The population of Lebanon in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 3,653,000, which placed it as number 124 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 7% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 28% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 96 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 1.56%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 4,207,000. The population density in 2002 was 418 per sq km (1,082 per sq mi). Most of the population lives on the coastal plains where the major cities are located.
It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 90% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001, up from 74% in 1980. More than half of the population resides in the capital city, Beirut, with a population of 2,012,000. Tripoli had approximately 160,000 inhabitants. According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was1.7%.