Peru was a country of immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but has become a country of emigration in the last few decades. Beginning in the 19th century, Peru brought in Asian contract laborers mainly to work on coastal plantations. Populations of Chinese and Japanese descent - among the largest in Latin America - are economically and culturally influential in Peru today. Peruvian emigration began rising in the 1980s due to an economic crisis and a violent internal conflict, but outflows have stabilized in the last few years as economic conditions have improved. Nonetheless, more than 2 million Peruvians have emigrated in the last decade, principally to the US, Spain, and Argentina.

Population:
29,549,517 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 4,218,138/female 4,074,436)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 19.5% (male 2,881,481/female 2,880,772)
25-54 years: 38.9% (male 5,555,777/female 5,953,150)
55-64 years: 7% (male 1,008,297/female 1,048,615)
65 years and over: 6.5% (male 916,029/female 1,012,822) (2012 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.5 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 25.8 years
female: 27.2 years (2012 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.016% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
19.13 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
5.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-3.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 77% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities - population:
LIMA (capital) 8.769 million; Arequipa 778,000 (2009)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate:
67 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 91
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.5 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 89
male: 23.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.73 years
country comparison to the world: 127
male: 70.78 years
female: 74.76 years (2012 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.29 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 147
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
0.92 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
1.5 beds/1,000 population (2009)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Sanitation facility access:
improved: