Demographics of Guyana

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]

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

[8]

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% while the 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] However, among the immigrants there were also 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 and White population (mostly consisting of Portuguese) is about 0.5%.[17][18]

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]

• CIA World Factbook – Guyana