Data on the migrant population in Guyana suggests that during the 2022 Census, the country recorded a noticeable increase in migrants, but the Bureau of Statistics, in its Preliminary census report said the number could be much higher today.
The report, released earlier this week, states that foreign-born nationals accounted for 3.07 percent of the total enumerated population but the Bureau admits that figure is understated.
“Given the reluctance of some segments of the foreign-born population to be enumerated and also registered in administrative records it is acknowledged that the foreign-born population maybe understated in the census count,” the report states.
A foreign-born population comprises anyone who is not Guyanese by birth, but resides in Guyana, including persons who have become Guyanese through naturalization.
The Bureau of Statistics explained that in the 1980 Census, the foreign born population accounted for less than one (1) percent of the total population. In 1991, the number declined to 0.54 percent, however, in 2002 it increased to 1.26 percent but “remained insignificant” when compared to the total population.
It said while 2022 reported the highest number of foreign nationals, the migrant population still remains very small when compared to the total population.
“The foreign-born residents counted in the 2022 Census are still relatively small, as indicated by trends since the 1980 census, and may suggest that Guyana has been a transit point for migrants over the past five decades,” the Bureau of Statistics said.
The data suggests that there are more males in the migrant population when compared to females. Males accounted for 51.21 percent when females make up the remaining 48.79 percent.
Zooming in on cross border migration, the Bureau of Statistics while providing the data on the migrant population from bordering countries such as Brazil and Venezuela reminded of the challenges encountered in documenting migrants.
It pointed out that the administrative records show that 19,709 Venezuelans were registered during the period 2018 to 2022 compared to 12,654 recorded in the Census.
“The administrative data, however, does not account for migrants who may have returned to Venezuela, died or used Guyana as a transit point to other countries, neither does it account for undocumented migrants,” it explained.
It was further pointed out that the United Nations has estimated the number of Venezuelan migrants in the country to be approximately 40,545 as of mid-2024, citing data from the International Organization for Migration.
The Bureau said the surge of Venezuelan migrants correlates with the socio-economic and political situation within Venezuela, where sections of the population are leaving the country to avoid hardships.
“Further study is warranted to provide a more accurate representation of the number of migrants in Guyana, particularly those who may be undocumented. According to the census data, there is evidence of an increasing trend of migrants from the three neighbouring countries,” the Bureau said.
It said the number of migrants from Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela increased by 384.4 percent, from 3,193 migrants in 2012 to 15,467 in 2022 census.
It, however, again cautioned that the data presented does not account for migrants who are among the no-contact population. “The largest group of migrants came from Venezuela, followed by Suriname and Brazil respectively. Enumerated Venezuelans accounted for 81.81 percent of the total migrant population from the three countries in 2022. In previous censuses, Venezuelans represented the smallest group of migrants, but by 2022, their numbers had surged by 1,452.64 percent. While Brazilians constitute the least number of migrants from the bordering countries, their population grew by 23.83 percent since 2012,” the Bureau reported.
According to the Census Report, 1,195 Brazilians were recorded in the 2022 census compared to 965 in 2012; 1,618 Surinamese compared to 1,413 in 2012, and 12,654 Venezuelans recorded in 2022 compared to 815 in 2012.
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