Editing Demographics of Guyana (section)

==Ethnic groups==
{{bar box
|title=Ethnic groups of Guyana (2012 Census)
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Ethnic groups
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars= 
{{bar percent|[[Indo-Guyanese|Indian]] |Orange|39.83}}
{{bar percent|[[Afro-Guyanese|Black]]|Blue|29.25}}
{{bar percent|[[Multiracial|Mixed]]|Yellow|19.88}}
{{bar percent|[[Indigenous peoples in Guyana|Amerindian]] |Green|10.51}}
{{bar percent|Other (includes [[Chinese Guyanese|Chinese]], [[Ethnic groups in Europe|European]]) |Orange| 0.5}}
}}

The present population of Guyana is racially and ethnically heterogeneous, with ethnic groups originating from [[India]], Africa, Europe, and China, as well as [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous]] or aboriginal peoples.

The largest ethnic group are the [[Indo-Guyanese]], the descendants of indentured labourers from India, who make up 39.8% of the population, according to the 2012 census.<ref name=":0">[https://statisticsguyana.gov.gy/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Final_2012_Census_Compendium2.pdf Compendium 2: Population composition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105002255/https://statisticsguyana.gov.gy/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Final_2012_Census_Compendium2.pdf |date=5 January 2021 }}</ref> They are followed by the [[Afro-Guyanese]], the descendants of enslaved labourers from Africa, who constitute 29.3. Guyanese of mixed heritage make up 19.9%.<ref name=":0" />

Indigenous peoples, known locally as [[Amerindians]], make up 10.5%. The indigenous groups include the [[Arawak]]s, the [[Wai-wai people|Wai Wai]], the [[Kalina people|Caribs]], the [[Akawaio people|Akawaio]], the [[Pemon|Arecuna]], the [[Patamona people|Patamona]], the [[Wapishana|Wapixana]], the [[Macushi]], and the [[Warao people|Warao]].<ref name=":0" /> The two largest groups, the Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese, have experienced some racial tension.<ref>"[https://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2005/09/050920_guyana_race.shtml Guyana turns attention to racism]". BBC News. 20 September 2005.</ref><ref>"[http://www.guyana.org/features/conflicts_indiansandblacks.html Conflict between East-Indian and Blacks in Trinidad and Guyana Socially, Economically and Politically]". Gabrielle Hookumchand, Professor Moses Seenarine. 18 May 2000.</ref><ref>[http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/265657/20111212/guyana-politics-election-blacks-indians-ramotar-ppp.htm International Business Times: "Guyana: A Study in Polarized Racial Politics"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715075007/http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/265657/20111212/guyana-politics-election-blacks-indians-ramotar-ppp.htm |date=15 July 2012 }} 12 December 2011</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/26/ethnic-conflict-democracy-guyana/|title = Ethnic Conflict Threatens Democracy in Guyana| date=18 March 2024 }}</ref>

Most Indo-Guyanese are descended from indentured labourers who migrated from [[North India]], especially the [[Bhojpuri region|Bhojpur]] and [[Awadh]] regions of the [[Hindi Belt]] in the present day states of [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Bihar]] and [[Jharkhand]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/musicofhindutrin00myer |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/musicofhindutrin00myer/page/30 30] |title=Music of Hindu Trinidad |publisher=University of Chicago Press |author=Helen Myers |isbn=9780226554532 |year=1999}}</ref> A significant minority of Indo-Guyanese are also descended from indentured migrants who came from the South Indian states of [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite book |url=http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter17.pdf |title=Indian Diaspora |website=Indiandiaspora.nic.in |access-date=3 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430175036/http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/diasporapdf/chapter17.pdf |archive-date=30 April 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Among the immigrants there were many labourers from other parts of South Asia such as [[Nepal]], [[Bengal]], [[Chota Nagpur Plateau|Chota Nagpur]], and Northwestern India - the modern states of Punjab, Haryana - which was at the time a part of the state of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The distribution pattern in the 2002 census was similar to those of the 1980 and 1991 censuses, but the share of the two main groups has declined. Indo-Guyanese made up 51.9% of the total population in 1980, but by 1991 this had fallen to 48.6%, and then to 43.5% in the 2002 census. Those of African descent increased slightly from 30.8% to 32.3% during the first period (1980 and 1991) before falling to 30.2% in the 2002 census. With small growth in the overall population, the decline in the shares of the two larger groups has resulted in the relative increase of shares of the multiracial and Amerindian groups. 

