Demography of Lebanon

Evolution of the population

Census of 1932

The only official census (based on the Community membership) of the population Lebanon ease was made in 1932 pennies the Protectorat French.

The census of 1932 takes into account only the citizens Lebanon board residents in Lebanon in 1932, i.e. it excludes the Lebanese one having emigrated. Certain frontier villages with Syria would not have been taken into account in the census.

The results of this census advanced the following figures:
Lebanese total of the citizens: 785.542

Christians

Maronites: 226.378 is 28,8% Orthodoxe
Greek: 76.522 is 9,7%
Greek catholic: 46.000 is 5,9%
Others (Armenian in majority): 53.463 is 6,8%

Total: 402.363 is 51,2%

Moslems

Sunnites : 175.925 is 22,4%
Chiites: 154.208 is 19,6%
Druzes: 53.047 is 6,8%

Total: 383.180 is 48,8%

Current location

No official census was made since 1932 not to feed the political and religious tensions. However the most frequent estimates advance the figures of 35-40% for the Christians and 60-65% for the Moslems. The veracity of these estimates is difficult to evaluate, all the communities tending to overestimate their manpower: the Hezbollah advances the figure of 75% of Moslems including 50% of Chiite S whereas the Church Maronite quotes the figure of 50% for the Christians. The Shiites are generally regarded as being the most community and having had the demographic progression strongest these last decades.

Other elements are to be taken into account in the analysis of Lebanese demography.

The Palestinian variable

The Palestinians in Lebanon are sunnites with more 90 % and are not entered in the demographic statistics with the Lebanon. With March 31st, 2005, 400 582 were recorded on the lists of the UNRWA of which 210 952 in the camps. Part of these Palestinians left Lebanon, but no reliable study makes it possible to measure this emigration. Their naturalization is improbable because of the opposition of the various communities: Christian, Shiite S and Druze S fear to dilute their electorates. Moreover part of the public opinion Lebanon ease considers that naturalization is a gift with Israel (in that Lebanon is not different from the Syria, the Egypt or the countries of the Gulf). Despite everything, their return in a Palestine economically bloodless is dubious, even after an peace agreement. Remainder the majority of them are Palestinians taken refuge after the conflict of 48 and not of that of 1967, i.e. they come from territories which will not form part of a possible peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Lebanese diaspora

See also: Lebanese Diaspora

The Christians are surreprésentés there and a partial return, but improbable, could change the demographic balance of the country. The diaspora mainly consists of Christians with a strong representation Shiite. The diaspora is not entered in the statistics and the semi-official calculations of the global population of the country (nearly 3.600.000 people). This calculation of the citizens expatriates takes place in the majority of the countries of the world but not in Lebanon where the expatriates do not have the right to vote (one of the principal demands of the Christian communities is the right to vote for the emigrants). There still manpower are subjects to deposit. There is more than 10 million people of Lebanese origin in the world but this figure takes into account the Lebanese emigration since the 19th century. However much of these descendants of Lebanese were assimilated by their host country and do not regard any more Lebanon as their country, the only criterion of distinction should then be the detention of documents of identity Lebanese in due form. The modern Diaspora Lebanese (post-1975) whose members are likely to play a part on the local political scene would count between one and two million people.

The emigration strongly increased these last years to touch the whole of the company, including the Muslim communities and Druzes (in particular big families such as the Hamadé or Amadet). The higher middle-classes (i.e. people educated without being fortunate) and the poorest classes are touched by the emigration. According to a study published in the Lebanese newspaper of Arab language Assafiren 2002, 32% of the Lebanese one which choose the expatriation are Shiites and 30% of the Maronites. the sunnites seem the least inclined beings with the expatriation. Many actions are carried out by organizations internationals, to federate the whole of the diaspora. It is amongst other things the action of sheik Khaled Frarid Hamadé through the ministry for immigration.

Naturalized

They are Arab nationals (mainly Syria NS but also of the Palestinian or Bedouin S) who were naturalized masses some in 1994 (decree 5247 of the June 20th 1994) under conditions which were very disputed by the Christian community. The majority do not live in Lebanon and a part was registered on the electoral rolls of the Christian areas to influence the elections. The exact number is prone to dispute, the estimates going of 87.000 (what corresponds to the number of disputed naturalizations by the Minister of Interior Department Elias el-Murr in May 2003 and not to the unit of naturalizations) with more than 400.000 (Lebanese Forces, Ligue Maronite). The most current figures are located between 150.000 and 300 000 naturalized.

Others

Since 1973, Lebanon makes come from Asia and Africa of the very poor women who are used generally as domestic. One estimates at more than 100.000 women, including 90.000 sri lankaises, 30.000 Filipino, 29.000 Ethiopia

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