An estimated 2 to 3 million Ecuadorians live abroad, but increased unemployment in key receiving countries - Spain, the United States, and Italy - is slowing emigration and increasing the likelihood of returnees to Ecuador. The first large-scale emigration of Ecuadorians occurred between 1980 and 2000, when an economic crisis drove Ecuadorians from southern provinces to New York City, where they had trade contacts. A second, nationwide wave of emigration in the late 1990s was caused by another economic downturn, political instability, and a currency crisis. Spain was the logical destination because of its shared language and the wide availability of low-skilled, informal jobs at a time when increased border surveillance made illegal migration to the US difficult. Ecuador has a small but growing immigrant population and is Latin America's top recipient of refugees; 98% are neighboring Colombians fleeing violence in their country.

Population:
15,223,680 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.5% (male 2,293,743/female 2,202,203)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 18.8% (male 1,444,763/female 1,414,227)
25-54 years: 38.4% (male 2,847,576/female 2,998,086)
55-64 years: 6.7% (male 504,977/female 518,152)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 479,718/female 520,235) (2012 est.)

Median age:
total: 26 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 25.4 years
female: 26.6 years (2012 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.419% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
19.6 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
5.01 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 67% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities - population:
Guayaquil 2.634 million; QUITO (capital) 1.801 million (2009)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate:
110 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 66
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.06 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 98
male: 22.37 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.94 years
country comparison to the world: 84
male: 73 years
female: 79.04 years (2012 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.38 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
5% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 140
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
1.48 physicians/1,000 population (2000)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
1.5 beds/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Sanitation facility access:
improved: