Mozambique

Broadcast media

1 state-run TV station supplemented by private TV station; Portuguese state TV's African service, RTP Africa, and Brazilian-owned TV Miramar are available; state-run radio provides nearly 100% territorial coverage and broadcasts in multiple languages; a number of privately owned and community-operated stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.mz

Internet users

total: 4,543,284 | percent of population: 17.5% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Telephone system

general assessment: the mobile segment has shown strong growth since the introduction of competition in 2003; poor fixed-line infrastructure means most Internet access is through mobile accounts | domestic: extremely low fixed-line teledensity contrasts with rapid growth in the mobile-cellular network; three mobile-cellular operators provide coverage that includes all the main cities and key roads; mobile-cellular teledensity now about 70 per 100 persons | international: country code - 258; landing point for the EASSy and SEACOM fiber-optic submarine cable systems; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean) (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 84,310 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 18,404,857 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 71 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Agriculture - products

cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava (manioc, tapioca), corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, sunflowers; beef, poultry

Budget

revenues: $2.514 billion | expenditures: $3.548 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-9.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195

Central bank discount rate

9.5% (17 January 2013) | 3.25% (31 December 2010) | country comparison to the world: 27

Commercial bank prime lending rate

21.18% (31 December 2016 est.) | 14.87% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Current account balance

$-4.307 billion (2016 est.) | $-5.968 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171

Debt - external

$10.48 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $10.06 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Distribution of family income - Gini index

45.6 (2008) | 47.3 (2002) | country comparison to the world: 37

Economy - overview

At independence in 1975, Mozambique was one of the world's poorest countries. Socialist policies, economic mismanagement, and a brutal civil war from 1977 to 1992 further impoverished the country. In 1987, the government embarked on a series of macroeconomic reforms designed to stabilize the economy. These steps, combined with donor assistance and with political stability since the multi-party elections in 1994, propelled the country’s GDP from $4 billion in 1993, following the war, to about $35 billion in 2016. Fiscal reforms, including the introduction of a value-added tax and reform of the customs service, have improved the government's revenue collection abilities. | In spite of these gains, more than half the population remains below the poverty line. Subsistence agriculture continues to employ the vast majority of the country's work force. Citizens rioted in September 2010 after fuel, water, electricity, and bread price increases were announced. In an attempt to lessen the negative impact on the population, the government implemented subsidies, decreased taxes and tariffs, and instituted other fiscal measures. | A substantial trade imbalance persists, although aluminum production from the Mozal Aluminum Smelter has significantly boosted export earnings in recent years. In 2012, the Mozambican Government took over Portugal's last remaining share in the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectricity Company, a significant contributor to the Southern African Power Pool. The government has plans to expand the Cahora Bassa Dam and build additional dams to increase its electricity exports and fulfill the needs of its burgeoning domestic industries. | Mozambique's once substantial foreign debt was reduced through forgiveness and rescheduling under the IMF's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Enhanced HIPC initiatives. However, in 2016, information surfaced revealing that the Mozambican Government was responsible for over $2 billion in government-backed loans originally secured between 2012-14 by state-owned defense and security companies without parliamentary approval or national budget inclusion, which prompted the IMF and international donors to halt direct budget support to the Government of Mozambique. This sizable external debt burden, donor withdrawal, elevated inflation, and currency depreciation contributed to weak growth in 2016 and forebode weaker economic growth in the next few years. | Mozambique grew at an average annual rate of 6%-8% in the decade leading up to 2015, one of Africa's strongest performances, but growth slowed in 2016 to about 3.5% as low commodity prices reduced export earnings. However, many forecasts predict an increase in growth in 2017 as coal exports grow. Two major international consortiums are seeking approval to develop massive natural gas deposits off the coast of Cabo Delgado province, in what has the potential to become the largest infrastructure project in Africa. The government predicts sales of liquefied natural gas from these projects could generate several billion dollars in revenues annually sometime after 2022.

Exchange rates

meticais (MZM) per US dollar - | 63.067 (2016 est.) | 63.067 (2015 est.) | 39.983 (2014 est.) | 31.367 (2013 est.) | 28.38 (2012 est.)

