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The population of Ecuador is quite diverse. The Mestizos people group makes up the largest portion of the population of Ecuador, at about 65%. Mestizos are people of mixed ancestry, combining that of Spanish settlers and Amerindians.

The second largest group is the Amerindians, making up about 25% of the population. Amerindian is the name of the indigenous peoples in the Americas before European occupation in the 1400s. The precise definition of the term “Amerindian” is among the controversial topics in the “Native American” semantics debate.

White Spanish make up another 7% of the population; these people are called criollos. The remaining 3% consists of Afro-Ecuadorian descendants.

For a number of years the majority of the population lived in the sierra region, but recently there has been an exodus to the costa region, creating an even population split between these two areas. The urban population has grown in recent years due to rural dwellers heading to the cities, primarily the large ones. The population in the cities of Ecuador now exceeds 55%.

Eight groups of indigenous peoples make up a paltry 3% of the population in the oriente region: the Quichua, the Shuar, the Achuar, the Huaorani, the Siona, the Shiwiar, the Záparo, and the Cofan. These groups, who live in the Amazon River basin in the eastern portion of Ecuador, lead private lives and are leery of the Mestizos and other white settlers. These people have generally made no movement to urban areas, nor are they expected to. These groups are represented politically by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Children from the ages of 6 to 14 are required to attend public school, which is free of charge. While the government is making strides to improve public education, the poverty stricken rural people are finding it less and less appealing to be part.

The population growth rate in Ecuador is about 2%, while the birth rate is about 25 per 1,000, and the death rate is about 6 per 1,000.

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