ref name="WPP 2010"/> 71.2% were between 15 and 65 years of age, with 6.9% being 65 years or older.<ref name="WPP 2010">Template:Cite web</ref>
2022 Census
Mauritius has a population of 1,235,260 (608,090 males, 627,170 females), according to the 2022 Census.<ref name="auto1"/> The population on the island of Mauritius was 1,191,280 (586,590 males and 604,690 females);<ref name="auto"/> Rodrigues island was 43,650 (21,330 males and 22,320 females); and Agaléga island was 330 (170 males and 160 females).<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto2">Template:Cite web</ref>
The average age of the population was 38 years;<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/> the proportion of children aged under 15 years decreased from 20.7% (in 2011) to 15.4% (in 2022); and the number of adults aged 60 years and over increased from 12.7% (2011) to 18.7% (2022).<ref name="auto2"/>
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Structure of the population
UN estimates
| Total population | Population aged 0–14 (%) | Population aged 15–64 (%) | Population aged 65+ (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 479 000 | 45.2 | 51.9 | 3.0 |
| 1955 | 570 000 | 46.1 | 51.3 | 2.6 |
| 1960 | 662 000 | 46.6 | 50.9 | 2.5 |
| 1965 | 754 000 | 46.2 | 51.3 | 2.5 |
| 1970 | 828 000 | 43.8 | 53.6 | 2.6 |
| 1975 | 891 000 | 39.9 | 57.3 | 2.8 |
| 1980 | 966 000 | 35.4 | 61.0 | 3.6 |
| 1985 | 1 021 000 | 31.4 | 64.5 | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 1 059 000 | 29.7 | 65.8 | 4.5 |
| 1995 | 1 122 000 | 27.8 | 67.2 | 5.0 |
| 2000 | 1 187 000 | 26.7 | 67.6 | 5.7 |
| 2005 | 1 243 000 | 24.8 | 69.1 | 6.1 |
| 2010 | 1 281 000 | 21.9 | 71.2 | 6.9 |
2012 estimates
Population Estimates by sex and age group (01.VII.2012) (Based on the results of the 2011 Population Census.) :
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 621 297 | 634 585 | 1,255,882 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 38 379 | 37 772 | 76 151 | 6.06 |
| 5–9 | 46 802 | 45 130 | 91 932 | 7.32 |
| 10–14 | 49 926 | 48 044 | 97 970 | 7.80 |
| 15–19 | 50 158 | 49 996 | 100 154 | 7.97 |
| 20–24 | 48 747 | 47 374 | 96 121 | 7.65 |
| 25–29 | 43 794 | 43 392 | 87 186 | 6.94 |
| 30–34 | 52 325 | 51 550 | 103 875 | 8.27 |
| 35–39 | 45 447 | 44 448 | 89 895 | 7.16 |
| 40–44 | 43 961 | 43 150 | 87 111 | 6.94 |
| 45–49 | 49 134 | 48 570 | 97 704 | 7.78 |
| 50–54 | 43 718 | 44 514 | 88 232 | 7.03 |
| 55–59 | 37 174 | 38 625 | 75 799 | 6.04 |
| 60–64 | 28 929 | 31 946 | 60 875 | 4.85 |
| 65–69 | 16 986 | 20 842 | 37 828 | 3.01 |
| 70–74 | 11 099 | 14 471 | 25 570 | 2.04 |
| 75–79 | 7 761 | 11 311 | 19 072 | 1.52 |
| 80–84 | 4 077 | 7 033 | 11 110 | 0.88 |
| 85+ | 2 880 | 6 417 | 9 297 | 0.74 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 135 107 | 130 946 | 266 053 | 21.18 |
| 15–64 | 443 387 | 443 565 | 886 952 | 70.62 |
| 65+ | 42 803 | 60 074 | 102 877 | 8.19 |
Census 2019
Population by sex and age group (Census 04.VII.2019) (Excludes the islands of St. Brandon and Agalega.):<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 610 848 | 625 969 | 1,236,817 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 36 702 | 36 376 | 73 078 | 5.91 |
| 5–9 | 44 947 | 44 068 | 89 015 | 7.20 |
| 10–14 | 47 302 | 46 337 | 93 639 | 7.57 |
| 15–19 | 50 715 | 50 293 | 101 008 | 8.17 |
| 20–24 | 46 871 | 45 800 | 92 671 | 7.49 |
| 25–29 | 45 589 | 45 348 | 90 937 | 7.35 |
| 30–34 | 52 182 | 51 247 | 103 429 | 8.36 |
| 35–39 | 44 241 | 43 556 | 87 797 | 7.10 |
| 40–44 | 45 150 | 44 236 | 89 386 | 7.23 |
| 45–49 | 49 800 | 49 541 | 99 341 | 8.03 |
| 50–54 | 42 996 | 43 341 | 86 337 | 6.98 |
| 55–59 | 35 713 | 37 341 | 73 054 | 5.91 |
| 60–64 | 27 143 | 30 199 | 57 342 | 4.64 |
| 65–69 | 15 846 | 19 593 | 35 439 | 2.87 |
| 70–74 | 10 986 | 14 389 | 25 375 | 2.05 |
| 75–79 | 7 349 | 10 695 | 18 044 | 1.46 |
| 80–84 | 4 176 | 7 193 | 11 369 | 0.92 |
| 85–89 | 2 135 | 4 233 | 6 368 | 0.51 |
| 90–94 | 512 | 1 470 | 1 982 | 0.16 |
| 95–99 | 107 | 384 | 491 | 0.04 |
| 100+ | 13 | 83 | 96 | 0.01 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 128 951 | 126 781 | 255 732 | 20.68 |
| 15–64 | 440 400 | 440 902 | 881 302 | 71.26 |
| 65+ | 41 124 | 58 040 | 99 164 | 8.02 |
| unknown | 373 | 246 | 619 | 0.05 |
Vital statistics
The table below presents the population development of Mauritius since 1900. The figures up to 1945 are for the island of Mauritius only. As of 1946, the island of Rodrigues is included.
Figures are from Statistics Mauritius<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and United Nations Demographic Yearbook.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | TFR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 371,000 | 14,490 | 13,695 | 795 | 38.6 | 36.5 | 2.1 | |
| 1901 | 371,000 | 12,910 | 14,970 | -2,060 | 34.8 | 40.4 | -5.6 | |
| 1902 | 371,000 | 13,495 | 12,716 | 779 | 35.9 | 33.8 | 2.1 | |
| 1903 | 371,000 | 13,611 | 15,034 | -1,423 | 36.3 | 40.1 | -3.8 | |
| 1904 | 371,000 | 14,103 | 12,064 | 2,039 | 37.2 | 31.9 | 5.3 | |
| 1905 | 370,000 | 14,043 | 15,379 | -1,336 | 37.2 | 40.7 | -3.5 | |
| 1906 | 370,000 | 12,669 | 15,124 | -2,455 | 33.6 | 40.0 | -6.4 | |
| 1907 | 370,000 | 14,186 | 13,037 | 1,149 | 37.7 | 34.6 | 3.1 | |
| 1908 | 370,000 | 13,456 | 15,094 | -1,638 | 36.0 | 40.3 | -4.3 | |
| 1909 | 369,000 | 12,837 | 13,761 | – 924 | 34.4 | 36.9 | -2.5 | |
| 1910 | 369,000 | 13,329 | 12,488 | 841 | 36.1 | 33.8 | 2.3 | |
| 1911 | 369,000 | 14,585 | 12,204 | 2,381 | 39.2 | 32.8 | 6.4 | |
| 1912 | 370,000 | 13,209 | 14,429 | -1,220 | 35.5 | 38.8 | -3.3 | |
| 1913 | 371,000 | 15,153 | 13,201 | 1,952 | 40.8 | 35.5 | 5.3 | |
| 1914 | 372,000 | 15,229 | 12,134 | 3,095 | 40.8 | 32.5 | 8.3 | |
| 1915 | 373,000 | 13,094 | 13,101 | – 7 | 34.8 | 34.8 | -0.0 | |
| 1916 | 374,000 | 13,162 | 11,432 | 1,730 | 35.0 | 30.4 | 4.6 | |
| 1917 | 375,000 | 13,887 | 12,234 | 1,653 | 36.9 | 32.5 | 4.4 | |
| 1918 | 375,000 | 13,109 | 12,794 | 315 | 34.8 | 33.9 | 0.9 | |
| 1919 | 375,000 | 13,261 | 24,455 | -11,194 | 35.2 | 64.9 | -29.7 | |
| 1920 | 376,000 | 12,791 | 11,773 | 1,018 | 35.1 | 32.3 | 2.8 | |
| 1921 | 376,000 | 14,360 | 15,159 | – 799 | 38.1 | 40.3 | -2.2 | |
| 1922 | 376,000 | 13,955 | 12,967 | 988 | 37.0 | 34.5 | 2.5 | |
| 1923 | 377,000 | 13,879 | 10,778 | 3,101 | 36.8 | 28.5 | 8.3 | |
| 1924 | 380,000 | 15,430 | 10,558 | 4,872 | 41.1 | 28.1 | 13.0 | |
| 1925 | 383,000 | 16,545 | 9,327 | 7,218 | 42.6 | 24.9 | 17.7 | |
| 1926 | 386,000 | 15,520 | 9,958 | 5,562 | 39.4 | 25.3 | 14.1 | |
| 1927 | 389,000 | 13,748 | 10,015 | 3,733 | 34.5 | 25.1 | 9.4 | |
| 1928 | 391,000 | 15,206 | 11,342 | 3,864 | 37.9 | 28.2 | 9.7 | |
| 1929 | 393,000 | 13,771 | 12,413 | 1,358 | 34.0 | 30.7 | 3.3 | |
| 1930 | 393,000 | 12,793 | 14,341 | -1,548 | 31.6 | 35.4 | -3.8 | |
| 1931 | 393,000 | 11,941 | 15,467 | -3,526 | 29.7 | 38.4 | -8.7 | |
| 1932 | 390,000 | 10,266 | 12,848 | -2,582 | 25.7 | 32.2 | -6.5 | |
| 1933 | 390,000 | 13,479 | 10,615 | 2,864 | 33.8 | 26.6 | 7.2 | |
| 1934 | 392,000 | 13,516 | 10,069 | 3,447 | 33.7 | 25.1 | 8.6 | |
| 1935 | 394,000 | 13,246 | 10,445 | 2,801 | 32.8 | 25.8 | 7.0 | |
| 1936 | 398,000 | 13,867 | 10,500 | 3,367 | 34.1 | 25.8 | 8.3 | |
| 1937 | 400,000 | 14,097 | 11,527 | 2,570 | 34.4 | 28.1 | 6.3 | |
| 1938 | 402,000 | 13,420 | 12,046 | 1,374 | 32.6 | 29.2 | 3.4 | |
| 1939 | 405,000 | 14,578 | 11,340 | 3,238 | 35.2 | 27.4 | 7.8 | |
| 1940 | 407,000 | 12,145 | 10,373 | 1,772 | 29.1 | 24.9 | 4.2 | |
| 1941 | 407,000 | 13,430 | 10,436 | 2,994 | 32.2 | 25.0 | 7.2 | |
| 1942 | 408,000 | 13,553 | 11,927 | 1,626 | 32.5 | 28.6 | 3.9 | |
| 1943 | 410,000 | 13,604 | 10,642 | 2,962 | 32.6 | 25.5 | 7.1 | |
| 1944 | 419,000 | 18,258 | 11,355 | 6,903 | 43.4 | 27.0 | 16.4 | |
| 1945 | 424,000 | 16,290 | 15,277 | 1,013 | 38.4 | 36.0 | 2.4 | |
| 1946 | 437,000 | 16,939 | 12,678 | 4,261 | 38.8 | 29.0 | 9.8 | |
| 1947 | 445,000 | 19,458 | 8,830 | 10,628 | 43.7 | 19.8 | 23.9 | |
| 1948 | 455,000 | 19,429 | 10,680 | 8,749 | 42.7 | 23.5 | 19.2 | |
| 1949 | 458,000 | 20,931 | 7,523 | 13,408 | 45.7 | 16.4 | 29.3 | |
| 1950 | 479,000 | 23,667 | 6,611 | 17,056 | 49.4 | 13.8 | 35.6 | |
| 1951 | 498,000 | 23,543 | 7,305 | 16,238 | 47.3 | 14.7 | 32.6 | |
| 1952 | 514,000 | 24,689 | 7,569 | 17,120 | 48.0 | 14.7 | 33.3 | |
| 1953 | 537,000 | 24,428 | 8,550 | 15,878 | 45.5 | 15.9 | 29.6 | |
| 1954 | 551,000 | 22,513 | 8,587 | 13,926 | 40.9 | 15.6 | 25.3 | |
| 1955 | 570,000 | 23,612 | 7,260 | 16,352 | 41.4 | 12.7 | 28.7 | |
| 1956 | 591,000 | 25,666 | 6,910 | 18,756 | 43.4 | 11.7 | 31.7 | |
| 1957 | 609,000 | 26,055 | 7,823 | 18,232 | 42.8 | 12.8 | 29.9 | |
| 1958 | 627,000 | 25,398 | 7,307 | 18,091 | 40.5 | 11.7 | 28.9 | |
| 1959 | 644,000 | 24,792 | 7,040 | 17,752 | 38.5 | 10.9 | 27.6 | |
| 1960 | 662,000 | 26,017 | 7,588 | 18,429 | 39.3 | 11.5 | 27.8 | |
| 1961 | 680,000 | 27,028 | 6,697 | 20,331 | 39.7 | 9.8 | 29.9 | |
| 1962 | 700,000 | 27,162 | 6,485 | 20,677 | 38.8 | 9.3 | 29.5 | |
| 1963 | 715,000 | 28,859 | 6,912 | 21,947 | 40.4 | 9.7 | 30.7 | |
