This article concerns the demography of Réunion. People of Réunion are Réunionese. The official language is French, and Réunionese Creole is widely spoken. The population of Réunion is as of .
Population
Year Population Year Population Year Population 1671 90 1830 101 300 1961 349 282 1696 269 1848 110 300 1967 416 525 1704 734 1849 120 900 1974 476 675 1713 1 171 1860 200 000 1982 515 814 1717 2 000 1870 212 000 1990 597 823 1724 12 550 1887 163 881 1999 706 300 1764 25 000 1897 173 192 2006 781 962 1777 35 100 1926 182 637 2007 790 500 1789 61 300 1946 241 708 2008 802 001 1826 87 100 1954 274 370 Official data from INSEE by census or estimate; estimates shown in italics.
As of , estimates put the population of Réunion at , with a growth rate of 1.63%. The birth rate was estimated at 21.84 births per 1,000 population, and the death rate at 5.55 deaths per 1,000 population in the same year. The net migration rate was zero in 2000. The following table describes age structure and sex ratios in Réunion.
+Age structure and sex ratio Age band (years) Percentage population Sex ratio (male/female) At birth n/a 1.05 0-14 32 1.05 15-64 62 0.97 65+ 6 0.68
Structure of the population
Structure of the population (01.01.2010) (Provisional estimates): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 399 728 428 326 828 054 100 0-4 35 044 33 093 68 137 8,23 5-9 36 404 34 819 71 223 8,60 10-14 36 292 34 535 70 827 8,55 15-19 35 775 35 479 71 254 8,60 20-24 28 067 28 265 56 332 6,80 25-29 22 922 27 618 50 540 6,10 30-34 24 936 30 303 55 239 6,67 35-39 28 029 32 557 60 586 7,32 40-44 32 311 35 469 67 780 8,19 45-49 30 352 31 939 62 291 7,52 50-54 24 261 25 699 49 960 6,03 55-59 20 577 21 820 42 397 5,12 60-64 15 588 15 727 31 315 3,78 65-69 11 380 12 867 24 247 2,93 70-74 7 912 10 529 18 441 2,23 75-79 5 036 7 513 12 549 1,52 80-84 2 948 5 295 8 243 1,00 85-89 1 438 3 203 4 641 0,56 90-94 350 1 173 1 523 0,18 95+ 106 423 529 0,06Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0-14 107 740 102 446 210 187 25,38 15-64 262 818 284 877 547 695 66,14 65+ 29 170 41 003 70 173 8,47
Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 01.I.2015): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 411 435 439 292 850 727 100 0–4 31 643 30 377 62 021 7.29 5–9 35 386 33 428 68 814 8.09 10–14 36 713 34 716 71 429 8.40 15–19 34 756 33 223 67 979 7.99 20–24 27 392 27 312 54 703 6.43 25–29 24 326 27 969 52 295 6.15 30–34 23 815 28 564 52 379 6.16 35–39 25 787 30 236 56 023 6.59 40–44 28 755 31 855 60 610 7.12 45–49 31 471 33 945 65 416 7.69 50–54 29 842 31 017 60 858 7.15 55–59 24 330 26 221 50 551 5.94 60–64 19 874 21 043 40 918 4.81 65-69 14 070 15 448 29 519 3.47 70-74 9 895 11 794 21 688 2.55 75-79 6 870 9 521 16 390 1.93 80-84 3 920 6 283 10 203 1.20 85-89 1 762 3 919 5 681 0.67 90-94 662 1 843 2 505 0.29 95-99 120 441 560 0.07 100+ 47 137 183 0.02Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 103 742 98 521 202 263 23.78 15–64 270 347 291 385 561 732 66.03 65+ 37 346 49 386 86 732 10.20