Exports

$3.328 billion (2016 est.) | $3.413 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Exports - commodities

aluminum, prawns, cashews, cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity

Exports - partners

Netherlands 30.8%, India 15.2%, South Africa 14.6% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$11.27 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$35.08 billion (2016 est.) | $33.35 billion (2015 est.) | $30.96 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 123

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 71.5% | government consumption: 28.2% | investment in fixed capital: 20.5% | investment in inventories: 22.1% | exports of goods and services: 34.8% | imports of goods and services: -77.2% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 24.8% | industry: 21.6% | services: 53.6% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,200 (2016 est.) | $1,200 (2015 est.) | $1,200 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 222

GDP - real growth rate

3.8% (2016 est.) | 6.6% (2015 est.) | 7.4% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Gross national saving

5.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | 5% of GDP (2015 est.) | 17.2% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.9% | highest 10%: 36.7% (2008)

Imports

$4.733 billion (2016 est.) | $7.577 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, chemicals, metal products, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners

South Africa 36.6%, China 10.9%, Netherlands 7.8%, Bahrain 5.2%, France 4.2%, Portugal 4.2%, UAE 4.1% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

5.4% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44

Industries

aluminum, petroleum products, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco, food, beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

19.2% (2016 est.) | 3.6% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 219

Labor force

12.5 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 81% | industry: 6% | services: 13% (1997 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

46.1% (2015 est.)

Public debt

121.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | 72.1% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.081 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $2.582 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Stock of broad money

$5.142 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $7.265 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Stock of domestic credit

$4.242 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $5.565 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129

Stock of narrow money

$3.411 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $4.758 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Taxes and other revenues

22.3% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Unemployment rate

22.4% (2014 est.) | 17% (2007 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.9 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 172

Electricity - consumption

13.86 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Electricity - exports

12.88 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 18

Electricity - from fossil fuels

14% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

85.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Electricity - imports

10.55 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.556 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Electricity - production

19.58 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Electricity access

population without electricity: 15,700,000 | electrification - total population: 39% | electrification - urban areas: 66% | electrification - rural areas: 27% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

2.726 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Natural gas - exports

3.8 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Natural gas - production

5.695 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.832 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 13

Refined petroleum products - consumption

23,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 183

Refined petroleum products - imports

21,890 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Area

total: 799,380 sq km | land: 786,380 sq km | water: 13,000 sq km | country comparison to the world: 36

Area - comparative

slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of California

Climate

tropical to subtropical

Coastline

2,470 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 345 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m | highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m

Environment - current issues

increased migration of the population to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences; desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

18 15 S, 35 00 E

Geography - note

the Zambezi River flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country

Irrigated land

1,180 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 4,783 km | border countries (6): Malawi 1,498 km, South Africa 496 km, Swaziland 108 km, Tanzania 840 km, Zambia 439 km, Zimbabwe 1,402 km

Land use

agricultural land: 56.3% | arable land 6.4%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 49.6% | forest: 43.7% | other: 0% (2011 est.)

Location

Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces

Natural resources

coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite

Population - distribution

three large populations clusters are found along the southern coast between Maputo and Inhambane, in the central area between Beira and Chimoio along the Zambezi River, and in and around the northern cities of Nampula, Cidade de Nacala, and Pemba; the northwest and southwest are the least populated areas

Terrain

mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west

Administrative divisions

10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia

Capital

name: Maputo | geographic coordinates: 25 57 S, 32 35 E | time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Mozambique | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: previous 1975, 1990; latest adopted 16 November 2004, effective 21 December 2004 | amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or supported by at least one-third of the Assembly of the Republic membership; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions including the independence and sovereignty of the state, the republican form of government, basic rights and freedoms, and universal suffrage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and approval in a referendum; referenda not required for passage of other amendments; amended 2007 (2017)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mozambique | conventional short form: Mozambique | local long form: Republica de Mocambique | local short form: Mocambique | former: Portuguese East Africa | etymology: named for the offshore island of Mozambique; the island was apparently named after Mussa al-BIK, an influential Arab slave trader who set himself up as sultan on the island in the 15th century

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador H. Dean PITTMAN (since 18 February 2016) | embassy: Avenida Kenneth Kuanda 193, Maputo | mailing address: P.O. Box 783, Maputo | telephone: [258] (21) 49 2797 | FAX: [258] (21) 49 0114

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos DOS SANTOS (since 28 January 2016) | chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] (202) 293-7146 | FAX: [1] (202) 835-0245

