Provisional figures from the recent Fiji census show that population changes will have a significant effect on the March 2009 general election.
Figures released by the Bureau of Statistics show that Fiji's population stood at 828-thousand in September this year, up by 53-thousand from the previous census in 1996.
The most significant demographic change has been a dramatic increase in the population of indigenous Fijians whose numbers have increased by over 80-thousand to 474-thousand.
At the same time, there has been a sharp decrease in the population of ethnic Indians whose numbers have fallen by over 27-thousand to 312-thousand.
Fiji's urban population has also increased by nearly 62-thousand of whom almost 50-thousand are indigenous Fijians.
The figures are expected to result in major changes to constituency boundaries and the distribution of electoral seats before the next general elections.