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 406 983 449 875 856 858 100 0–4 29 077 28 944 58 021 6.77 5–9 32 392 32 182 64 574 7.54 10–14 34 645 33 742 68 387 7.98 15–19 33 493 32 392 65 885 7.69 20–24 24 181 24 747 48 928 5.71 25–29 22 409 26 263 48 672 5.68 30–34 22 818 28 736 51 554 6.02 35–39 24 095 29 971 54 066 6.31 40–44 25 024 30 174 55 198 6.44 45–49 27 567 30 947 58 514 6.83 50–54 31 127 33 487 64 614 7.54 55–59 29 200 30 863 60 063 7.01 60–64 22 867 25 358 48 225 5.63 65-69 18 590 20 655 39 245 4.58 70-74 12 445 14 673 27 118 3.16 75-79 8 537 10 883 19 420 2.27 80-84 4 983 8 239 13 222 1.54 85-89 2 358 4 468 6 826 0.80 90-94 943 2 227 3 170 0.37 95-99 203 734 937 0.11 100+ 29 190 219 0.03Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 96 114 94 868 190 982 22.29 15–64 262 781 292 938 555 719 64.86 65+ 48 088 62 069 110 157 12.86
Vital statistics
Average population (x 1000)Live birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate 1950 24811 7145 5706 14448.022.825.2 1951 25911 6844 6537 03146.518.528.0 1952 26813 2314 6778 55451.318.133.2 1953 27713 5974 4449 15351.116.734.4 1954 28413 6134 0649 54949.714.834.9 1955 29214 0824 3949 68849.215.433.9 1956 30014 1293 74610 38347.712.735.1 1957 30814 4843 46411 02046.911.235.7 1958 31714 2714 5949 67744.914.430.4 1959 32614 3884 4229 96644.013.530.5 1960 33614 8563 89210 96444.011.532.4 1961 34515 2054 00111 20443.711.532.2 1962 35515 9374 12111 81644.411.532.9 1963 36616 4824 05812 42444.410.933.5 1964 37816 6813 96012 72143.310.333.0 1965 39116 8693 80613 06342.99.733.2 1966 40516 6834 28412 39941.410.630.8 1967 42116 0133 58612 42738.18.529.6 1968 43715 8273 76312 06437.28.828.3 1969 45115 1533 86711 28634.88.925.9 1970 46213 4373 6639 77430.18.221.9 1971 47014 4323 49410 93831.77.724.0 1972 47513 7403 39110 34929.77.322.4 1973 47913 2873 3779 91028.37.221.1 1974 48213 4233 09010 33328.36.521.8 1975 48513 3013 18210 11927.76.621.0 1976 48812 8283 1139 71526.36.420.0 1977 49212 5173 1199 39825.46.319.1 1978 49711 9783 1298 84924.16.317.8 1979 50312 4443 0219 42324.86.018.7 1980 50912 3023 2589 04424.26.417.8 1981 51711 8383 1618 67723.16.216.9 1982 52711 9643 0488 91623.15.917.2 1983 53712 4843 3019 18323.76.317.4 1984 54813 1163 04010 07624.45.718.8 1985 55913 1633 01810 14524.15.518.6 1986 56912 7973 0659 73223.05.517.5 1987 57912 5993 0909 50922.35.516.8 1988 58913 5613 16310 39823.65.518.1 1989 59913 8983 30710 59123.65.618.0 1990 597.82813 8773 15110 72623.15.217.8 1991 607.83714 1173 40110 71623.15.617.52.56 1992 620.33314 2403 34710 89322.85.417.42.55 1993 633.03013 4323 20510 22721.35.116.22.38 1994 645.09313 3273 08910 23820.74.815.92.33 1995 657.16213 0533 1359 91819.94.815.12.27 1996 668.91513 0473 5659 48219.55.314.22.25 1997 680.18513 7123 55310 15920.15.214.92.35 1998 692.18413 5383 7319 80719.55.414.22.31 1999 703.82014 1533 82510 32820.05.414.62.33 2000 716.31414 5943 83610 75820.25.314.92.51 2001 729.01014 5413 82910 71219.85.214.62.45 2002 740.20714 7894 00410 78519.85.414.42.41 2003 750.84014 4274 04110 38619.05.313.72.43 2004 761.63014 5453 95810 58718.95.113.82.45 2005 772.90714 6104 35710 25318.75.613.12.49 2006 781.96214 4954 32310 17218.45.512.92.44 2007 794.10714 8083 97410 83418.65.013.62.47 2008 808.25014 9274 11510 81218.45.113.42.47 2009 816.36414 2994 10910 19017.45.012.42.37 2010 821.13614 1474 2209 92717.05.111.92.36 2011 828.58114 1244 00210 12216.54.711.82.37 2012 833.94414 2884 16710 12116.54.811.72.43 2013 835.10314 0024 2589 74416.65.111.52.41 2014 842.76714 0954 3559 74016.85.211.62.44 2015 850.72714 0114 5319 48016.55.311.22.46 2016 852.92413 7424 6859 05316.15.510.62.43 2017 853.65913 7084 6739 03516.05.510.52.44 2018 855.96113 3645 0118 35315.65.89.82.39 2019 861.21013 1715 0648 10715.35.99.42.36 2020 863.08313 1425 1547 98815.25.99.32.36 2021 871.15713 4705 7507 72015.46.68.82.42 2022 881.34813 2056 3906 81514.97.27.52.37 2023 886.45312 876 5 5097 36714.46.28.22.32 2024 892.10211 8185 8325 98613.16.56.62.12 2025 896.17511 79013.16.86.3