Executive branch

chief of state: President Filipe Jacinto NYUSI (since 15 January 2015) | head of government: President Filipe Jacinto NYUSI (since 15 January 2015); Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho DO ROSARIO (since 17 January 2015); President Alberto Clementino Antonio VAQUINA removed from office 9 January 2015 | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president | elections/appointments: president elected directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for 2 consecutive terms); election last held on 15 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Filipe NYUSI elected president; percent of vote - Filipe NYUSI (FRELIMO) 57.0%, Afonso DHLAKAMA (RENAMO) 36.6%, Daviz SIMANGO (MDM) 6.4%

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an open white book; green represents the riches of the land, white peace, black the African continent, yellow the country's minerals, and red the struggle for independence; the rifle symbolizes defense and vigilance, the hoe refers to the country's agriculture, the open book stresses the importance of education, and the star represents Marxism and internationalism | note: one of only two national flags featuring a firearm, the other is Guatemala

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

25 June 1975 (from Portugal)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, CPLP, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 5 judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 7 judges); note - the Higher Council of the Judiciary is responsible for judiciary management and discipline | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president and vice president appointed by Mozambique president in consultation with the Higher Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ) and with ratification by the legislature; other judges elected by the legislature; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Council judges appointed - 1 by the president, 5 by the legislature, and 1 by the CSMJ; judges serve 5-year nonrenewable terms | subordinate courts: Administrative Court (capital city only); provincial courts or Tribunais Judicias de Provincia; District Courts or Tribunais Judicias de Districto; customs courts; maritime courts; courts marshal; labor courts; community courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of Portuguese civil law, and customary law; note - in rural, predominately Muslim villages with no formal legal system, Islamic law may be applied

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 2 members representing Mozambicans abroad who are appointed by the elected party; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: last held on 15 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2019) | election results: percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 55.9%, RENAMO 32.5%, MDM 8.4%, other 3.3%; seats by party - FRELIMO 144, RENAMO 89, MDM 17

National anthem

name: "Patria Amada" (Lovely Fatherland) | lyrics/music: Salomao J. MANHICA/unknown | note: adopted 2002

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 June (1975)

National symbol(s)

national colors: green, black, yellow, white, red

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Movement of Mozambique (Movimento Democratico de Mocambique) or MDM [Daviz SIMANGO] | Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Filipe NYUS] | Mozambique National Resistance (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana) or RENAMO [Afonso DHLAKAMA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Mozambican League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dos Direitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTA, president] | Youth Parliament (Parlamento Juvenil) [Salomao MUCHANGA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Almost five centuries as a Portuguese colony came to a close with independence in 1975. Large-scale emigration, economic dependence on South Africa, a severe drought, and a prolonged civil war hindered the country's development until the mid-1990s. The ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) party formally abandoned Marxism in 1989, and a new constitution the following year provided for multiparty elections and a free market economy. A UN-negotiated peace agreement between FRELIMO and rebel Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) forces ended the fighting in 1992. In 2004, Mozambique underwent a delicate transition as Joaquim CHISSANO stepped down after 18 years in office. His elected successor, Armando GUEBUZA, served two terms and then passed executive power to Filipe NYUSI in 2014. RENAMO’s residual armed forces have continued to engage in a low-level insurgency since 2012.

Military branches

Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (Forcas Armadas de Defesa de Mocambique, FADM): Mozambique Army, Mozambique Navy (Marinha de Guerra de Mocambique, MGM), Mozambique Air Force (Forca Aerea de Mocambique, FAM) (2012)

Military expenditures

1.03% of GDP (2016) | 0.99% of GDP (2015) | 1.02% of GDP (2014) | 0.99% of GDP (2013) | 0.91% of GDP (2012)

Military service age and obligation

registration for military service is mandatory for all males and females at 18 years of age; 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service; 2-year service obligation; women may serve as officers or enlisted (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 44.72% (male 5,975,407/female 5,908,511) | 15-24 years: 21.57% (male 2,824,012/female 2,907,033) | 25-54 years: 27.42% (male 3,409,425/female 3,875,837) | 55-64 years: 3.4% (male 435,203/female 468,939) | 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 352,546/female 416,793) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

38.1 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

15.6% (2011) | country comparison to the world: 44

Contraceptive prevalence rate

11.6% (2011)

