Population Trends
… but steady rise seen in the interior
Regions Five and Six have experienced a sharp decline in their populations by 16,969 persons, while there has been a steady rise in the hinterland, preliminary findings of the Guyana Population and Housing Census 2012 have revealed.
The regions’ population fell from 176,123 persons in 2002 to 159,154 in 2012. Regions Five and Six form part of the coastland regions which also include Regions Two, Three, Four and 10. Collectively, the six regions recorded a population of 666,261 persons when the last census was conducted on September 15, 2012 while the overall population was recorded at 747,884. This count shows that the greater proportion of Guyana’s population is still concentrated within the coastland regions, but it has been gradually decreasing since the highest peak was recorded during the 1980 census.
Decrease in growth
The decline is greatly seen in Region Six. The 1980 Census recorded a population of 152,673 persons; however, by the 1991 Census, the population had dropped to 142,496. In 2002, 123,695 persons were said to be living in the district but by the 2012 Census, it experienced a further decline in population. At the time of the last census, the population stood at 109,431 persons.
Similarly, Region Five’s population has also dipped since the 2002 Census. In 2002, 52,428 persons resided in that region, however, by the last census in 2012, there were just 49,723 persons. Unlike Regions Three and Four, Regions Two and 10 experienced a downward trend. In Region Two, 46,810 were recorded during the last census compared to 49,253 during the previous census, while in Region 10, the population dropped from 41,112 to 39,452. Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10) is the least populated area within the bloc.
However, Demerara-Mahaica (Region Four) has remained the district with the largest proportion of the population among the six administrative regions within the coastland bloc. In addition to having the largest population, the district recorded an increase in population since the 2002 Census. At that time, the region had a population of 310,320, however it increase to 313,429 persons.
Hinterland rises
Meanwhile, hinterland districts, namely Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine have a population of 81,623, although they collectively make up two-thirds of the country’s landmass. Owing to increasing economic activities within the hinterland, the regions’ population continues to increase with Region One (Barima-Waini) having the highest population followed by Region Nine. Based on the preliminary report, Barima-Waini has a population of 26,941 persons followed by Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) with 24,212 persons. The Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven) district had a population of 20,280 persons during the last census while the Potaro-Siparuni district (Region Eight) had a population of 10,190 persons. While all the hinterland regions experienced an increase in their populations, Region Nine recorded the highest increase, moving from 19,387 persons in 2002 to 24,212 persons in 2012.
Increased significantly
“For the census year 2012, the population has increased significantly in all of the regions, when compared to the previous censuses dating back from 1980. This may perhaps be the result of the increase in mining activities in the hinterland regions, to which migrant workers from other regions in Guyana have relocated for economic gains, and in particular, due to an alleged increase in the number of migrants workers from the neighbouring country Brazil,” the report stated.
The Census Preliminary Report of 2012 also confirmed that there is a higher percentage of females than males in the country. On September 15, 2012, there were 372,547 males when compared to 375,337 females, thus giving an estimated sex ratio of 99 males per every 100 females in the 2012 census. However in the hinterland regions, the sex ratio for males exceeded 100 while it was low in the coastal regions, particularly in Region Four, with an estimate of 96 males to every 100 females. According to the Guyana Bureau of Statistics, the increase in mining activities within the hinterland may account for the increased in male presence.
Building blocs
Meanwhile, the country’s Building Stocks increased by 16.9 per cent, moving from 187,696 in 2002 to 219,509 in 2012. Regions Three and Four topped the chart, recording the highest increase in building stocks. According to the report, 13,120 new buildings were erected in Region Four since the 2002 Housing Census was conducted, increasing from 73,390 to 86,510 buildings. Region Three came in second with an increase of 8972 buildings. At the time of the 2002 census, the coastal region’s building stock stood at 26,516 but jumped to 35,488 buildings by 2012.
BY SVETLANA MARSHALL | BY GUYANA TIMES