Population / Demography
The large distances separating each island from one another
makes it difficult for the development of internal relationships.
This geographical disadvantage is strengthened by a demographic
imbalance.
Demographic facts
 With
260.000 inhabitants, the population of French Polynesia has doubled
on 30 years (see chart below).
People are spread on a surface as large as Europe but with only
3,670 km² of emerged land (ie : a density of 50 persons /
km²).
Out of the 118 islands of French Polynesia, 60 are inhabited and
the Society Islands concentrate 87,8% of the total population.
Consequently, most of the economic activity and business relationships
with the rest of the world (i.e. mostly USA, New Zealand, Japan
and France) is concentrated in this archipelago.
|
Year
|
Inhabitants number
|
|
1971
|
119 668
|
|
1977
|
137 382
|
|
1983
|
166 753
|
|
1988
|
188 814
|
|
1996
|
219 521
|
|
2002
|
244 830
|
2007 |
259 706 |
Population by archipelagoes (in 2007) :
- Windward Islands : 194 683 persons (75 %)
- Leeward Islands : 33 165 persons (12,8 %)
- Tuamotu & Gambier Islands : 16 896 persons (6,5 %)
- Marquesas Islands : 8,658 persons (3,3 %)
- Australs Islands : 6,304 persons (2,4 %)
The most crowded districts are :
- Faaa (Tahiti) : 29 781 persons
- Papeete (Tahiti) : 26 050 persons
- Punaauia (Tahiti) : 25 399 persons
Those 3 districts totalize alone 70 % of the population of Tahiti
(178 133 persons).
Key data for France and French Polynesia :
| |
Units
|
2004
|
2006
|
| |
|
France
|
F.P.
|
France
|
F.P.
|
| Population |
|
60,5 M
|
250,000
|
61,3
|
260,000
|
| Birth rate |
0/00
|
12.7
|
17.7
|
13.0
|
17.8
|
| Death rate |
0/00
|
8.4
|
4.5
|
8.4
|
4.4
|
| Infant death |
0/00
|
3.9
|
5.2
|
3.6
|
6.8
|
| Marriage rate |
0/00
|
4.5
|
4.4
|
4.4
|
4.4
|
|
Life expectancy is 76,9 years for women and 73 years for men.
Men represent 51,3% of the population vs. 48,7% of women. The
Polynesian
population remains young but gets older. Now, people bewteen 20 and
59 are in majority (55%). People older than 60 represent 8.7%
of the population and the number of people under 20 decreased to
36%.
Ethnic diversity
The Economical, Social and Cultural Council (CESC) divided the
population in 4 different ethnic groups :
- Maohi community : 65% (Polynesian natives)
- “Demis” community : 16% (issued from a mix marriage
– Euro-Polynesian culture)
- Chinese community : 5% (immigrated during the first
quarter of the 20th century, mostly from the southeast
province of Kwantung – China). They officially acquired the French
citizenship in 1974 thanks to the January 9th, 1973
Law)
- Popa'a community : 12% (98% are French. They are strongly
represented in Administrative organizations (schools, government…)
and the medical sector.
Source :
- Institut Statistique de Polynésie Française (www.ispf.pf)
- INSEE
- DOM TOM - Gérard BELORGEY – Geneviève BERTRAND
|
