Population rises to 878,674, up 17.6 per cent since 2012

Guyana’s population reached 878,674 on the night of September 14–15, up 131,719 from the 2012 census, preliminary results from the Bureau of Statistics show.
The national population increased by 17.6 per cent over the intercensal period, with males accounting for 50.2 per cent (440,882) and females 49.8 per cent (437,792), yielding a sex ratio of 101 males per 100 females, up from 99 in 2012. Hinterland regions reported a higher ratio of 113 males per 100 females, compared with 99 in coastal areas.
The average annual population growth rate was 1.64 per cent, reversing a decline of 0.06 per cent recorded from 2002–2012. Hinterland regions registered the fastest growth, led by Region Seven at 5.14 per cent, followed by Region One at 3.49 per cent. Coastal regions grew more slowly, ranging from 0.44 per cent in Region Six to 2.93 per cent in Region Three.
Population density increased slightly to 4.09 persons per square kilometre nationally, up from 3.47 in 2012. Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) remained the most densely populated at 155.8 persons per square kilometre, while the sparsely populated Hinterland, covering 67.6 per cent of the land area, had just 0.78 persons per square kilometre.
Region Four continues to account for the largest share of the population at 39.6 per cent (347,759), followed by Region Three at 16.4 per cent (143,884). Region Eight remained the smallest, with 1.55 per cent of the population (13,598).