National Census Report out…
Population increases by 3.5% since 1991
By Chamanlall Naipaul
Guyana Chronicle
May 22, 2004
THE preliminary report of the 2002 Population and Housing Census conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown a small increase in Guyana’s population since 1991.
Chief Statistician Lennox Benjamin, at a press briefing yesterday at NCN Studio, Homestretch Avenue, announced that Guyana’s population now stands at 745,150. That’s a 3.5 percent increase on the population figure of 723,000 recorded in 1991. And the gender balance is almost even, Mr. Benjamin said.
In some interior locations, Mr. Benjamin said males outnumber females significantly, attributing this to ongoing economic activities such as mining and forestry.
Mr. Benjamin said the delay in publicizing the findings of the census report was caused by the bureau’s desire to conduct a thorough exercise rather than succumb to a “race against time.”
He observed that while the growth rate of the population has been slow the number of households have grown rapidly. The average number of members in each household, which is about four persons now, has shown a steep decline from what obtained in the 1960s.
While there has been an increase in the population in all the administrative regions except Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne), there was also a decline in the population of Georgetown by some 14,600 persons. However, the population in its suburbs and other areas of Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) has increased, Mr. Benjamin disclosed.
As regards average household income Mr. Benjamin noted there were some difficulties of obtaining information on this. Because of the crime wave some persons were reluctant to furnish some information, Mr. Benjamin explained.
He stressed that greater details and explanatory information will be provided in the final report, exhorting that the preliminary report is meant to provide in the shortest possible time to the populace a factual and summarized account of some of the core data that they have given.
CARICOM Census Coordinator, Osmond Gordon, noted that censuses within the Community are part of a coordinated and collaborative approach which helps in the sharing of expertise and the provision of technical assistance in the case of those countries that do not have much experience in conducting censuses. He said such an approach is also cost effective.
However, he emphasized that a census must not only provide raw data but information that is vital to the formulation of policy within the Community.
Consultant to NBS, John Mensah, noted that processing of data from a census is a major exercise and takes much time. However, about 70% of the questionnaires used in the census have been scanned.
He also informed the media that with support from the Canadian International Development Agency an analytical report of the 2002 Population and Housing Census will be produced.
The report said Census 2002 was probably the most challenging in recent history in the face of the crime wave that obtained at the time and the inevitable apprehension and suspicion of householders at the outset.