Population and Demographics

Guyana's population of over 750,000 is diverse; the three largest groups are:

• the Indians or Indo-Guyanese (43.5%) who have remained predominantly rural
• the Africans or Afro-Guyanese (30.2%) who constitute the majority urban population
• those of mixed origin (16.7%)

The Amerindians (9.2%) who live in the country's interior, are divided into a number of different groups, the main ones being the Akawaio, Arawak, Carib, Macushi, Makuxi, Pemon and Wapishana. Several smaller groups, including Chinese, Whites and others make up less than 1% of the population.

The overwhelming majority of the population (around 90%) live along the coastal strip, where population density is more than 298 persons per square mile (115 sq km).

Religion in Guyana runs mainly along racial lines. Christianity, practiced mainly by Afro-Guyanese and mixed-origin citizens, is Guyana's largest religion (50%). Hinduism, primarily practiced by Indo-Guyanese, is the faith of 35% of the population, and Islam is the faith of 10%. Guyana also has a Baha'i population at 5%.

Emigration has been a large and persistent problem in Guyana, with an estimated 500,000 Guyanese living abroad. Since independence, as many as 10,000 Guyanese per year have left and settled permanently in the United States alone, and demand to emigrate remains very high. The birth rate which has fallen sharply, combined with the rate of emigration, can no longer sustain the country's population level. Many in the government worry that the country may become depopulated, but few concrete steps have been taken to stem the outflow. Results from the 2002 census, however, suggest that emigration in the last decade has decreased somewhat compared to the 1980s.

There are over 500,000 Guyanese in the US and Canada, compared to 767,245 in Guyana.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 767,245
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 26.2% (male 102,551/female 98,772)
  • 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 265,193/female 260,892)
  • 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 17,043/female 22,794)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 27.4 years
  • Male: 26.9 years
  • Female: 27.9 years
• Population Growth Rate: 0.25%
• Birth Rate: 18.28 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 8.28 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: -7.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 32.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 35.8 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 28.4 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 65.86 years
  • Male: 63.21 years
  • Female: 68.65 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 2.04 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 2.5%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 11,000
• Ethnic Groups:
  • East Indian 50%
  • Black 36%
  • Amerindian 7%
  • White, Chinese and mixed 7%
• Religions:
  • Christian 50%
  • Hindu 35%
  • Muslim 10%
  • Other 5%
• Languages:
  • English
  • Amerindian dialects
  • Creole
  • Hindi
  • Urdu
• Literacy:
  (Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school)
  • Total population: 98.8%
  • Male: 99.1%
  • Female: 98.5%