Demographics of Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan's population increased from 2.1 million to 4.8 million between the censuses of 1959 and 1999. Official estimates set the population at 6,389,500 in 2019. The percentage of ethnic Kyrgyz increased from around 50% in 1979 to nearly 73% in 2018, while the percentage of Slavic ethnic groups (Russians, Ukrainians) dropped from 35% to about 6%. The Kyrgyz have historically been semi-nomadic herders, living in round tents called yurts and tending sheep, horses and yaks. This nomadic tradition continues to function seasonally (see transhumance) as herding families return to the high mountain pasture (or jailoo) in the summer. The retention of this nomadic heritage and the freedoms that it implies continue to affect the political atmosphere in the country. ==Population size and structure==

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2020) (Data refer to annual average population.): ==Vital statistics==

Registered births and deaths Statistics are taken from the United Nations Demographic Yearbook, the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the Demographic Annual of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Demoskop Weekly. Current vital statistics Total fertility rate During the Soviet era, fertility in Kyrgyzstan was high (TFR 4 or higher). After independence there was a rapid decrease to 2.4 at the beginning of the 21st century, but the TFR had increased to 3 or higher as of 2010. Since 2020, there is a decrease to 2.8 in 2022. The differences between nationalities in the number of children are significant: Uzbeks (3.0 children), Tajiks (3.0 children), Turks (2.9), Kyrgyz (2.9), Dungans (2.8), Russians (1.7), Koreans (1.7), Germans (1.8), Ukrainians (2.1), Tatars (2.1), Kazakhs (2.3) and Uyghurs (2.5). The TFR for Russians, Ukrainians, Germans, and Koreans in Kyrgyzstan are considerably higher than in their home countries. Life expectancy in Kyrgyzstan since 1950 ==Ethnic groups==

According to the 2022 census, the ethnic composition of the population was as follows: Kyrgyz 77.8%, Uzbeks 14.2%, Russians 3.8%, Dungans 1.0%, Uyghurs 0.5%, other 2.7%, including Tajiks 0.9%, Kazakhs 0.4% and Turks 0.3%. Most Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Germans, and Koreans lived in northeast, especially around the city of Karakol. Most of the Dungans and Uyghurs are found along the Chinese border. Most of the Tajiks and Uzbeks live in and around Fergana valley. File:Процент киргизов в Киргизии.png|Percentage of Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan by region File:Процент русских в Киргизии.png|Percentage of Russians in Kyrgyzstan by region File:Процент узбеков в Киргизии.png|Percentage of Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan by region The table shows the ethnic composition of Kyrgyzstan's population according to all population censuses between 1926 and 2022. Due to emigration (and low fertility rates), there has been a sharp decline in the European ethnic groups (Russians, Ukrainians, Germans) and also Tatars since independence (as captured in the 1989, 1999, 2009 and 2022 censuses). ==Languages==

Languages spoken at home in Kygyzstan according to World Values Survey in 2020: • Kyrgyz 70.9% • Russian 16.3% • Uzbek 10.7% • others 2.1% (2020) In the capital city Bishkek; 55.6% of the population speaks Russian at home, whereas Kyrgyz is the second with 43.6% according to the same survey. ==Religion==

Sunni Islam is the predominant religious denomination in Kyrgyzstan. The country has a significant Christian minority which Russian Orthodox is the main denomination. • Islam 90% • Christianity 7% • others 3% (2021) ==See also==