Page
last modified 19 August 2023
5) Algeria
Community
Area 2,381,741 square kilometres (land area 2,381,741 square kilometres)
Population, change on previous decade.
1,500,000 (1830)
2,416,000 (1856)
3,310,402 (1881)
4,124,732 (1891)
4,824,042 (1901)
5,231,850 (1906)
7,234,684 (1936)
8,681,785 (1948)
8,920,000 (1950)
11,058,000 (1960) +24.0%
14,464,000 (1970) +30.8%
19,222,000 (1980) +32.9%
25,758,000 (1990) +13.4%
31,042,000 (2000) +20.5%
35,977,000 (2010) +15.9%
43,851,000 (2020) +21.9%
Migration 2,500,000 Algerians lived in France (2004)
Ethnicity and Religion,
%, Algeria contained almost one million Europeans in 1948, who owned a third of
the cultivated land in Algeria.� Almost
the entire European population left Algeria after independence in 1962; many
returning to France.
|
|
Arab + Berber |
European |
Christian |
Jewish |
Muslim Sunni |
|
1856 |
|
7.0(1) |
6.3 |
1.0 |
92.7 |
|
1876 |
|
|
11.2 |
1.0 |
87.7 |
|
1896 |
|
12.3 |
12.2 |
1.1 |
86.7 |
|
1921 |
|
|
12.1 |
1.1 |
86.1 |
|
1931 |
|
|
12.4 |
1.2 |
86.4 |
|
1948 |
86.7 |
11.0 |
|
1.7 |
|
|
1954 |
|
|
9.1 |
1.3 |
89.6 |
|
1960 |
|
10.0(2) |
9.0 |
1.3(2) |
89.7 |
|
1975 |
99.0 |
1.0 |
0.7 |
0.0 |
99.0 |
|
2014 |
99.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
|
99.0 |
(1) European settlers, from France, arrived from 1830.
(2) 95% of Europeans in Algeria returned to France in 1962. 90% of the Jews in Algeria left for France at this time. Most of the remainder subsequently emigrated to Israel.
Birth and death rates Below replacement rate = 2.1
|
|
Fertility Rate |
Birth Rate |
Infant Mortality |
Death Rate |
% Aged Under 15 |
% Aged Over 65 |
% Urban |
|
1886 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13.9 |
|
1906 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
16.6 |
|
1926 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
20.2 |
|
1950 |
|
51.0 (+27.0) |
185.0 |
24.0 |
40.1 |
4.4 |
22.0 |
|
1960 |
7.5 |
50.0 (+29.7) |
147.5 |
20.3 |
44.5 |
3.2 |
30.5 |
|
1970 |
7.4 |
48.0 (+31.4) |
143.2 |
16.6 |
46.9 |
3.5 |
39.5 |
|
1980 |
6.9 |
44.0 (+32.7) |
101.1 |
11.3 |
46.3 |
3.4 |
43.5 |
|
1990 |
3.2 |
32.0 (+25.7) |
41.4 |
6.3 |
43.3 |
3.4 |
52.1 |
|
2000 |
2.6 |
21.0 (+15.9) |
33.9 |
5.1 |
34.3 |
4.3 |
59.9 |
|
2010 |
2.3 |
19.6 (+14.8) |
23.5 |
4.8 |
27.2 |
5.5 |
67.5 |
|
2015 |
2.8 |
23.9 (+19.1) |
21.9 |
4.8 |
28.7 |
5.9 |
70.7 |
|
2017 |
3.0 |
24.8 (+20.0) |
20.6 |
4.8 |
29.6 |
|
72.1 |
|
2018 |
|
|
20.1 |
|
30.1 |
6.4 |
72.6 |
Life expectancy,
43.0 (1950); 42.0 (M), 44.0 (F)
46.1 (1960); 45.4 (M), 46.9 (F)
50.3 (1970); 49.5 (M), 51.2 (F)
58.2 (1980); 57.0 (M), 59.4 (F)
66.7 (1990); 65.2 (M), 68.3 (F)
70.3 (2000); 68.9 (M), 72.2 (F)
74.7 (2010); 73.5 (M), 75.9 (F)
76.9 (2020); 75.8 (M), 78.2 (F)
Population of principal cities, 1,000s MA = Metropolitan Area
|
|
ALGIERS1 |
Batna |
Constantine2 |
Oran3 |
Setif4 |
Sidi Bel Abbes5 |
|
1650 |
100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1830 |
40 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1850 |
