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APNU questions integrity of 2022 census data
(Kaieteur News) – APNU Member of Parliament Corretta McDonald on Friday raised concerns about the credibility of the preliminary results of Guyana’s 2022 National Population and Housing Census which was recently released, arguing that the three-year delay in releasing the preliminary findings has compromised their accuracy and usefulness.
Speaking at an APNU press conference, McDonald said the late release has implications for representation, service delivery and the allocation of resources, particularly for communities whose populations may no longer be accurately reflected.
“The preliminary census has been released three years late and its integrity is in question. Without prompt and accurate data, communities are miscounted, services are inadequate, and resources are poorly allocated. Every citizen deserves to be counted in a timely manner and represented appropriately,” McDonald said.
APNU Member of Parliament, Corretta McDonald
She added that APNU is concerned the effectiveness of the data may already have been undermined and called on government agencies to modernise their operations to prevent similar delays in the future.
“Against this backdrop of extreme late delivery of the preliminary census, it is of growing concern to APNU that accuracy and its efficient and effective use may have already been compromised. We encourage the appropriate government agencies to revamp and modernise to achieve timeliness for all future censuses,” she said.
Pressed on what prompted APNU’s assertion that the data could no longer be considered accurate, McDonald pointed to the length of time that has elapsed since Census Day.
“Well, the accuracy of the census, we have been waiting three years to have this census and three years later means that it can’t be accurate because what transpired a year before will not be the same thing this time around and so this data that they’re giving us, which should represent three years ago is not accurate and that’s our reason for making this statement that was made this morning,” she said.
The remarks come after the Bureau of Statistics on January 12, 2026 released the preliminary findings of the 2022 census which offers a comprehensive snapshot of the country’s demographic and housing landscape in a decade.
According to the Bureau, Guyana’s population stood at 878,674 on Census Day, September 15, 2022, reflecting an increase of 131,719 persons or 17.63 per cent compared with the 2012 census. Accounting for natural growth and net migration since 2022, the population is estimated to have risen to 956,044 by the end of 2024, placing the country close to the one-million mark.
The preliminary report includes data on population size and distribution, household composition, population density, sex ratios, local and foreign-born populations and building stock. The Bureau has acknowledged the high level of public anticipation surrounding the census data but stressed that adequate time was required to ensure accuracy and reliability.
The 2022 census preliminary findings show that of the 878,674 persons counted in 2022, males accounted for 50.18 per cent (440,882) and females 49.82 per cent (437,792). This resulted in a sex ratio of 101 males per 100 females, reversing the 2012 position when there were 99 males per 100 females. It also revealed that the foreign-born population increased from 1.20 percent in 2012 to 3.07 percent in the 2022 census. Foreign-born nationals include persons not Guyanese at birth who reside in Guyana, including those who later became citizens through naturalisation.
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