Life expectancy At birth, life expectancy is 76.5 years for male children, and 82.9 for female (figures for 2011).
Ethnic groups
Ethnic groups present include people of European, African, Malagasy, Indian and Chinese origin as well as many of mixed race. Local names for these are used: Yabs, Cafres, Malbars and Zarabes (both ethnic groups of Indian origin) and Chinois.
The proportion of people of each ethnicity is not known exactly, since the 1958 constitution bans questions about ethnicity in compulsory censuses in France. Long-established and ongoing intermarriage also blurs the issue. People of primarily African descent make up 35% of the population, those of primarily European and Indian descent number about one-quarter each, and people of Chinese, Malay, Vietnamese descent, along with those identifying as Métis, form roughly 15%.
People of Tamil origin make up the majority of the Indo-Réunionnais people about 12%-13% of the island's population; Gujarati, Bihari and other origins form the remainder of the population. The island's community of Muslims from modern region of Pakistan and North India and elsewhere is also commonly referred to as Zarabes.
Creoles (a name given to those born on the island, of various ethnic origins), make up the majority of the population. Groups that are not creole include people from Metropolitan France (known as Zoreilles) and those from Mayotte and the Comoros.
Genetics In 2005, a genetic study on the racially mixed people of Réunion found the following. For maternal (mitochondrial) DNA, the haplogroups are Indian (44%), East Asian (27%), European/Middle Eastern (19%) or African (10%). The Indian lineages are M2, M6 and U2i, the East Asian ones are E1, D5a, M7c, and F (E1 and M7c also found only in South East Asia and in Madagascar), the European/Middle Eastern ones are U2e, T1, J, H, and I, and the African ones are L1b1, L2a1, L3b, and L3e1.
For paternal (Y-chromosome) DNA, the haplogroups are European/Middle Eastern (85%) or East Asian (15%). The European lineages are R1b and I, the Middle Eastern one E1b1b1c (formerly E3b3) (also found in Northeast Africa), and the East Asian ones are R1a (found in many parts of the world including Europe and Central and Southern Asia but the particular sequence has been found in Asia) and O3.
Languages French is the only official language of Reunion. Although not official, Réunion Creole is also commonly spoken by the majority of the population. One can hear it in any administration or office, but education is only in French.
Tamil is taught as optional language in some schools. Due to the diverse population, other languages such as Mandarin, Hakka and Cantonese are also spoken by members of the Chinese community, but fewer people speak these languages as younger generations start to converse in French. The number of speakers of Indian languages (mostly Urdu and Gujarati) is also dropping sharply. Arabic is taught in mosques and spoken by a small community of Arabs.
Religion
The predominant religion is the Catholic branch of Christianity, with Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism also represented, among others.
See also Demographics of France
References
External links Réunion page at INSEE