Population:
15,306,252 (July 2009 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 49.6% (male 3,840,379/female 3,758,674)
15-64 years: 48% (male 3,658,361/female 3,690,373)
65 years and over: 2.3% (male 159,984/female 198,481) (2009 est.)

Median age:
total: 15.2 years
male: 14.9 years
female: 15.4 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.677% (2009 est.)

Birth rate:
51.6 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death rate:
14.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Urbanization:
urban population: 16% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 116.66 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 121.72 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 111.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.6 years
male: 51.39 years
female: 53.85 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate:
7.75 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
60,000 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,000 (2007 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

Nationality:
noun: Nigerien(s)
adjective: Nigerien

Ethnic groups:
Haoussa 55.4%, Djerma Sonrai 21%, Tuareg 9.3%, Peuhl 8.5%, Kanouri Manga 4.7%, other 1.2% (2001 census)

Religions:
Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%

Languages:
French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 28.7%
male: 42.9%
female: 15.1% (2005 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 4 years
male: 5 years
female: 3 years (2006)

Education expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2006)