| 1964 | 735,000 | 28,610 | 6,421 | 22,189 | 38.9 | 8.7 | 30.2 | |
| 1965 | 754,000 | 27,195 | 6,637 | 20,558 | 36.1 | 8.8 | 27.3 | |
| 1966 | 773,000 | 27,831 | 6,944 | 20,887 | 36.0 | 9.0 | 27.0 | |
| 1967 | 789,000 | 24,471 | 6,750 | 17,721 | 31.0 | 8.6 | 22.5 | |
| 1968 | 804,000 | 25,409 | 7,382 | 18,027 | 31.6 | 9.2 | 22.4 | |
| 1969 | 815,000 | 22,621 | 6,733 | 15,888 | 27.7 | 8.3 | 19.5 | |
| 1970 | 828,000 | 22,765 | 6,520 | 16,245 | 27.5 | 7.9 | 19.6 | |
| 1971 | 841,000 | 21,926 | 6,436 | 15,490 | 26.1 | 7.7 | 18.4 | |
| 1972 | 851,000 | 21,495 | 6,753 | 14,742 | 25.3 | 7.9 | 17.3 | |
| 1973 | 869,000 | 20,015 | 6,779 | 13,236 | 23.0 | 7.8 | 15.2 | |
| 1974 | 881,000 | 24,002 | 6,424 | 17,578 | 27.3 | 7.3 | 20.0 | |
| 1975 | 891,000 | 22,557 | 7,201 | 15,356 | 25.3 | 8.1 | 17.2 | 3.19 |
| 1976 | 903,000 | 23,274 | 6,968 | 16,306 | 25.8 | 7.7 | 18.0 | 3.13 |
| 1977 | 918,000 | 23,859 | 7,154 | 16,705 | 26.0 | 7.8 | 18.2 | 3.04 |
| 1978 | 934,000 | 25,278 | 6,596 | 18,682 | 27.1 | 7.1 | 20.0 | 3.09 |
| 1979 | 948,000 | 26,163 | 6,871 | 19,292 | 27.6 | 7.2 | 20.3 | 3.07 |
| 1980 | 966,000 | 26,294 | 6,919 | 19,375 | 27.2 | 7.2 | 20.1 | 3.19 |
| 1981 | 981,000 | 24,967 | 6,653 | 18,314 | 25.5 | 6.8 | 18.7 | 2.68 |
| 1982 | 993,000 | 22,459 | 6,584 | 15,875 | 22.6 | 6.6 | 16.0 | 2.39 |
| 1983 | 1,002,000 | 21,073 | 6,532 | 14,541 | 21.0 | 6.5 | 14.5 | 2.23 |
| 1984 | 1,011,000 | 20,332 | 6,646 | 13,686 | 20.1 | 6.6 | 13.5 | 2.16 |
| 1985 | 1,021,000 | 19,376 | 6,906 | 12,470 | 19.0 | 6.8 | 12.2 | 2.02 |
| 1986 | 1,028,000 | 19,170 | 6,805 | 12,365 | 18.6 | 6.6 | 12.0 | 1.99 |
| 1987 | 1,037,000 | 20,033 | 6,753 | 13,280 | 19.3 | 6.5 | 12.8 | 2.05 |
| 1988 | 1,043,000 | 20,941 | 6,879 | 14,062 | 20.1 | 6.6 | 13.5 | 2.14 |
| 1989 | 1,051,000 | 21,822 | 7,149 | 14,673 | 20.8 | 6.8 | 14.0 | 2.23 |
| 1990 | 1,059,000 | 22,602 | 7,031 | 15,571 | 21.3 | 6.6 | 14.7 | 2.32 |
| 1991 | 1,070,000 | 22,197 | 7,027 | 15,170 | 20.7 | 6.6 | 14.2 | 2.30 |
| 1992 | 1,084,000 | 22,902 | 7,023 | 15,879 | 21.1 | 6.5 | 14.6 | 2.37 |
| 1993 | 1,098,000 | 22,329 | 7,433 | 14,896 | 20.3 | 6.8 | 13.6 | 2.31 |
| 1994 | 1,113,000 | 21,795 | 7,402 | 14,393 | 19.6 | 6.7 | 12.9 | 2.25 |
| 1995 | 1,122,000 | 20,549 | 7,465 | 13,084 | 18.3 | 6.7 | 11.7 | 2.14 |
| 1996 | 1,134,000 | 20,763 | 7,670 | 13,093 | 18.3 | 6.8 | 11.5 | 2.12 |
| 1997 | 1,148,000 | 20,012 | 7,986 | 12,026 | 17.4 | 7.0 | 10.5 | 2.04 |
| 1998 | 1,160,000 | 19,434 | 7,839 | 11,595 | 16.8 | 6.8 | 10.0 | 1.97 |
| 1999 | 1,175,000 | 20,311 | 7,944 | 12,367 | 17.3 | 6.8 | 10.5 | 2.05 |
| 2000 | 1,187,000 | 20,205 | 7,982 | 12,223 | 17.0 | 6.7 | 10.3 | 1.99 |
| 2001 | 1,200,000 | 19,696 | 7,983 | 11,713 | 16.4 | 6.7 | 9.8 | 1.93 |
| 2002 | 1,210,000 | 19,983 | 8,310 | 11,673 | 16.5 | 6.9 | 9.6 | 1.96 |
| 2003 | 1,223,000 | 19,343 | 8,520 | 10,823 | 15.8 | 7.0 | 8.8 | 1.91 |
| 2004 | 1,233,000 | 19,230 | 8,475 | 10,755 | 15.6 | 6.9 | 8.7 | 1.92 |
| 2005 | 1,243,000 | 18,820 | 8,646 | 10,174 | 15.1 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 1.88 |
