Population:

26,414,815 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 31% (male 4,162,862/female 4,034,044)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 8,299,266/female 8,562,290)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 602,725/female 753,628) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 25.2 years
male: 24.6 years
female: 25.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.498% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

20.92 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.1 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 22.02 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 25.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 73.45 years
male: 70.4 years
female: 76.65 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.52 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.7%; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

110,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

4,100 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne disease: dengue fever, malaria, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan

Ethnic groups:

Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people

Religions:

nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%

Languages:

Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 93.3%
female: 92.7% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2003)

Education expenditures - percent of GDP:

3.7% (2006)