Census confirms strong alignment between population count and official records
Guyana’s 2022 Population and Housing Census has been independently validated against official population records, with the difference between the two measures coming in at less than one per cent, according to the Guyana National Population and Housing Census 2022 – Preliminary Report .
The Bureau of Statistics reported that when the preliminary census count was extrapolated to December 31, 2022, the population was estimated at 896,094. This was compared with an estimate derived from population registers, which use administrative data on births, deaths, and migration, and placed Guyana’s population at 895,608 at the same date.
The difference between the two figures is 486 persons, representing a 0.05 per cent variance, which the Bureau said “cross-validates the census preliminary population count.”
According to the report, population registers estimate population size by applying the population balancing equation, which adds natural increase (births minus deaths) and net migration to the population recorded at the previous census. This method provides an independent benchmark against which census results can be assessed.
To arrive at the census-based estimate for the end of 2022, the Bureau applied the intercensal population growth rate to the period between September 15 and September 30, 2022, and then added recorded births, deaths, and net migration for the period October to December 2022. This process increased the census night population of 878,674 to 896,094 by year-end.
The report noted that while census data and population registers are separate data sources, each with their own limitations, such as undocumented migration or incomplete administrative records, the close alignment between the two strengthens confidence in the preliminary census results.
Data presented in the report also show that migration played a significant role over the intercensal period, particularly in the earlier years, before net migration began contributing positively to population growth in the latter half of the decade.
The Bureau emphasised that although the results remain preliminary, the consistency between the census count and administrative records suggests that no major revisions are expected as further data processing continues .
