Ecuador
Waiting for the first voice
تا مرد سخن نگفته باشد / عیب و هنرش نهفته باشد
Until a man has spoken, his faults and his gifts both stay hidden.
No advice from here yet. Know an elder from this country? Your recording could be the first: 2–3 minutes on a phone.
Did you know
Ecuador is named after the Equator, which splits the country in two. (source)
Elders in numbers
- of people are 65 or older
- 8.6%
- people aged 65 or older
- 1.6M
- will be 65 or older in 2050
- 17.2%
- is how long people live after 60, on average
- 23.6 years
- of people 65+ live alone
- 17.8%
- women 18.4%, men 17.1%
- of people 65+ live in collective quarters: care homes, hospitals, hostels and the like
- 0.2%
Sources: World Bank, 2025; World Bank projection for 2050; WHO, 2023; UN, 2022; UN, 2010 census
Languages
23 languages, 21 of them endangered
- ZáparoCritically endangered
- AchuarDefinitely endangered
- Cha'palaaDefinitely endangered
- Salasaca Highland QuichuaDefinitely endangered
- SecoyaDefinitely endangered
- SionaDefinitely endangered
- TsachilaDefinitely endangered
- WaoraniDefinitely endangered
- Awa PitVulnerable
- Calderón Highland QuichuaVulnerable
- Cañar Highland QuichuaVulnerable
- Chimborazo Highland QuichuaVulnerable
Show all 23
- CofánVulnerable
- EperaraVulnerable
- Imbabura Highland QuichuaVulnerable
- Loja Highland QuichuaVulnerable
- Media LenguaVulnerable
- Napo Lowland QuechuaVulnerable
- Northern Pastaza QuichuaVulnerable
- ShuarVulnerable
- Tena Lowland QuichuaVulnerable
- Ecuadorian Sign Language
- Spanish
Languages and their status: Glottolog v5.3, CC BY 4.0. Names: Wikidata.
UNESCO intangible heritage
- Pasillo, song and poetry2021
- Marimba music, traditional chants and dances from the Colombia South Pacific region and Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador2015
- Traditional weaving of the Ecuadorian toquilla straw hat2012
- Oral heritage and cultural manifestations of the Zápara people2008
List and years: ich.unesco.org
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