Qatar 2013

Qatar Population Density

Qatar is a small country located in the Middle East, with a total population of 2.2 million people as of 2013. The majority of Qatar’s population are expatriates, with only 13 percent of the population being native Qataris. The majority of expats come from South Asia, which accounts for around 1.8 million people in 2013. This includes Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Nepalese nationals who have come to Qatar for work opportunities and to escape poverty in their home countries. Other nationalities that make up the expat population include Filipinos, Egyptians, Jordanians and Syrians. See Countryaah for more countries that also start with Q.

The vast majority of Qatar’s population can be found living in Doha and its suburbs. In 2013, Doha had an estimated population of 1 million people with an additional 300-400 thousand living in nearby suburbs such as Al Wakrah and Al Khor. Most expats live in rented accommodation provided by their employers while many locals prefer more traditional homes such as villas or compounds within the city limits. The remaining expat population live outside the city limits in areas such as Mesaieed and Al Shahaniya where they tend to be employed by industry and manufacturing companies rather than government or private sector organizations.

The vast majority of Qatar’s residents are Muslim with Sunni Islam being the predominant religion followed by around 70 percent of the population while Shia Islam is followed by around 30 percent. Other religions practiced include Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism which are mainly followed by those from South Asian countries such as India or Nepal who make up a large portion of Qatar’s expat population.

Yearbook 2013

Qatar. According to Countryaah, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani resigned from the throne on June 25 and was succeeded by her 33-year-old son, Crown Prince and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The old emir declared in a speech that he wanted to give the country’s youth increased power. The new one – educated in the UK and the driving force behind Qatar’s advancement in the power world of sports – already appointed a new government the following day with Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani as prime minister. Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim, one of the region’s most influential diplomats, was replaced by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah, a former fighter pilot who previously held several ministerial posts.

Qatar Population Density

Land area 11,586 km²
Total population 2,444,174
Population density (per km²) 211
Capital Doha
Official language Arabic
Income per capita $ 124,100
Currency Qatari riyal
ISO 3166 code QA
Internet TLD .qa
License plate Q
Telephone code +974
Time zone UTC + 3
Geographic coordinates 25 30 N, 51 15 O

The human rights organization Amnesty International reported in November on widespread abuses in the construction sector, which are entirely staffed by guest workers. According to the report, it was common for workers not to be paid, forced to live in miserable conditions and injured themselves severely.

Forced labor also occurred. According to a previous report, from the international trade union federation ITUC, on average, one guest worker per day died from work-related injuries or illnesses. Ahead of the Soccer World Cup, which is being held in Qatar in 2022, at least half a million extra guest workers were estimated to be needed to build arenas, hotels and infrastructure. Those responsible for the World Cup welcomed Amnesty’s criticism and pledged to demand a tightening of the construction companies.

The Qatar-based television company al-Jazira launched in August an American channel with headquarters in New York. The venture was rated as the largest in American television since 1996. See petwithsupplies.com for Qatar history and culture.

Population, society and rights

The population of Qatar is limited – just over two million residents – and has characteristics linked to the economic context. Qatar boasts the second highest population growth rate in the world (4.5%), but not by birth rate, but by the continuous flow of immigrants working in the hydrocarbon and construction industries. Consequently, only a small portion of the population is of Qatari nationality (about 15%). Furthermore, due to immigration, which mostly originates in Southeast Asia (India and Pakistan) and is made up of male workers, genders are not equally represented: only 24% of the population is made up of women. The majority of the population, about 90%, is Sunni Muslim and there is a small Shiite minority.

The Qatari government paid great attention to developing the education system and improving living standards and social well-being. In 2013, the country spent about 4.1% of GDP on education, the highest rate in the region, and the literacy rate, which reaches 96.7%, is significantly higher than the regional average. Furthermore, through the Qatar Foundation, led by the second wife of the former emir, Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned, considered among the most powerful women in the world, the Qatari government promotes various programs that aim at social development, research and education.. The country, together with the United Arab Emirates, is the least corrupt throughout the Middle East, but it is in terms of civil and political liberties that it does not reach adequate standards. The lack of a party system effectively makes all forms of organized political opposition absent. Freedom of the press and of opinion are also limited, although Qatar hosts and finances the satellite broadcaster al-Jazeera, known worldwide for the level of impartiality guaranteed by its information.

A category poorly protected by law and therefore more at risk is that of immigrant workers. Above all, the works for the massive infrastructure necessary to host the 2022 football world championships have highlighted the lack of attention to safety and rights in this category. As in other Gulf countries, there are numerous deaths in Qatar, especially in the construction sector, and numerous cases of harassment, all violations almost never punished. However, the awareness of being controlled by the international media following the assignment of the soccer championships has nevertheless prompted the government to modify some rules of labor law and to increase the number of inspectors. A monitoring phase by the United Nations is also foreseen.