PEOPLE
Ecuador's population is ethnically mixed. A large majority of the population is mestizo (mixed Indian-Caucasian), followed by smaller percentages of indigenous, Afro-Ecuadorian, and European descendent criollos. Although Ecuadorians were heavily concentrated in the mountainous central highland region a few decades ago, today's population is divided about equally between that area and the coastal lowlands. Migration toward cities--particularly larger cities--in all regions has increased the urban population to over 60%. The tropical forest region (or Amazon region) to the east of the mountains remains sparsely populated and contains only about 3% of the population. Due to an economic crisis in the late 1990s, more than 600,000 Ecuadorians emigrated to the U.S. and Europe from 2000 to 2001. According to the 2000 U.S. census there were 323,000 persons who claimed Ecuadorian ancestry. Including undocumented migrants, it is unofficially estimated that there are approximately one million Ecuadorians currently residing in the U.S.
Although
the constitution demands that 30% of gross revenue be dedicated
to education, the government’s stated goal is to dedicate
11% of the budget. It is estimated that gross domestic product
(GDP) spending will reach 4% in 2003. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
places adult literacy at 90%, but notes that this rate has been
stagnant for more than 10 years. The UN Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reports that only 87% of the
primary school teachers and 72% of high school teachers have received
training. The public education system is tuition-free, and attendance
is mandatory from ages 5 to 14. However, the Ministry of Education
reports that only 10% of 5-year-olds actually have access to daily
education and that only 66% of youngsters finish 6 years of schooling.
In rural areas, only 10% of the youngsters go on to high school.
Ministry statistics give the mean number of years completed as
6.7. Ecuador has 61 universities, many of which now offer graduate
degrees, although only 18% of the faculty in public universities
possess graduate degrees themselves. Public universities have
an open admissions policy, but some departments have recently
implemented admissions standards. The new Board of Higher Education
(CONESUP) is working to promote the introduction of teacher evaluation
and a national accreditation system. There are also more than
300 Higher Institutes, offering 2-3 years of post-secondary vocational
or technical training. The Higher Education Reform Act transferred
oversight of these poorly regulated institutes from the Ministry
of Education to the CONESUP.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Ecuadorian(s).
Population (July 2007 est.): 13,755,680.
Annual population growth rate (July 2007 est.): 1.55%.
Ethnic groups: Indigenous 6.8%, mestizo (mixed Indian and Spanish) 77.4%, Caucasian and others 10.8%, African 4.9%.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic (95%), but religious freedom recognized.
Languages: Spanish (official), indigenous languages, especially Quichua, the Ecuadorian dialect of Quechua.
Education: Years compulsory--ages 6-14, but enforcement varies. Attendance (through 6th grade)--76% urban, 33% rural. Literacy--92%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--22.1/1,000. Life expectancy--76.62 yrs.
