Argentina Overview
Argentina declared its independence from Spain in 1816, and the first national census was taken in 1869. Tt was shown that there were just 1,830,214 people living here. Confirmed figures were only recorded on a sporadic basis from then on and the next available results date from 1895. At this point, it was shown that the population of Argentina had grown by over 100% to a figure of 4,044,911.
Further censuses in the first half of the 20th century were just as erratic in terms of when they were carried out. They were taken in 1914 and 1947, but by 1960 the country had settled into a pattern whereby the surveys were carried out every ten years. The 1960 census showed that numbers had grown to 20,013,793 and Argentina has maintained consistent growth to the present day.
Christianity is by far the dominant religion in Argentina with 76.5% of the population being Roman Catholic and an additional 9% being Protestant. The majority of the remaining population is agnostic, atheist or indifferent.
Argentina is a very diverse country of immigrants. Argentines often call the country a “crisol de razas,” or mix of races. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, Argentina received more than 6.6 million immigrants, second only to the United States, which helped the country’s population double every 20 years.
Most Argentines are descended from several European ethnic groups, with more than 55% having Italian origins. The second-most common ethnic origin is Spanish. About 17% have French origins, and about 8% are descended from German immigrants. Argentina today has a large Arab population, most of whom are from Syria and Lebanon.There are also about 180,000 Asian people, mostly of Chinese and Korean origins. Additionally, the Argentine government estimates there are 750,000 residents without official documents, many of whom immigrated from Paraguay, Peru, and Bolivia.
Argentina has a fairly high proportion of seniors over the age of 65, who account for almost 11% of the population. About 26% of the population is under 15, which is slightly lower than the world average. In 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to allow nationwide same-sex marriage.
The official language used in Argentina is Spanish. A variety of additional languages are also commonly used, including Italian, English, German, French, and indigenous dialects.
Argentina Religion, Economy and Politics
The current median age of the population in Argentina is 31.7 years of age, with a total life expectancy of 77.3 years of age. The fertility rate of women is holding steady at approximately 2.25 children born per woman living in Argentina.