Haiti is after Barbados western hemisphere’s most densely populated country, despite great emigration. High birth rates and low life expectancy mean that the country has a young population, every third resident is under 15 years. Most Haitians have African roots.
The people that existed in today’s Hispaniola before the arrival of Europeans were wiped out in the 16th century, or mixed up with newcomers (see Older History). At the same time, the Spaniards began to buy slaves from Africa.
- COUNTRYAAH.COM: Key populations estimated size and data of Haiti, including population density of how many people per square mile. Also included are facts for population and language.
Slave imports continued even after the French had taken over the area in 1697 and the population soon became completely dominated by Afro-Haitians. The mix with the whites has been small: only five percent of the population is of mixed origin. They are a relatively well-educated and well-ordered elite. The country also has a few thousand whites and a smaller group of Lebanese.
Haiti has two official languages, Haitian (Creole) and French. The predominant language is Creole, which is based on French and has African and some Spanish features. Since this was raised to official language in 1987, writing rules for Creole were also developed. Still, as a written language, most French is used, even though the language is spoken unobstructed by only 15 percent of citizens. Mastery of French is associated with a higher social position and is a prerequisite for getting a well-paid job. English and Spanish are increasingly used by younger Haitians and by businessmen.
FACTS – POPULATION AND LANGUAGE
Population
vast majority of blacks 1
Number of residents
10 981 229 (2017)
Number of residents per square kilometer
398 (2017)
Percentage of residents in the cities
54.3 percent (2017)
Nativity / birth
24.2 per 1000 residents (2016)
Mortality / mortality
8.6 per 1000 residents (2016)
POPULATION GROWTH
1.2 percent (2017)
fertility rate
2.9 number of births per woman (2016)
Percentage of women
50.6 percent (2017)
Life expectancy
63 years (2016)
Life expectancy for women
66 years (2016)
Life expectancy for men
61 years (2016)
Language
official languages are French and Haitian (mixed languages based on French with African and Spanish elements), usually spoken Haitian
- small groups of white, Lebanese and residents of mixed white and black originSources
2020
March
Restrictions due to coronavirus
March 19
Borders, schools and factories are closed and curfews are introduced, as well as banning crowds of more than ten people – all with the aim of trying to stop the new corona virus that is causing havoc worldwide. The first cases of coronary infection have just been discovered in Haiti, which is densely populated and very poor, and thus risks being severely affected by the pandemic.
New Prime Minister is appointed
March 2
President Jovenel Moïse appoints Joseph Jouthe as new prime minister and gives him the task of forming government soon. Jouthe has been Minister of the Environment since September 2018 and Acting Minister of Finance since September 2019. He is the third prime minister Moïse appoints since Jean-Henry Céant resigned in March 2019. Parliament has not approved any of his previous proposals, which has crippled the government’s work. Elections could not be held in the fall of 2019 and Parliament has not worked since January. Thus, Parliament cannot approve the new nomination either, as required by the Constitution.
February
Port-au-Prince barred
February 24th
The streets of Port-au-Prince are deserted and the main roads into the capital are blocked off the day after the police attack on the army headquarters. The Justice Department condemns the violence and says it is more and more akin to a coup attempt against President Jovenel Moïse. The UN Office in Haiti also expresses “great concern” over the “serious incident” and urges the police to avoid any escalation of the violence.
Police to attack military headquarters
February 23
Two soldiers are shot dead and a dozen injured when police demanding better working conditions attack the Army headquarters in Port-au-Prince, according to the Department of Defense. The event causes the government to postpone the annual carnival a few days later, to “avoid a carnage”. Police have for months demanded better conditions, including the right to form a trade union. The past week there have been riots where police blocked off streets and set fire to cars. The day before the attack, President Jovenel Moïse announced some measures to counter the crisis, including a fund to replace relatives of police killed in the work.