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The People of China

Chinese People

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Population: 1,338,612,968 (July 2009 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.8% (male 140,877,745/female 124,290,090) 15-64 years: 72.1% (male 495,724,889/female 469,182,087) 65 years and over: 8.1% (male 51,774,115/female 56,764,042) (2009 est.)

Median age: total: 34.1 years male: 33.5 years female: 34.7 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.655% (2009 est.)

Death rate: 7.03 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 20.25 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.47 years male: 71.61 years female: 75.52 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 700,000 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 39,000 (2007 est.)

Nationality: noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 91.5%, Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uyghur, Tujia, Yi, Mongol, Tibetan, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Korean, and other nationalities 8.5% (2000 census)

Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2% note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.9% male: 95.1% female: 86.5% (2000 census)