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Demographics of Guyana

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Demographics of Guyana
Population pyramid of Guyana in 2020
Population789,683 (2022 est.)
Growth rate0.24% (2022 est.)
Birth rate16.72 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate6.91 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Fertility rate2.35 children
Net migration rate-7.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years23.91%
65 and over7.01%
Nationality
NationalityGuyanese
Census population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1831 98,000—    
1911 296,041+1.39%
1931 310,933+0.25%
1946 375,701+1.27%
1960 560,330+2.90%
1970 701,718+2.28%
1980 759,567+0.80%
1991 723,673−0.44%
2002 751,223+0.34%
2012 746,955−0.06%
Source:[1]

This is a demography of Guyana including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Guyana's population (Guyanese people) is made up of five main ethnic groups: Indians, Africans, Amerindians, Europeans (mainly Portuguese), and Chinese. Ninety percent of the inhabitants live on the narrow coastal plain, where population density is more than 115 inhabitants per square kilometre (300/sq mi). The population density for Guyana as a whole is low: less than four inhabitants per square kilometre (10.4/sq mi).

Guyana continues to be influenced by British and Indian culture as well as the cultures of the United States, Europe, Africa, the Islamic world, East and South Asian countries, and Latin America, especially the neighbouring countries of Venezuela and Brazil. It is one of two countries and three territories to form the Guianas, such as Suriname and territories like the French Guiana and parts of neighbouring countries named for Guayana (Venezuela) and Amapá of Brazil.

Population

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According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects[2][3], the total population was 804,567 in 2021. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 33.6%, 62.1% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 4.3% was 65 years or older.[4]

Year Total population
( × 1000) 		Population percentage in age bracket
aged 0–14 aged 15–64 aged 65+
1950 407
39.9%
56.0%
4.1%
1955 483
43.6%
52.8%
3.6%
1960 560
46.3%
50.4%
3.3%
1965 640
47.7%
49.0%
3.4%
1970 721
48.7%
47.9%
3.4%
1975 749
45.5%
50.9%
3.6%
1980 777
42.5%
53.7%
3.8%
1985 752
38.6%
57.0%
4.4%
1990 725
34.4%
60.6%
5.0%
1995 728
34.6%
60.4%
5.0%
2000 733
35.5%
60.0%
4.5%
2005 746
36.9%
59.3%
3.8%
2010 754
33.6%
62.1%
4.3%
2020 750
23.9%
69.1%
7.0%

Structure of the population

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Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 15.IX.2012): [5]
Age Group Male Female Total %
Total 371 805 375 150 746 955 100
0–4 35 876 34 564 70 440 9.43
5–9 35 954 35 314 71 268 9.54
10–14 42 302 40 837 83 139 11.13
15–19 42 749 42 049 84 798 11.35
20–24 31 350 31 932 63 282 8.47
25–29 25 487 26 574 52 061 6.97
30–34 26 103 26 996 53 099 7.11
35–39 25 457 26 022 51 479 6.89
40–44 24 212 23 743 47 955 6.42
45–49 21 573 21 542 43 115 5.77
50–54 18 878 18 566 37 444 5.01
55–59 14 045 14 998 29 043 3.89
60–64 10 479 11 034 21 513 2.88
65-69 6 638 7 197 13 835 1.85
70-74 4 817 5 522 10 339 1.38
75-79 3 037 3 871 6 908 0.92
80-84 1 714 2 365 4 079 0.55
85+ 1 134 2 024 3 158 0.42
Age group Male Female Total Percent
0–14 114 132 110 715 224 847 30.10
15–64 240 333 243 456 483 789 64.77
65+ 17 340 20 979 38 319 5.13

Age structure

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0–14 years: 35.6% (male 135,629; female 131,518; total 267,146)
15–64 years: 60.2% (male 226,058; female 226,551; total 452,609)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 14,347; female 17,120; total 31,467) (2002 census)[6][7]

Vital statistics

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The Population Department of the United Nations prepared the following estimates of vital statistics of Guyana. [4]