52 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1890 |
83 |
|
47 |
58 |
|
30 |
|
1900 |
97 |
7 |
52 |
87 |
|
|
|
1906 |
145 |
|
|
101 |
|
|
|
1936 |
252 |
14 |
107 |
195 |
36 |
51 |
|
1946 |
315 |
|
119 |
256 |
|
|
|
1950 |
531 |
23 |
131 |
289 |
|
|
|
1960 |
885 |
50 |
221 |
389 |
74 |
105 |
|
1970 |
988 |
|
278 |
|
|
|
|
1977 |
1,353 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1987 |
1,507 |
182 |
441 |
609 |
170 |
153 |
|
1998 |
2,136 |
243 |
|
656 |
211 |
180 |
|
2010 |
5,000 MA |
300 |
940 MA |
1,454 MA |
290 MA |
200 |
1Algiers,originally Al-Jazair (�the islands�), was named after four small offshore islands (joined to the mainland in 1525). The present-day city was founded in 935 AD, on the site of a Roman settlement (Icosium), itself sited upon an older Phoenician town called Ikosim, dating from around 2000 BC.� Algiers was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1518 and taken by French forces in 1830.
2Constantine was founded by the Phoenicians as Sarim Batim (Royal City), under the Romans (Colonia Sittlanorum) was one of the principal cities of the province of Numidia.� In decline by the 3rd century AD, it was restored by Emperor Constantine the Great in 313, after whom it is now named.�
3Oran was originally a Berber village called Wehran (lion-village). It was a Spanish fortified town between 1509 and 1708, and again between 1732 and 1791.� In the intervening periods it was part of the Ottoman Empire, until taken� by France in 1803.
4Setif was known as Colonia Sitifis to the Roman, it was under Arab Islamic rule by the 8th century AD.
5Sidi Bel Abbes is named after a Muslim religious leader, Sidi Bel Abbass, who was buried in the city.
Wealth; Gross Domestic Product (nominal values)
|
|
GDP, US$ million |
Total GDP, % of USA |
GDP per capita, US$ |
GDP per capita % of USA |
|
1960 |
2,272 |
0.42 |
245 |
8.15 |
|
1965 |
3,136 |
0.42 |
248 |
6.48 |
|
1970 |
7,730 |
0.74 |
334 |
6.37 |
|
1975 |
15,430 |
0.94 |
966 |
12.35 |
|
1980 |
42,350 |
1.51 |
2,269 |
18.01 |
|
1985 |
61,840 |
1.47 |
2,753 |
15.07 |
|
1990 |
45,560 |
0.79 |
1,816 |
7.58 |
|
1995 |
41,260 |
0.56 |
1,499 |
4.99 |
|
2000 |
53,720 |
0.54 |
1,782 |
4.89 |
|
2005 |
102,300 |
0.78 |
3,100 |
7.00 |
|
2010 |
161,207 |
1.08 |
4,463 |
9.23 |
|
2015 |
164,779 |
0.91 |
4,132 |
7.35 |
|
2016 |
156,079 |
0.84 |
3,843 |
6.69 |
GDP by primary sector
|
|
Agriculture % GDP |
Agriculture % employed |
Industry % GDP |
Industry % employed |
Services % GDP |
Services % employed |
|
1950 |
|
75.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1960 |
|
67.0 |
|
12.0 |
|
21.0 |
|
1970 |
|
47.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1980 |
14.0 |
30.0 |
10.0 |
25.0 |
|
|
|
2010 |
8.3 |
14.0 |
61.5 |
13.4 |
30.2 |
60.0 |
|
2011 |
|
10.8 |
|
30.9 |
|
58.4 |
|
2015 |
12.9 |
|
36.2 |
|
50.9 |
|
Communications
Language, %, Official; Arabic (since 1996), �and Berber (Tamazight) (since 2002).� French is also widely spoken.
