Mauritian society contains several ethnic groups. The majority of the residents of Mauritius are descendants of people from Africa followed by India. Mauritius also comprises migrants from continental Africa, China, France, and the East African island of Madagascar. As of 2023, Mauritius had the highest population density in Africa.

Overview of 2022 Census

Mauritius has a population of 1,235,260 (608,090 males, 627,170 females), according to the 2022 Census. The population on the island of Mauritius was 1,191,280 (586,590 males and 604,690 females); Rodrigues island was 43,650 (21,330 males and 22,320 females); and Agaléga island was 330 (170 males and 160 females). The average age of the population was 38 years; the proportion of children aged under 15 years decreased from 20.7% (in 2011) to 15.4% (in 2022); and the number of adults aged 60 years and over increased from 12.7% (2011) to 18.7% (2022).

Ethnic groups

Indo-Mauritians are roughly forty-six percent of the population. The Indo-Mauritian population consists of Hindu, Muslim and Christian descendants of Indian laborers. Mauritian Creoles (descendants of Africans) are thirty-eight percent of the population. Today, a significant proportion of Creoles are of African descent, with varying amounts of French and Indian ancestry. The Creole community also includes the country's ‘Metisse’, or mixed-race communities, which consist of people with any admixture of the island's other groups. Rodrigues and Chagossians are usually incorporated within the Creole ethnic group. Along with the French European community, British expatriates or people of British descent make up roughly three percent of the population of Mauritius. Sino-Mauritians from the Hakka and other Chinese sub-ethnic/linguistic groups make up around three percent of Mauritian society. While the government officially groups Mauritians into four ethnic groups – Hindus, Muslims, Chinese, and General Population – the general population includes all who do not practice Hinduism or Islam and are not Chinese by ethnicity. The general population is the Christian community, which includes Creoles, mixed-race people, white people, and those who have converted to Christianity. Small groups of foreign students from Europe or the Indian Ocean region are also present. Recent years have seen a steady flow of foreign workers into the textile industry (primarily Chinese women), the construction industry (primarily Indian workers), and harbor-related activities (primarily Taiwanese men).

Population

According to, the total population was in , compared to 479,000 in 1950. The proportion of the population aged under 15 was 21.9% in 2010. 71.2% were between 15 and 65 years of age, with 6.9% being 65 years or older.

Structure of the population

Population Estimates by sex and age group (01.VII.2012) (Based on the results of the 2011 Population Census.) : Population by sex and age group (Census 04.VII.2019) (Excludes the islands of St. Brandon and Agalega.):

Vital statistics

Mauritius has an estimated population of 1,283,415 on 31 December 2010. 14,701 children were born in 2011 (birth rate 11.4 per 1,000). The table below presents the population development of Mauritius since 1900. The figures up to 1945 are for the island of Mauritius only. As of 1946, the island of Rodrigues is included. Figures are from Statistics Mauritius and United Nations Demographic Yearbook. Current vital statistics

Life expectancy

Language

The main languages spoken in Mauritius are English, French, Mauritian Creole, and Bhojpuri. There is no official language. English is the official language of the parliament, though French is also permitted. However, the lingua franca is Mauritian Creole, and the newspapers and television programs are usually in French. The Mauritian currency features the Latin, Tamil and Devanagari scripts. Mauritian Creole, which is spoken by 90 percent of the population, is considered to be the native language of the country and is used most often in informal settings. It was developed in the 18th century by African slaves who used a pidgin language to communicate with each other and with their French masters, who did not understand the various African languages. The pidgin evolved with later generations to become a casual language. Mauritian Creole is a French-based creole.

Religion

In 2015, the population was estimated to be 48.5% Hindu, 27.2% Roman Catholic, 17.5% Muslim, 3.9% No religion and unspecified, 2.5% Protestantism, and 0.4% Other religions. More than 90% of the Sino-Mauritian community are Christian; the remainder are largely Buddhist.

Migrants

According to the United Nations, there were 28,713 international migrants in Mauritius in 2017. Their most common countries of origin were as follows:

Other demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022. The following demographics are from the CIA World Fact book unless otherwise indicated.

Population

Age structure

Median age

Birth rate

Death rate

Total fertility rate

Population growth rate

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Net migration rate

Life expectancy at birth

Infant mortality rate

Dependency ratios

Urbanization

Ethnic groups

Mauritians of Indian Origin 45.8%, Mauritians of African Origin 38.7%, Mauritians of Chinese Origin 5%, Mauritians of French Origin 3.8% Mauritians of British Descent 2.5%

Languages

As mother tongue: Mauritian Creole 86.8%, Bhojpuri 2%, French 6.1%, Two languages 1.4%, Other 2.6%, Unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.) As ancestral languages: Bhojpuri 29.5%, Urdu 17.3%, Tamil 10%, Chinese 3%, Telugu 2%, Marathi 2%

Education expenditures

Literacy

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2016 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24