Latin America: Report claims population of 45 million Indigenous

Eluniverso.com reported The new figure of 45 million indigenous people until 2010 poses a 49.3% increase in the first decade of the 21st century, as in its previous report of 2007 the Economic Commission for Latin America of the United Nations had estimated a figure of 30 million natives in 2000.

The Ecuadorian indigenous population is of one million people. Latin America has 826 indigenous peoples, with 45 million people representing 8.3% of the total population of the region, according to a report presented on Monday in New York by ECLAC, highlighting improvements in health, education and political participation in the last decade.

Other countries with significant native population are Peru (7 million, or 24 per cent), Guatemala (5.9 million, 41%), Ecuador (one million, 7%), Colombia (1.6 million, representing 3.4%), Chile (1.8 million, 11%) and Nicaragua (520,000, 8.9%).

According to ECLAC, which mentions 826 indigenous peoples, “it is estimated that in addition another 200 live in voluntary isolation”.

Brazil is the country with largest number of indigenous people by adding some 305 (900,000 persons, 0.5% of its population), followed by Colombia (102), Peru (85), Mexico (78) and Bolivia (39). Read Article