Period Live births
per year 		Deaths
per year 		Natural change
per year 		CBR* CDR* NC* TFR* IMR* Life expectancy
total males females
1950–1955 20,000 8,000 12,000 49.4 18.1 31.4 6.68 118 49.2 46.5 52.0
1955–1960 23,000 8,000 15,000 47.5 15.8 31.7 6.77 107 51.7 49.4 54.1
1960–1965 25,000 8,000 17,000 41.5 13.6 27.9 6.15 98 53.7 51.8 55.6
1965–1970 27,000 8,000 19,000 40.0 12.5 27.5 6.11 92 55.1 53.8 56.4
1970–1975 25,000 7,000 18,000 34.1 11.0 23.2 4.90 83 57.2 55.9 58.6
1975–1980 24,000 7,000 17,000 31.1 10.0 21.0 3.94 77 58.8 57.4 60.3
1980–1985 23,000 7,000 16,000 28.7 9.6 19.1 3.26 73 60.0 57.9 62.5
1985–1990 19,000 7,000 12,000 26.4 9.8 16.6 2.70 68 60.6 57.9 63.8
1990–1995 19,000 7,000 12,000 23.5 9.8 13.7 2.55 63 61.4 58.5 64.9
1995–2000 18,000 7,000 11,000 22.0 8.9 13.0 2.50 56 63.1 60.1 66.6
2000–2005 16,000 7,000 9,000 20.1 7.6 12.5 2.43 49 65.7 62.7 69.1
2005–2010 14,000 6,000 8,000 18.8 5.9 12.9 2.33 42 68.7 65.5 71.9
*CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman)

Registered births and deaths

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[8]

Population Live births Deaths Natural change Crude birth rate (per 1000) Crude death rate (per 1000) Natural change (per 1000) Total fertility rate Infant mortality rate
1948 16 576 5 437 11 139
1949 17 137 5 264 11 873
1950 16 985 5 938 11 047
1951 18 357 5 637 12 720
1952 19 555 5 772 13 783
1953 20 148 5 876 14 272
1954 20 263 5 635 14 628
1955 21 073 5 557 15 516
1956 21 668 5 380 16 288
1957 22 983 5 726 17 257
1958 23 661 5 195 18 466
1959 24 467 5 313 19 154
1960 23 718 5 167 18 551
1961 24 323 5 069 19 254
1962 25 316 4 664 20 652
1963 25 796 4 573 21 223
1964 25 541 4 748 20 793
1965 25 830 4 705 21 125
1966 26 348 5 234 21 114
1967 23 335 5 388 17 947
1968 23 467 5 619 17 848
1969 22 129
1970 23 703 4 808 18 895
1971 22 933 5 248 17 685
1972 25 065 5 962 19 103
1973 24 100 5 599 18 501
1974 23 100 6 161 16 939
1975 23 200 5 924 17 276
1976 24 200 6 251 16 949
1977 5 883
1978 23 200 6 000 17 200
1984 4 781
1992 712 415
1993 734 854 4 514 6.1
1994 745 994 4 304 5.8
1995 760 379
1996 770 139
1997 775 137 5 117 6.6
1998 773 432 4 977 6.4
1999 770 584 4 197 5.4
2000 756 395
2001 753 862 4 629 6.1
2002 751 647 5 003 6.7
2003 749 739 4 986 6.7
2004 748 144 5 141 6.9
2005 746 865 14 860 5 230 9 630 19.9 7.0 12.9 22.0
2006 745 898 14 830 5 020 9 810 19.9 6.7 13.2 19.2
2007 745 246 14 500 5 040 9 460 19.5 6.8 12.7 20.3
2008 774 443 15 240 4 980 10 260 19.7 6.4 13.2 17.5
2009 753 227 14 461 5 270 9 191 19.2 7.0 12.2 10.8
2010 752 113 14 290 5 260 9 030 19.0 7.0 12.0 14.7
2011 750 663 14 110 5 180 8 930 18.8 6.9 11.9 14.4
2012 746 724 13 780 5 160 8 620 18.5 6.9 11.5 13.8
2013 749 289 13 820 4 930 8 890 18.4 6.6 11.9 2.6 12.9
2014 751 975 14 800 5 460 9 340 19.7 7.3 12.4 23.3
2015 754 803 13 060 5 050 8 010 17.3 6.7 10.6 21.8
2016 757 759 5 109 6.7
2017 760 807 13 608 4 909 8 699 17.9 6.5 11.4
2018 763 899 14 659 4 558 10 101 19.2 6.0 13.2
2019 766 986 5 560 7.2
2020 770 026 3 503 4.5
2021 772 975 7 154 9.3
2022 6 818

Fertility and births

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Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[9]

Year Total Urban Rural
CBR TFR WFR CBR TFR WFR CBR TFR WFR
2005 21.3 2.6 — 20.3 2.4 — 21.7 2.8 —
2009 23 2.8 2.1 17 2.1 1.7 24 3.0 2.3

Ethnic groups

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Ethnic groups of Guyana (2012 Census)
Ethnic groups percent
Indian
 
 39.83%
Black
 
 29.25%
Mixed
 
 19.88%
Amerindian
 
 9.51%
Other (includes Chinese, European)
 
 0.5%

The present population of Guyana is racially and ethnically heterogeneous, with ethnic groups originating from India, Africa, Europe, and China, as well as indigenous or aboriginal peoples.

The largest ethnic group are the Indo-Guyanese, the descendants of indentured labourers from India, who make up 39.8% of the population, according to the 2012 census.[10] They are followed by the Afro-Guyanese, the descendants of enslaved labourers from Africa, who constitute 29.3. Guyanese of mixed heritage make up 19.9%.[10]

Indigenous peoples, known locally as Amerindians, make up 10.5%. The indigenous groups include the Arawaks, the Wai Wai, the Caribs, the Akawaio, the Arecuna, the Patamona, the Wapixana, the Macushi, and the Warao.[10] The two largest groups, the Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese, have experienced some racial tension.[11][12][13][14]

Most Indo-Guyanese are descended from indentured labourers who migrated from North India, especially the Bhojpur and Awadh regions of the Hindi Belt in the present day states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.[15] A significant minority of Indo-Guyanese are also descended from indentured migrants who came from the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.[16] Among the immigrants there were many labourers from other parts of South Asia such as Nepal, Bengal, Chota Nagpur, and Northwestern India - the modern states of Punjab, Haryana - which was at the time a part of the state of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The distribution pattern in the 2002 census was similar to those of the 1980 and 1991 censuses, but the share of the two main groups has declined. Indo-Guyanese made up 51.9% of the total population in 1980, but by 1991 this had fallen to 48.6%, and then to 43.5% in the 2002 census. Those of African descent increased slightly from 30.8% to 32.3% during the first period (1980 and 1991) before falling to 30.2% in the 2002 census. With small growth in the overall population, the decline in the shares of the two larger groups has resulted in the relative increase of shares of the multiracial and Amerindian groups.

The Amerindian population rose by 22,097 people between 1991 and 2002. This represents an increase of 47.3% or annual growth of 3.5%. Similarly, the multiracial population increased by 37,788 persons, representing a 43.0% increase or annual growth rate of 3.2% from the base period of 1991 census.

The number of Chinese is about 0.2% and the White population (mostly consisting of Portuguese) is about 0.3%.[17][18]

Population of Guyana according to ethnic group[19][20][21]
Census year Indian Black Mixed Amerindian White Chinese Other Total
# % # % # % # % # % # % # %
1946 163,434
43.5%
 143,385
38.2%
 37,685
10.0%
 16,322
4.3%
 8,543
2.3%
 3,567
0.9%
 2,765
0.7%
 375,701
1960 267,840
47.8%
 183,980
32.8%
 67,189
12.0%
 25.450
4.5%
 3,218
0.6%
 4,074
0.7%
 8,655
1.5%
 560,406
1980 394,417
51.9%
 234,094
30.8%
 84,764
11.2%
 40,343
5.3%
 3,790
0.5%
 1,864
0.2%
 294
0.0%
 759,566
1991 351,939
48.6%
 233,465
32.3%
 87,881
12.1%
 46,722
6.5%
 2,267
0.3%
 1,290
0.2%
 107
0.0%
 723,671
2002 326,277
43.4%
 227,062
30.2%
 125,727
16.7%
 68,675
9.1%
 1,974
0.3%
 1,396
0.2%
 112
0.0%
 751,223
2012 297,493
39.8%
 218,483
29.3%
 148,532
19.9%
 78,492
10.5%
 2,325
0.3%
 1,377
0.2%
 253
0.0%
 746,955