| 2006 | 1,253,000 | 17,604 | 9,162 | 8,442 | 14.0 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 1.77 |
| 2007 | 1,261,000 | 17,034 | 8,498 | 8,536 | 13.5 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 1.74 |
| 2008 | 1,268,000 | 16,372 | 9,004 | 7,368 | 12.9 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 1.67 |
| 2009 | 1,275,000 | 15,344 | 9,224 | 6,120 | 12.0 | 7.2 | 4.8 | 1.59 |
| 2010 | 1,281,000 | 15,005 | 9,131 | 5,874 | 11.7 | 7.1 | 4.6 | 1.57 |
| 2011 | 1,286,000 | 14,701 | 9,170 | 5,531 | 11.7 | 7.3 | 4.4 | 1.55 |
| 2012 | 1,256,000 | 14,502 | 9,343 | 5,159 | 11.5 | 7.4 | 4.1 | 1.54 |
| 2013 | 1,259,000 | 13,688 | 9,440 | 4,248 | 10.9 | 7.5 | 3.4 | 1.44 |
| 2014 | 1,261,000 | 13,283 | 9,682 | 3,601 | 10.5 | 7.7 | 2.8 | 1.43 |
| 2015 | 1,263,000 | 12,738 | 9,747 | 2,991 | 10.1 | 7.7 | 2.4 | 1.36 |
| 2016 | 1,263,000 | 12,948 | 10,174 | 2,774 | 10.2 | 8.1 | 2.1 | 1.40 |
| 2017 | 1,265,000 | 13,385 | 10,140 | 3,245 | 10.6 | 8.0 | 2.6 | 1.44 |
| 2018 | 1,265,000 | 12,980 | 10,787 | 2,193 | 10.3 | 8.5 | 1.8 | 1.41 |
| 2019 | 1,266,000 | 12,862 | 11,174 | 1,688 | 10.2 | 8.8 | 1.4 | 1.40 |
| 2020 | 1,266,000 | 13,465 | 11,060 | 2,405 | 10.6 | 8.7 | 1.9 | 1.44 |
| 2021 | 1,264,000 | 12,982 | 13,274 | -292 | 10.3 | 10.5 | -0.2 | 1.41 |
| 2022 | 1,261,000 | 12,096 | 12,938 | -842 | 9.6 | 10.2 | -0.6 | 1.32 |
| 2023 | 1,248,000 | 12,872 | 11,839 | 1,033 | 10.3 | 9.5 | 0.8 | 1.39 |
| 2024 | 1,245,000 | 12,853 | 12,507 | 346 | 10.3 | 10.0 | 0.3 |
Current vital statistics
<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 12,872 | 11,839 | +1033 |
| 2024 | 12,853 | 12,507 | +346 |
| Difference | Template:Decrease -19 (-0.1%) | Template:Increasenegative +668 (+5.64%) | Template:Decrease -687 |
Life expectancy
| Period | Life expectancy in Years<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 50.19 |
| 1955–1960 | Template:Increase 55.74 |
| 1960–1965 | Template:Increase 61.23 |
| 1965–1970 | Template:Increase 62.96 |
| 1970–1975 | Template:Increase 63.55 |
| 1975–1980 | Template:Increase 65.58 |
| 1980–1985 | Template:Increase 68.10 |
| 1985–1990 | Template:Increase 68.49 |
| 1990–1995 | Template:Increase 70.28 |
| 1995–2000 | Template:Increase 70.36 |
| 2000–2005 | Template:Increase 72.09 |
| 2005–2010 | Template:Increase 72.75 |
| 2010–2015 | Template:Increase 74.13 |
Ethnic groups
Indo-Mauritians are roughly forty-six percent of the population. The Indo-Mauritian population consists of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian descendants of Indian laborers.
Mauritian Creoles (descendants of Africans) are thirty-eight percent of the population. Today, a significant proportion of Creoles are of African descent, with varying amounts of French and Indian ancestry. The Creole community also includes the country's ‘Metisse,’ or mixed-race communities, which consist of people with any admixture of the island's other groups.<ref>Common Denominators: Ethnicity nationalism and the politics of compromise in Mauritius</ref> Rodrigues and Chagossians are usually incorporated within the Creole ethnic group.