|
|
Arabic |
Berber |
|
1980 |
81.5 |
|
|
1990 |
83.0 |
17.0 |
|
2010 |
72.0 |
28.0 |
Literacy
10.0% (1960)
41.8% (1970); 56.9% (M), 29.1% (F)
50.0% (1985); 63.0% (M), 37.0% (F)
61.6% (1995); 73.9% (M), 49.0% (F)
66.7% (2000); 76.2% (M), 57.1% (F)
75.4% (2009); 84.3% (M), 66.4% (F)
80.2% (2015); 87.2% (M), 73.1% (F)
Physical communications � roads
|
|
Roads (km) |
Surfaced (km) |
Motor vehicles |
Cars |
Commercial Vehicles |
|
1947 |
33,800 |
|
|
31,450 |
16,450 |
|
1960 |
80,000 |
|
170,000 |
124,750 |
58,000 |
|
1975 |
|
|
|
286,100 |
154,700 |
|
1977 |
|
|
|
347,462 |
226,060 |
|
1985 |
|
43,000 |
600,000 |
|
|
|
1990 |
|
|
1,100,000 |
|
|
|
1996 |
|
|
1,505,000 |
725,000 |
|
|
2000 |
105,000 |
|
|
1,500,000 |
900,000 |
|
2005 |
|
|
3,200,000 |
2,043,000 |
1,140,000 |
|
2008 |
108,300 |
76,028 |
|
|
|
|
2010 |
113,655 |
87,605 |
4,000,000 |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
4,835,000 |
3,268,000 |
|
Railways;
First railway construction in Algeria began 1860; first railway opened 1862. The railway from Oran to Tunis (1,500 km) was completed in 1887.
Length, kilometres (% e = electrified)
544 (1870)
1,196 (1880)
2,835 (1890)
3,002 (1900)
3,563 (1910)
4,057 (1920)
4,817 (1930)
4,445 (1940)
4,564 (1950)
4,200 (1959)
3,900 (1964), (6.1% e), also 1,400 narrow gauge
3,890 (1977)
3,761 (1984), (7.9% e) also 1,112 narrow gauge
2,888 (2000), also 1,085 narrow gauge
2,888 (2014), (9.8% e), also 1,085 narrow gauge
Urban metro systems,
kilometres
Algiers, A metro system opened in 2011; construction had begun in 1983.� A system of 64.0 km was planned but falling oil prices curtailed development plans.
8.4 km (2012)
Electronic communications
|
|
Telephones (landlines) |
Mobile Telephones |
Radios |
Televisions1 |
PCs |
Internet Users |
|
1939 |
34,351 |
|
100,000 |
|
|
|
|
1950 |
|
|
176,000 |
|
|
|
|
1959 |
178,327 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1960 |
|
|
593,000 |
67,000 |
|
|
|
1965 |
139,473 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1974 |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
1976 |
|
|
3,000,000 |
525,000 |
|
|
|
1978 |
297.700 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1980 |
311,400 |
|
3,900,000 |
|
|
|
|
1985 |
|
|
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
|
1990 |
812,000 |
470 |
5,810,000 |
1,840,000 |
25,000 |
|
|
1995 |
|
4,700 |
|
2,500,000 |
85,000 |
|
|
1998 |
|
|
|
|
|
500 |
|
2000 |
1,761,000 |
86,000 |
7,400,000 |
3,300,000 |
242,000 |
50,000 |
|
2005 |
2,000,000 |
13,661,000 |
|
6,100,000 |
350,000 |
1,920,000 |
|
2010 |
2,900,000 |
36,000,000 |
|
|
|
4,700,000 |
|
2016 |
3,404,709 |
48,348,500 |
|
|
|
17,291,500 |
|
2017 |
|
|
|
|
|
18,580,000 |
1TV broadcasts began 1956
Tourism: Visitors to Algeria,
196,700 (1972)
184,800 (1976)
323,100 (1981)
1,137,000 (1990)
520,000 (1995)
866,000 (2000)
1,443,090 (2005)
2,070,000 (2010)
1,710,000 (2015)