Language

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Main article: Languages of Guyana

English is the official language of Guyana, which is the only South American country with English as the official language.[22][23]

Guyanese Creole (an English-based creole with African and Indian syntax) is widely spoken in Guyana.[22]

A number of Amerindian languages are also spoken by a minority of the population. These include Cariban languages such as Macushi, Akawaio and Wai-Wai, and Arawakan languages such as Arawak (or Lokono) and Wapishana.[22][23]

Other languages include Chinese spoken by some members of the Chinese community, Portuguese spoken by some Portuguese Guyanese, Dutch spoken by Surinamese in Guyana, and Guyanese Hindustani and Tamil spoken by a few older members of the Indian Guyanese community, as well as Sarnami Hindustani spoken by Indians from Suriname.[22][23]

Second and third languages

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Portuguese is increasingly widely used as a second language in Guyana, particularly in the south of the country near the Brazil border.[22] Dutch and French are spoken by those who frequently visit neighbouring Suriname and French Guiana respectively. French is widely taught in secondary schools along with Spanish as foreign languages. Spanish is also used by a minority of the population as a second language. Spanish is spoken typically by visitors and residents from Venezuela.[24]

Religion

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See also: Religion in Guyana

The religious breakdown of Guyanese people is: Hindu 28.4%, Pentecostal 16.9%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Muslim 7.2%, Anglican 6.9%, Seventh-day Adventist 5%, other Christian denominations 20.5%, no religion 4.3%, Rastafarian 0.5%, Bahá’í 0.1%, other faiths 2.2%. [25]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Final 2012 Census Compendium". Bureau of Statistics - Guyana. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  2. ^ "World Population Prospects 2022". United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  3. ^ "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950-2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision". Esa.un.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  5. ^ "UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics". unstats.un.org. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  6. ^ Guyana Census 2002, population composition, Ch. 2 (p. 44)
  7. ^ Total population 751,223, where 15–64 years is 452,609/751,223 ~= 60.2%.
  8. ^ "DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE: GUYANA" (PDF). Caricomstats.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Guyana - Demographic and Health Survey 2009". microdata.worldbank.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  10. ^ a b c Compendium 2: Population composition Archived 5 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Guyana turns attention to racism". BBC News. 20 September 2005.
  12. ^ "Conflict between East-Indian and Blacks in Trinidad and Guyana Socially, Economically and Politically". Gabrielle Hookumchand, Professor Moses Seenarine. 18 May 2000.
  13. ^ International Business Times: "Guyana: A Study in Polarized Racial Politics" Archived 15 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine 12 December 2011
  14. ^ "Ethnic Conflict Threatens Democracy in Guyana". 18 March 2024.
  15. ^ Helen Myers (1999). Music of Hindu Trinidad. University of Chicago Press. p. 30. ISBN 9780226554532.
  16. ^ Indian Diaspora (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2017. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  17. ^ "South America :: GUYANA". Cia.gov. CIA The World Factbook. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  18. ^ "Portuguese emigration from Madeira to British Guiana". Guyana.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  19. ^ "2012 Census Compendium 2". Statisticsguyana.gov.gy. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  20. ^ "United Nations Statistics Division - Demographic and Social Statistics". unstats.un.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  21. ^ Guyana Census 2002, population composition, Ch. 2 (pp. 27–28)
  22. ^ a b c d e Smock, Kirk (2008). Guyana: The Bradt Travel Guide. Bradt. pp. 19. ISBN 978-1-84162-223-1.
  23. ^ a b c Ali, Arif (2008). Guyana. London: Hansib. ISBN 978-1-906190-10-1.
  24. ^ Damoiseau, Robert (2003) Eléments de grammaire comparée français-créole guyanais Ibis rouge, Guyana, ISBN 2-84450-192-3
  25. ^ "Peoples". www.embassyofguyana.be. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
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