SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHY OF QATAR
Introduction
Qatar emirate is a small peninsula on the Arabian coast of the Persian Gulf that covers approximately 4,247 square miles. Qatar borders at the base of the peninsula, on Saudi Arabia. Historically, it also bordered on Abu Dhabi. In 1974 Abu Dhabi ceded the strip bordering on Qatar to Saudi Arabia. Neighboring countries include Bahrain to the northwest, Iran to the northeast and the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to the south. For centuries, the main sources of wealth were pearling, fishing, and trade. At one time, Qataris owned nearly one-third of the Persian Gulf fishing fleet.
Population
The population began rapidly growing in the 1970s due to the influx of foreign workers attracted by the expanding oil economy. Over 80% of its population estimated in 1996 at 550,000 resided in the capital, Doha. The population was estimated at 5, 79,000 in 1998
The population before must be estimated, because until oil revenues created a reason to stay on the peninsula, individuals and whole tribes migrated when the economic or security situation became intolerable. Some sought work elsewhere; others joined neighboring branches of their tribe. In 1908 a British observer estimated there were 27,000 inhabitants, 6,000 were described as foreign slaves and 425 as Iranian boat-builders. By 1930, the number of Iranians had increased to 5,000n or almost 20% of the population.
The population probably remained fairly stable until the 1930s and 1940s. When economic hardship and regional insecurity caused people to migrate to other areas, leaving Qatar with population of only 16,000 in 1949, according one estimate.
After oil exports increased in the 1950s, employment opportunities attracted Arabs from other Persian gulf countries and foreign workers,( mostly Indians at first) to Qatar. in 1970, the Qatari government, assisted by British experts carried out a census that reported a population of 11111,113 of whom 45,039, or more than 40%, were identified as Qataris. Now , the share of foreigners is estimated fifty to seventy present of the population that include Pakistanis, Indians and Iranians ( many of whom have been present in Qatar for a long time with the Iranians estimated at 15 to 20 % Qatar’s population)
People
The Qataris are mainly Sunni Muslims. Islam is the official religion, and Islamic jurisprudence is the basis of Qatar's legal system, although civil courts have jurisdiction over commercial law. Arabic is the official language, and English is widely spoken. Education is compulsory and free for all government employees' children from 6-16 years old. Qatar has an increasingly high literacy rate.
many Qataris are descended from a number of migratory tribes that came to Qatar in the 18th century from the neighboring areas of Nejd and Al-Hasa. Some came from neighboring Gulf emirates and others are descended from Persian merchants. Most of Qatar's 1.5 million inhabitants live in Doha, the capital. Foreigners with temporary residence status make up about three-fourths of the population. Foreign workers comprise as much as 85% of the total population and make up about 90% of the total labor force. Most are South and Southeast Asians, Egyptians, Palestinians, Jordanians, Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenis, and Iranians. About 8,000 U.S. citizens reside in Qatar. In one estimate Qataris are 20%; other Arab 20%; Indian 20%; Filipino 10%; Nepali 13%; Pakistani 7%; SriLankan 5%; other 5%.
Indian population
The largest foreign community is Indians. They have been estimated at about 170,000 the Indian community is well represented in all professions like medical, engineering, civil services and service sectors as well as in the business domain and skilled and unskilled labor. The majority of Indians are from southern states of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa.
The indigenous Qataris
The indigenous Qataris, who total around 100,000, can be traces to 3 main migratory movements;
1. Overland, in the 1960s, by members of tribes already concentrated in Kuwait and along Al- Hasa
2. by tribal elements during the period of the wahhabi expansion from Al-Hasa at the end of the 1700s
3. by sea from neighboring gulf shores. Those involved in the overland influx were almost entirely Bedouin in origin. Their interest in the peninsula mingled on rainfall and grazing factors
Male and female estimates
In 2003 the population of Qatar was estimated by the U.N at 610,000. There were 173 males for every 100 females in the country. In May 2008 estimate males is 75.7% and population growth rate inn that estimate was 59.6%. The census of March 16, 1986, counted a population of 369,079 and an estimate for 1990 brought the total to 371,863 including up to 70,000 Qataris. The population has been steadily growing, despite a markedly low death rate, however the country’s relatively low birth rate has led to a rate of natural increase that is slightly lower than the world average. Males outnumber females two to one- in large part because of the disproportionate number of expatriate males. The average life expectancy is about 71 years for males and 76 for females
Sex ratio
Qatar has heavily skewed population sex-ratio with around 3 males to every female in the country (2008), a result of immigration of expatriate male workers from South Asia and non-rich Arab states.
| Population Year 2008 (Mid-year) | |||
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
| 0-4 | 40,288 | 37,938 | 78,226 |
| 5-9 | 36,252 | 34,546 | 70,798 |
| 14-10 | 31,450 | 29,936 | 61,386 |
| 15-19 | 36,750 | 26,015 | 62,765 |
| 20-24 | 157,274 | 32,854 | 190,128 |
| 25-29 | 209,314 | 45,068 | 254,382 |
| 30-34 | 168,299 | 41,392 | 209,691 |
| 35-39 | 143,020 | 33,058 | 176,078 |
| 40-44 | 103,272 | 25,105 | 128,377 |
| 45-49 | 75,116 | 18,445 | 93,561 |
| 50-54 | 50,085 | 11,652 | 61,737 |
| 55-59 | 24,924 | 6,336 | 31,260 |
| 60-64 | 10,689 | 3,500 | 14,189 |
| 65-69 | 4,477 | 2,297 | 6,774 |
| 70-74 | 2,632 | 1,503 | 4,135 |
| 75-79 | 1,426 | 913 | 2,339 |
| 80-above | 1,549 | 1,074 | 2,623 |
| Summation | |||
| 1,096,817 | 351,632 | 1,448,44 | |
Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.09 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.99 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.19 years
male: 73.5 years
female: 76.98 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.47 children born/woman (2008 est.)
The greatest increase in foreign population happened from the 1960's until the 1980's, growth comes to a hard end in the 2000's. As of 2009, annual growth is down to 1.0%, reflecting a combination a moderate fertility rate at 2.5 children per mother and a high median age at 31 years. The migration waves have reversed; there is now a net negative immigration, although still very small.
There is also information relevant to demographics under education and health
| Year | Total | Density | Change |
| 1900 | 10,000 | 0.9 | |
| 1910 | 12,000 | 1 | 20% |
| 1920 | 15,000 | 1 | 25% |
| 1930 | 17,000 | 1 | 13% |
| 1940 | 21,000 | 2 | 24% |
| 1950 | 47,000 | 4 | 124% |
| 1960 | 59,000 | 5 | 26% |
| 1970 | 110,000 | 10 | 86% |
| 1980 | 230,000 | 20 | 109% |
| 1990 | 490,000 | 43 | 113% |
| 2000 | 745,000 | 65 | 52% |
| 833,000 | 73 | 12% |
References
1. Anisur Rahman, Contesting Homogeneity in the gulf society ( delhi- academic, 1st edition, 2008) p:113
2. World Infopadia (Qatar pragun publication ( Daryaganj) 2007 1st edition p:52
3. State of Qatar accessed through internet, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5437.htm#people
4. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5437.htm#people
5. World Infopadia (Qatar pragun publication ( Daryaganj) 2007 1st edition p:53
6. World Infopadia (Qatar pragun publication ( Daryaganj) 2007 1st edition p:54
7. State of Qatar accessed through internet, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5437.htm#people
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