Lebanon demography entailing a study of its population is rendered a bit difficult owing to the unavailability of official figures. The last recorded census was conducted in 1932 after which the Government has consciously avoided stepping onto such controversial grounds because of the ultra sensitive nature of the various religious groups and their respective manifestos. While the unofficial census for 1956 exhibited the presence of greater number of Christians than Muslims, it generated a huge uproar and the government was forced to publish the total population without any strict demarcation on the basis of religion. War prohibited the publication of any such records during the 1970s and 80s.
The CIA published a report in 1986 which indicated that the state of Lebanon comprised of 47 percent of Shias, 27 percent Sunnis and the rest of the population included Druz, orthodox Greeks, Maronites and Greek Catholics.
The 1983-84 report showed the sex distribution in Beirut to be 95.5 males per 100 females. The lesser number of males in the population were attributed to the loss of soldiers during war and also to the migration of large number of men to the Gulf nations. The World Bank report of 1983 containing the demographic records of Lebanon from 1960-81 displayed some vital tendencies. The rate of life expectancy showed an upward swing during the war though the fertility rate dropped. The population in the cities continued to increase as people started migrating in huge numbers.
Demography of Lebanon includes Sidon, Baalbek,Tripoli and Zahlah as important cities .Shias dominate the population of Lebanon but people from other religious sects also inhabit Lebanon. There is the presence of a Lebanese Diaspora as well. Lebanon’s population comprises not only of native Lebanese but also of Palestinian refugees, Syrian refugees and other immigrants.
