Society of Seychelles

KEY FACTS 2015

Population per sq km: 203

Life expectancy: 73 years

Net primary enrolment: 94% (2011)

Population: 92,900 (2015); 88 per cent on Mahé, seven per cent on Praslin, three per cent on La Digue and two per cent on the other islands, with 54 per cent living in urban areas; growth 1.6 per cent p.a. 1990–2015; birth rate 17 per 1,000 people (2014); life expectancy 73 years (2014).

The population is of mixed African, French, Indian, Chinese and Arab descent. There are small minorities of Europeans, Indians and Chinese.

Language: The official languages are Creole, English and French. Seychellois Creole (Kreol Seselwa) is French-based and very widely used.

Religion: Mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 76 per cent, Anglicans six per cent, and small numbers of other Christians); Hindus two per cent and Muslims one per cent (2010 census). Belief in the supernatural and gris-gris (the old magic of spirits) often coexists with Christian and other beliefs. Sorcery was outlawed in 1958.

Media: The Rising Sun and Seychelles Nation (state-owned) are published daily. Weeklies include Le Nouveau Seychelles, The People (owned by the People’s Party) and Regar (Seychelles National Party).

The Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation provides public radio and TV services in Creole, French and English. Multichannel cable and satellite TV services are also available.

Some 95 per cent of households have TV sets (2010). There are 216 personal computers per 1,000 people (2007).

Public holidays: New Year (two days), Labour Day (1 May), Liberation Day (anniversary of the 1977 coup, 5 June), Constitution Day (18 June), Independence Day (29 June), Assumption (15 August), All Saints’ Day (1 November), Immaculate Conception (8 December) and Christmas Day.

Religious festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday and Corpus Christi.