The Amerindian population rose by 22,097 people between 1991 and 2002. This represents an increase of 47.3% or annual growth of 3.5%. Similarly, the multiracial population increased by 37,788 persons, representing a 43.0% increase or annual growth rate of 3.2% from the base period of 1991 census.

The number of [[Chinese Guyanese|Chinese]] is about 0.2% and the [[White people|White]] population (mostly consisting of [[Portuguese Guyanese|Portuguese]]) is about 0.3%.<ref name="CIATONGA">{{cite web|url= https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guyana/|title= South America :: GUYANA|publisher= CIA The World Factbook|website=Cia.gov|access-date=3 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guyana.org/special/portuguese.html|title=Portuguese emigration from Madeira to British Guiana|website=Guyana.org|access-date=3 October 2017}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
|+ Population of Guyana according to ethnic group<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statisticsguyana.gov.gy/download.php?file=93|title=2012 Census Compendium 2|website=Statisticsguyana.gov.gy|access-date=3 October 2017}}</ref><ref name="UN Demographic Yearbooks"
>{{cite web|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm#2001|title=United Nations Statistics Division - Demographic and Social Statistics|website=unstats.un.org|access-date=3 October 2017}}</ref><ref>[http://www.statisticsguyana.gov.gy/pubs/Chapter2_Population_Composition.pdf Guyana Census 2002], population composition, Ch. 2 (pp. 27–28)</ref>
|-
! rowspan="2" | Census year
! colspan="2" | [[Indo-Guyanese|Indian]]
! colspan="2" | [[Afro-Guyanese|Black]]
! colspan="2" | [[Multiracial|Mixed]]
! colspan="2" | [[Amerindian]]
! colspan="2" | [[White people|White]]
! colspan="2" | [[Chinese people|Chinese]]
! colspan="2" | Other
! rowspan="2" | Total
|-
! # !! %
! # !! %
! # !! %
! # !! %
! # !! %
! # !! %
! # !! %
|-
| 1946
| 163,434 || {{percentage bar|width=50|43.5}}
| 143,385 || {{percentage bar|width=50|38.2}}
| 37,685 || {{percentage bar|width=50|10.0}}
| 16,322 || {{percentage bar|width=50|4.3}}
| 8,543 || {{percentage bar|width=50|2.3}}
| 3,567 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.9}}
| 2,765 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.7}}
| 375,701
|-
| 1960
| 267,840 || {{percentage bar|width=50|47.8}}
| 183,980 || {{percentage bar|width=50|32.8}}
| 67,189 || {{percentage bar|width=50|12.0}}
| 25.450 || {{percentage bar|width=50|4.5}}
| 3,218 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.6}}
| 4,074 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.7}}
| 8,655 || {{percentage bar|width=50|1.5}}
| 560,406
|-
| 1980
| 394,417 || {{percentage bar|width=50|51.9}}
| 234,094 || {{percentage bar|width=50|30.8}}
| 84,764 || {{percentage bar|width=50|11.2}}
| 40,343 || {{percentage bar|width=50|5.3}}
| 3,790 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.5}}
| 1,864 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.2}}
| 294 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.0}}
| 759,566
|-
| 1991
| 351,939 || {{percentage bar|width=50|48.6}}
| 233,465 || {{percentage bar|width=50|32.3}}
| 87,881 || {{percentage bar|width=50|12.1}}
| 46,722 || {{percentage bar|width=50|6.5}}
| 2,267 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.3}}
| 1,290 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.2}}
| 107 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.0}}
| 723,671
|-
| 2002
| 326,277 || {{percentage bar|width=50|43.4}}
| 227,062 || {{percentage bar|width=50|30.2}}
| 125,727 || {{percentage bar|width=50|16.7}}
| 68,675 || {{percentage bar|width=50|9.1}}
| 1,974 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.3}}
| 1,396 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.2}}
| 112 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.0}}
| 751,223
|-
| 2012
| 297,493 || {{percentage bar|width=50|39.8}}
| 218,483 || {{percentage bar|width=50|29.3}}
| 148,532 || {{percentage bar|width=50|19.9}}
| 78,492 || {{percentage bar|width=50|10.5}}
| 2,325 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.3}}
| 1,377 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.2}}
| 253 || {{percentage bar|width=50|0.0}}
| 746,955
|}