The population of Fiji today is 944,720 according to a July 2008 estimate. Fiji’s population density is 46 per km2 (119 per square mile). The population growth rate is 1.4 percent. The birth rate is 22.15 births per 1,000 population, and the death rate is 5.66 per 1,000 population (2008 estimate). Each woman bears 2.68 children on average (2008 estimate). According to the CIA World Factbook, the life expectancy in Fiji is 67.9 years for males and 73.1 years for females (2008 estimate).

People of Fiji

fiji woman The people of Fiji are said to be some of the friendliest in the world and are made up of several different ethnic groups. About 51 percent of them are Fijian natives, who are of mixed Melanesian and Polynesian ancestry. The next largest group of people residing in Fiji is of East Indian descent, making up 44 percent of the population. The other 5 percent of the population are European or part-European, Pacific Islanders, Chinese and Rotuman.

Religions in Fiji

Christianity is now the main religion Fijians practice. A variety of denominations can be found in Fiji, the majority being Methodist (36.2 percent), followed by Roman Catholic (8.9 percent). A total of 58 percent of Fiji’s population are Christian. Hinduism is practiced by 33.7 percent of the population. Seven percent are Muslims and other religions account for 0.7 percent, according to the Fiji Statistics Department.