Society of Mauritius

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KEY FACTS 2015

Population per sq km: 622

Life expectancy: 74 years

Net primary enrolment: 96% (2014)


Population: 1,262,000 (2015); 40 per cent of people live in urban areas; growth 0.1 per cent p.a. 1990–2015, depressed over this period by emigration; birth rate 11 per 1,000 people (40 in 1970); life expectancy 74 years (63 in 1970).

 

About 68 per cent of the population is of Indian descent, 27 per cent Creole, and the remainder largely of Chinese or French descent.

Language: The official language is English; a French-based Creole is the mother tongue of many Mauritians and the most widely spoken language. Other languages include Bhojpuri, spoken by five per cent of the population, and French (four per cent; 2011 census).

Religion: Hindus 49 per cent, Christians 33 per cent (Roman Catholics 26 per cent), Muslims 17 per cent (2011 census).

Media: : Daily newspapers and periodicals reflect the country’s wide cultural mix and are published in French, English, Hindi, Urdu and Chinese. The leading dailies are L’Express, Le Matinal and Le Mauricien (afternoon), and Mauritius Times is a weekly.

The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation provides public TV and radio and is funded by advertising and licence fees. There are several private TV channels and radio stations.

Some 97 per cent of households have TV sets (2012). There are 485 personal computers per 1,000 people (2012).

Public holidays: New Year (two days), Abolition of Slavery (1 February), National Day (12 March), Labour Day (1 May), All Saints’ Day (1 November), Arrival of the Indentured Labourers (2 November) and Christmas Day.

Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Chinese New Year, Thaipoosam Cavadee (January/February), Maha Shivaratri (February/March), Ougadi (March/April), Ganesh Chathurthi (August/September), Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan, three days) and Diwali (October/November).