Source of Practicing Hindu Population Figure in Guyana Addressed

In a correspondence to the Guyana Times, Sasnerine Singh responded to a letter from Janette Bulkan dated October 27, 2026, concerning the figure of approximately 220,000 practicing Hindus. Singh stated that the figure was derived from the 2012 census data, which indicated that Hindus comprised the largest religious group, accounting for about 24.8 percent of the population as recorded on page 38 of that census, and that the Guyana Bureau of Statistics estimated the Guyanese population to be 1,025,334 as of the end of 2025.

Singh noted that the Chief Statistician, Mr. Errol LaCruz, declared in the Guyana Chronicle on July 12, 2026, that the agency he leads estimated the total Guyanese population to be 1,025,334 individuals as of the close of 2025.

Singh explained that calculating 24.8 percent of 1,025,334 yields 254,283 persons. Furthermore, reviewing the 2002 to 2012 Census Data showed that the count of individuals identifying as practicing Hindus decreased by about 12 percent over that ten-year period, and Singh projected that this decrease continued.

Singh mentioned that a March 2025 media report had cited a range of 200,000 to 250,000 Hindus in Guyana, attributing this information to the Pew Research Centre in the United States, but Singh expressed a preference for relying on the data from the Guyana Bureau of Statistics, as he stated in his letter. Singh concluded by thanking Ms. Bulkan for requesting the source of the 220,000 figure.