Along with the French European community, British expatriates or people of British descent make up roughly three percent of the population of Mauritius.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sino-Mauritians from the Hakka and other Chinese sub-ethnic/linguistic groups make up around three percent of Mauritian society.<ref name="Eriksen 1998 82">Template:Harvnb</ref>
While the government officially groups Mauritians into four ethnic groups – Hindus, Muslims, Chinese, and General Population – the general population includes all who do not practice Hinduism or Islam and are not Chinese by ethnicity. The general population is the Christian community, which includes Creoles, mixed-race people, white people, and those who have converted to Christianity.
Small groups of foreign students from Europe or the Indian Ocean region are also present. Recent years have seen a steady flow of foreign workers into the textile industry (primarily Chinese women), the construction industry (primarily Indian workers), and harbor-related activities (primarily Taiwanese men).
Language
The main languages spoken in Mauritius are Mauritian Creole, English, French, and Bhojpuri.<ref name="chass.utoronto.ca" /> English is the official administrative language of the parliament, though French is also permitted. However, the lingua franca is Mauritian Creole, and the newspapers and television programs are usually in French.<ref name="brandeis.edu">Template:Cite web</ref> The Mauritian currency features the Latin, Tamil and Devanagari scripts.
Mauritian Creole, which is spoken by 90 percent of the population, is considered to be the native language of the country and is used most often in informal settings.<ref name="chass.utoronto.ca">Template:Cite web</ref> It was developed in the 18th century by African slaves who used a pidgin language to communicate with each other and with their French masters, who did not understand the various African languages. The pidgin evolved with later generations to become a casual and main language.<ref name="m2002.thecgf.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
Mauritian Creole is a French-based creole.
Religion
More than 90% of the Sino-Mauritian community are Christian; the remainder are largely Buddhist.<ref name="Eriksen 1998 82"/>
Migrants
According to the United Nations, there were 28,713 international migrants in Mauritius in 2017.
Their most common countries of origin were as follows:
| International migrants in Mauritius in 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Template:Flagu | 8,689 |
| Template:Flagu | 8,364 |
| Template:Flagu | 2,964 |
| Template:Flagu | 2,287 |
| Template:Flagu | 1,511 |
| Template:Flagu | 1,131 |
| Template:Flagu | 624 |
| Template:Flagu | 456 |
| Template:Flagu | 187 |
| Template:Flagu | 146 |
| Template:Flagu | 136 |
| Template:Flagu | 124 |
| Template:Center | |