Core document forming part of the reports of States parties
Ecuador *
Addendum
Updating of information contained in the common core document of Ecuador (HRI/CORE/ECU/2009)
[15 February 2012]
A.Introduction
1.This document updates the information provided in chapter IA of Ecuador’s common core document (HRI/CORE/ECU/2009).
B.Demographic, economic, social and cultural characteristics
Population census (HRI/CORE/ECU/2009, para. 10)
2.The national census referred to in the common core document dated from 2001 and covered the decade 1990–2001. According to the most recent population census (based on the seventh population census and the sixth housing census conducted in 2010) Ecuador has a total population of 14,483,499. The ethnic composition of the population is: 71.9 per cent mestizo; 7.4 per cent Montubio; 7.2 per cent Afro-Ecuadoria; and 7 per cent indigenous. The population grew at an annual rate of 1.95 per cent in the period between the 2001 and 2010 censuses. The urban population accounts for 63 per cent of the total and the rural population 37 per cent.
Statistics on births and deaths (para. 23)
3.The statistics in the common core document dated from 2007. Current data, pertaining to 2010, are provided in the following tables:
Table 1
Actual and registered births, 2009 – 2010
2009 |
2010 |
|
Total births registered in the year |
361 345 |
351 530 |
Births registered the first year |
215 906 |
219 162 |
Births registered the second year |
82 431 |
- |
Population estimate |
14 005 449 |
14 204 900 |
Percentage of births registered in the year |
59.8 |
62.3 |
Crude birth rate |
21.3 |
15.4 |
Source : National Statistics and Census Institute (INEC) (www.inec.gov.ec) and the National Secretariat for Planning and Development (SENPLADES) (blogpnd.senplades.gob.ec).
Table 2
Overall deaths by age group and sex, 2010
Age groups |
Under 12 months |
1 – 4 years |
5 – 14 years |
15 – 49 years |
50 – 64 years |
65 and older |
Age unknown |
Total |
Men |
1 735 |
623 |
683 |
9 281 |
5 484 |
17 028 |
61 |
34 895 |
% |
5.0 |
1.8 |
2.0 |
26.6 |
15.7 |
48.8 |
0.2 |
100.0 |
Women |
1 469 |
506 |
466 |
3 952 |
3 917 |
16 448 |
28 |
26 786 |
% |
5.5 |
1.9 |
1.7 |
14.8 |
14.6 |
61.4 |
0.1 |
100.0 |
Total |
3 204 |
1 129 |
1 149 |
13 233 |
9 401 |
33 476 |
89 |
61 681 |
% |
5.2 |
1.8 |
1.9 |
21.5 |
15.2 |
54.3 |
0.1 |
100.0 |
Source: INEC and SENPLADES.
Housing (para. 26)
4.With regard to housing, the Living Conditions Survey was conducted in 2007. The data for December 2010 is shown in the table below.
5.The survey has two sampling formats: one for the national quarterly survey for urban areas, which comprises 573 census sectors made up of 12 housing units per sector, giving a total of 6,873 housing units; and another for the national annual census for both urban and rural areas, comprising 1,814 sectors and amounting to 21,768 housing units. It should be mentioned that the Andean Community’s recommended definition of urban areas is used, whereby population centres with 2,000 or more inhabitants are urban and those with less than 2,000 inhabitants or in remote areas are rural.
Table 3
Geographical distribution of sampl ing by province
Provinces |
Sectors (December 2010) |
Hous ing units |
Azuay |
96 |
1 152 |
Bolívar |
80 |
960 |
Cañar |
80 |
960 |
Carchi |
80 |
960 |
Cotopaxi |
80 |
960 |
Chimborazo |
80 |
960 |
El Oro |
137 |
1 644 |
Esmeraldas |
120 |
1 440 |
Guayas |
177 |
2 124 |
Imbabura |
80 |
960 |
Loja |
80 |
960 |
Los Ríos |
120 |
1 440 |
Manabi |
120 |
1 440 |
Pichincha |
139 |
1 668 |
Tunguragua |
103 |
1 236 |
Amazonía |
80 |
960 |
Santo Domingo |
80 |
960 |
Santa Elena |
80 |
960 |
Non-delimited zones |
2 |
24 |
Total |
1 814 |
21 768 |
Source: INEC and SENPLADES.
Poverty indicators (paras. 28 to 31)
6.The information in the common core document was taken from the 2005–2006 Living Conditions Survey. The following tables provide updated information.
Table 4
National poverty indicators in urban and rural areas (percentages)
Quarter |
Incidence of poverty |
Standard error |
Lower limit |
Upper limit |
June 2010 |
33.01 |
0.69 |
31.66 |
34.39 |
December 2010 |
32.76 |
0.59 |
31.61 |
33.94 |
Source: INEC and SENPLADES.
Table 5
Poverty in urban areas (percentages)
Quarter |
Incidence of poverty |
Standard error |
Lower limit |
Upper limit |
March 2010 |
22.60 |
0.92 |
20.85 |
24.45 |
June 2010 |
22.91 |
0.79 |
21.39 |
24.50 |
September 2010 |
22.71 |
0.81 |
21.16 |
24.34 |
December 2010 |
22.45 |
0.70 |
21.10 |
23.86 |
Source: INEC and SENPLADES.
Table 6
Poverty in rural areas (percentages)
Quarter |
Incidence of poverty |
Standard error |
Lower limit |
Upper limit |
June 2010 |
52.89 |
1.09 |
50.75 |
55.02 |
December 2010 |
52.96 |
1.01 |
50.96 |
54.94 |
Source: INEC and SENPLADES.
Unemployment, employment and wages (paras. 39 to 41)
7.According to surveys conducted by INEC, as at March 2010, unemployment affected 9.1 per cent of the economically active population in Ecuador – 0.5 per cent more than the previous year. Breaking down the unemployment rate by gender shows that female unemployment (11.6 per cent) was much higher than male unemployment (7.2 per cent). In addition, 51.3 per cent of the economically active population were underemployed, compared with 37.6 per cent in full-time employment. These two indicators did however decrease between March 2009 and March 2010.
8.Of the total population in employment (full-time and underemployed), a larger percentage still worked in the informal sector (43.4 per cent) than in the formal sector (39.4 per cent). The two most common branches of activity were retail (26.6 per cent) and industry (13.9 per cent). The following cities posted a full-time employment rate above the national average (37.6 per cent): Cuenca (50.1 per cent), Quito (49.2 per cent), Ambato (44.7 per cent) and Guayaquil (38.4 per cent). Machala (37 per cent) was the only city with a full-time employment rate below the national average, and it had the highest underemployment rate (53.4 per cent). The unemployment rate in Guayaquil (12.3 per cent) was higher than in any other city and above the national average.
9.Since 1 January 2010, the general legal minimum wage is considered to be US$ 240, which is 10.09 per cent higher than the minimum wage for the previous year and 20 per cent higher in the case of domestic workers. If categories XIII and XIV of supplementary pay are taken into consideration, the average nominal minimum wage is US$ 279.85.
10.With regard to labour policies, in April 2010 the Sectoral Production Council launched the Agenda for Production Change through the Ministry for the Coordination of Production, Employment and Competitiveness. The Agenda highlights objectives, policies, strategies, programmes and projects in terms of both production and labour. It also establishes 14 priority areas in the country’s productive development, which are included in the Production Development Strategy and the Plan for Good Living. State authorities expect that domestic production will improve and that, as programmes and projects are implemented, the unemployment rate is likely to fall over the next few quarters of the year and the number of people in full employment should therefore increase.