Death rate

11.6 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25

Demographic profile

Mozambique is a poor, sparsely populated country with high fertility and mortality rates and a rapidly growing youthful population – 45% of the population is younger than 15. Mozambique’s high poverty rate is sustained by natural disasters, disease, high population growth, low agricultural productivity, and the unequal distribution of wealth. The country’s birth rate is among the world’s highest, averaging around more than 5 children per woman (and higher in rural areas) for at least the last three decades. The sustained high level of fertility reflects gender inequality, low contraceptive use, early marriages and childbearing, and a lack of education, particularly among women. The high population growth rate is somewhat restrained by the country’s high HIV/AIDS and overall mortality rates. Mozambique ranks among the worst in the world for HIV/AIDS prevalence, HIV/AIDS deaths, and life expectancy at birth. | Mozambique is predominantly a country of emigration, but internal, rural-urban migration has begun to grow. Mozambicans, primarily from the country’s southern region, have been migrating to South Africa for work for more than a century. Additionally, approximately 1.7 million Mozambicans fled to Malawi, South Africa, and other neighboring countries between 1979 and 1992 to escape from civil war. Labor migrants have usually been men from rural areas whose crops have failed or who are unemployed and have headed to South Africa to work as miners; multiple generations of the same family often become miners. Since the abolition of apartheid in South Africa in 1991, other job opportunities have opened to Mozambicans, including in the informal and manufacturing sectors, but mining remains their main source of employment.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 93.5 | youth dependency ratio: 87.5 | elderly dependency ratio: 6.1 | potential support ratio: 16.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 80.6% of population | rural: 37% of population | total: 51.1% of population | urban: 19.4% of population | rural: 63% of population | total: 48.9% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6.5% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 78

Ethnic groups

African 99.66% (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others), Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

12.3% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

HIV/AIDS - deaths

62,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 4

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1.8 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 4

Health expenditures

7% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 82

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 65.9 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 67.9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 63.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Languages

Emakhuwa 25.3%, Portuguese (official) 10.7%, Xichangana 10.3%, Cisena 7.5%, Elomwe 7%, Echuwabo 5.1%, other Mozambican languages 30.1%, other 0.3%, unspecified 3.7% (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 53.7 years | male: 52.9 years | female: 54.5 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 58.8% | male: 73.3% | female: 45.4% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever | water contact disease: schistosomiasis | animal contact disease: rabies (2016)

Major urban areas - population

MAPUTO (capital) 1.187 million; Matola 937,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

489 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 21

Median age

total: 17.2 years | male: 16.6 years | female: 17.8 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 222

Mother's mean age at first birth

18.9 years | median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mozambican(s) | adjective: Mozambican

Net migration rate

-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

7.2% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 160

Physicians density

0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

26,573,706 | note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50

Population distribution

three large populations clusters are found along the southern coast between Maputo and Inhambane, in the central area between Beira and Chimoio along the Zambezi River, and in and around the northern cities of Nampula, Cidade de Nacala, and Pemba; the northwest and southwest are the least populated areas

Population growth rate

2.46% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 21

Religions

Roman Catholic 28.4%, Muslim 17.9%, Zionist Christian 15.5%, Protestant 12.2% (includes Pentecostal 10.9% and Anglican 1.3%), other 6.7%, none 18.7%, unspecified 0.7% (2007 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 42.4% of population | rural: 10.1% of population | total: 20.5% of population | urban: 57.6% of population | rural: 89.9% of population | total: 79.5% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 10 years | male: 10 years | female: 9 years (2014)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 0.97 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.88 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female | total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.08 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 39.3% | male: 40.2% | female: 38.7% (2012 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 32.8% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 3.36% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration

Illicit drugs

southern African transit point for South Asian hashish and heroin, and South American cocaine probably destined for the European and South African markets; producer of cannabis (for local consumption) and methaqualone (for export to South Africa); corruption and poor regulatory capability make the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 15,000 (2016)

Airports

98 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 57

Airports - with paved runways

total: 21 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 | 914 to 1,523 m: 5 | under 914 m: 4 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 77 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 | 914 to 1,523 m: 29 | under 914 m: 38 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

C9 (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 2 | by type: cargo 2 | foreign-owned: 2 (Belgium 2) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 145

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 3 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 16 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 686,892 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,138,916 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

gas 972 km; refined products 278 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Beira, Maputo, Nacala

Railways

total: 4,787 km | narrow gauge: 4,787 km 1.067-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 39

Roadways

total: 31,083 km | paved: 7,365 km | unpaved: 23,718 km (2015) | country comparison to the world: 96

Waterways

460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 85