Facts & Stats

A few facts about life in Haiti today...  

• 80% of the population lives on less than $2 per day.  (In Haiti the cost of a bowl of rice & beans for 1 person is about $1.50.  A gallon of gasoline is frequently over $6.00 per gallon.)
• 9% of children in Haiti die at birth or as infants. 15% will die before they reach 5 years old.
• The #1 killer of children in Haiti is diarrhea. The #2 killer is dehydration and malnutrition.   (Dehydration & Malnutrition are polite terms for starving to death.)
• 55% of the population has no access to clean drinking water. The people that do have access to clean water typically cannot afford it, so they often drink contaminated water anyway.
• Haiti has approximately 75% unemployment. There is little to no industry, manufacturing, or tourism in Haiti to provide a job base.
• Haiti is the 3rd worst country in the world for calorie intake with an average caloric consumption of only 450 calories per day.
•  It is estimated that between 4%-7% of the population of Haiti is HIV positive.
• There are nearly half a million 'restaveks' or child slaves in Haiti. Many Haitians see this form of slavery as an acceptable practice and the government does little to stop or discourage it.
• There are nearly half a million orphaned children in Haiti.
• Life expectancy for a male in Haiti is 49 years.
• Approximately 50% of the population practices voodoo, which became an official state recognized religion in 2003.  Approximately 15% of the population identifies themselves as Protestant Christians.
• There are no significant sewer systems or trash collection systems in Haiti. Electricity and running water is available in only a few of the major cities but is not dependable and very few people can afford it.
• With no reliable energy source, Haitians have cut down trees for decades to make charcoal for cooking. This has caused the island nation to have 97% deforestation which has led to massive erosion problems and washing away of valuable topsoil.
• Amnesty International has determined Haiti is tied for first place with Bangladesh as the world's most corrupt nation.

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