JOINT PRESS RELEASE

Dili, May 18, 2023 – Timor-Leste’s population grew by approximately 1.8 percent annually from 2015 to 2022 to stand at 1.34 million – a decline from 2.1 percent for the census period 2010 to 2015.

According to results of the Timor-Leste Population and Housing census 2022, released today by the National Institute of Statistics (INETL), formerly General Directorate of Statistics (GDS), the country’s population will double in 39 years if the current population increases at the same growth rate.

The launch, held at the Ministry of Finance Conference room in Dili, was presided over by H.E. Dr. Fidelis Manuel Leite Mangalhães, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers on behalf of H.E. Taur Matan Ruak, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste. 

“The government of Timor-Leste provided more than 3.2 million dollars, which was 76 percent of the 2022 census budget, for the activities of the census. We will continue to support the process to ensure that all the remaining work on census activities is done,” said H.E. Dr. Fidelis Manuel Leite Mangalhães.

The 2022 census -- the first-ever digital census in Timor-Leste, conducted from 5 September to 5 October 2022, shows that there are 102 males for every 100 females in the country.

Also, 65 percent of the population in Timor-Leste is aged below 30 years with 28.6 percent of the people living in urban areas.

Dili, the capital, is the most populous municipality with 324 thousand residents -- representing 25 percent of the total population of Timor-Leste, followed by Ermera with 138 thousand, and Baucau with 134 thousand, while the least populous municipality is Atauro with a population of ten thousand.

The three most populous municipalities make up 44 percent of the total population of Timor-Leste.

Significantly, the highest population growth was recorded in Dili with an annual population growth rate of 2.7 percent while Viqueque registered the lowest growth rate of only 0.7 percent.

UNFPA continues to provide technical and financial support to the Government of Timor-Leste to ensure that the census is of high quality, credible, uphold international principles and standards, and produce data that are widely disseminated and utilized to support the development of the country.

Since 2004, UNFPA has continued to provide technical assistance to the Government of Timor-Leste through the National Institute of Statistics (INETL) to conduct the census.

“UNFPA will continue to provide technical support to the Government of Timor-Leste to ensure that census data is widely disseminated and utilized for sustainable development,” said Ms. Pressia Arifin-Cabo, UNFPA Country Representative in Timor-Leste.

 

For more information, contact:

Suleiman Okoth

Communications and Programme Support Specialist

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Timor-Leste

Mobile: +67075169796, Email; okoth@unfpa.org

Domingos Sebastiao Freitas

Publication, Publicity and Advocacy Officer

National Institute of Statistics (INETL)

Mobile: +67077913828, Email: dsfreitas@mof.gov.tl