In the 1960s, Uruguayans for the first time emigrated en masse - primarily to Argentina and Brazil - because of economic decline and the onset of more than a decade of military dictatorship. Economic crises in the early 1980s and 2002 also triggered waves of emigration, but since 2002 more than 70% of Uruguayan emigrants have selected the US and Spain as destinations because of better job prospects. Uruguay had a tiny population upon its independence in 1828 and welcomed thousands of predominantly Italian and Spanish immigrants, but the country has not experienced large influxes of new arrivals since the aftermath of World War II. More recent immigrants include Peruvians and Arabs.

Population:
3,324,460 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.4% (male 361,589/female 349,257)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 16% (male 269,649/female 262,582)
25-54 years: 38.8% (male 635,252/female 655,518)
55-64 years: 9.9% (male 155,192/female 174,976)
65 years and over: 13.9% (male 183,450/female 276,995) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 56.2 %
[see also: Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio country ranks ]
youth dependency ratio: 34.1 %
elderly dependency ratio: 22 %
potential support ratio: 4.5 (2013)

Median age:
total: 34.1 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 32.4 years
female: 35.7 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.25% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
13.28 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
9.52 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 0.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas - population:
MONTEVIDEO (capital) 1.633 million (2009)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Maternal mortality rate:
29 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 125
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.2 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 149
male: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.61 years
country comparison to the world: 73
male: 73.47 years
female: 79.86 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.86 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
77%
note: percent of women aged 15-50 (2004)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
8% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 61
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
3.74 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
3 beds/1,000 population (2011)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved: