The state of Puebla is ranked fifth within the Mexican nation in terms of population with 5'383,133 inhabitants according to the latest census dating back to the year 2005. It also reports a density of 148 persons per sq. kilometer, a statistic that cannot ignore the fact that 26% of the population lives in the state capital of Puebla de Zaragoza, and the rest is distributed across 216 municipalities, where 29% of the people live in rural settlements. Life expectancy when born in Puebla reaches 70,7 years for men and 76,5 years of age for women, both indicators below the national averages. For a state with a large and robust economy, Puebla is still lagging behind in terms of education, as average schooling for those over 15 years of age is of only 7,4 years, when the national average reaches 8,1 years of education. In addition, as much as 12% from the same fraction is illiterate, 17% did not finish primary school and only 8% has earned a professional degree. Other demographic particulars reveal that 92% of the population follows the catholic faith; 12% speak a native dialect, the most common of which is the nahuatl followed by the totonaca, a statistic that places Puebla as the eighth state with the highest percentage of inhabitants who speak an indigenous language.