Timor-Leste/Society

Society in Timor-Leste

An overview of key social indicators. Select a category for detailed trends, charts, and insights.

Explore Social Domains

Demographics

Coming Soon
Population
1.4M(2023)
Population Growth
1.1%(2023)
Fertility Rate
2.71(2023)
Death Rate
7.3 per 1k(2023)
Net Migration
-2.6K(2024)

Public Health

Coming Soon
Life Expectancy
67.69(2023)
Under-5 Mortality
50 per 1k(2023)
Maternal Mortality
192 per 100k(2023)
Health Expenditure
14.3%(2022)

Education & Human Capital

Coming Soon
Literacy Rate
69.9%(2020)
Primary Enrollment
92.3%(2018)
Secondary Enrollment
85.2%(2020)
Tertiary Enrollment
30.8(2023)
Education Expenditure
3%(2021)

Infrastructure & Connectivity

Coming Soon
Internet Users
34%(2023)
Access to Electricity
100%(2023)
Access to Basic Drinking Water
87%(2022)
Urban Population
449.3K(2023)
Rural Population
935K(2023)

Current Social Overview of Timor-Leste

A summary based on key social and demographic indicators.

  • Timor-Leste has an estimated population of 1.4M
    2023
    A steady annual growth rate of 1.1%
    2023
    supports sustained population expansion, providing a stable base for economic development. The fertility rate of 2.7 births per woman
    2023
    is above replacement level, ensuring sustainable long-term population stability without significant external migration. Net emigration of approximately 3K individuals annually (or 1.8 per 1,000 inhabitants)
    2024
    adds pressure to demographic transitions and workforce sustainability.
  • Regarding public health, Healthcare outcomes show foundational progress with a life expectancy of 67.7 years
    2023
    , yet significant disparities or developmental gaps may still exist. Concurrently, Healthcare delivery faces significant systemic challenges, as evidenced by elevated child mortality (under 5 years) (50.0 per 1,000 live births
    2023
    and maternal mortality (192 per 100,000 live births
    2023
    ) rates, suggesting areas for critical intervention and resource allocation. These outcomes are supported by a substantial health investment, with 14.3% of GDP allocated to healthcare expenditure
    2022
    .
  • Basic literacy development shows promise at 70%
    2020
    , but substantial and targeted investment is required to expand educational access and improve outcomes comprehensively. Complementing this, educational access shows solid progress through 92% primary enrollment
    2018
    and 85% secondary participation rates
    2020
    . This educational framework is supported by limited educational investment, at 3.0% of GDP
    2021
    , which may constrain the scale and quality of future human capital development initiatives.
  • In terms of infrastructure and connectivity, the primarily rural population distribution (68% rural population
    2023
    ) presents distinct challenges for universal infrastructure provision, service access, and economic modernization. Furthermore, basic infrastructure coverage includes 100% electricity access
    2023
    . However, digital connectivity at {currentInternet}% internet penetration
    2023
    indicates significant opportunities for further digital transformation and economic inclusion.

Key Development Insights

Population Dynamics

Managing demographic trends is crucial for long-term economic planning and workforce stability.

Public Health System

Addressing critical gaps in the healthcare system is essential to improve lagging indicators like life expectancy and maternal mortality.

Human Capital Formation

Improving foundational literacy and secondary school completion is a critical priority for unlocking future economic potential.

Infrastructure & Connectivity

Infrastructure shapes economic efficiency, urbanization patterns, and digital integration, being critical for modern economies.

More About This Country

Neighbors & Regional Peers

Note: The information on this page has been compiled from authoritative sources. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, please note that some figures may not be current or entirely precise.