The demographics of French Guiana are characterized by a young population with 32% below the age of 15 in 2023. The total population stood at 293,996 as of 1 January 2023. The demographic profile is a reflection of the territory's high fertility rates. Regarding nationality, as of 2010, 64.5% of the population had French nationality, while 35.5% were of foreign nationality with significant communities from Suriname, Haiti, and Brazil among others.

Population According to INSEE the population of French Guiana was 293,996 as of 1 January 2023. The population is very young: 32% are below the age of 15, while only 1.2% are 80 years or older. The age distribution is a reflection of the high fertility rates of French Guiana.

Structure of the population

Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 113 824 116 617 230 441 100 0-4 14 591 13 849 28 440 12.34 5-9 14 090 13 618 27 708 12.02 10-14 12 843 12 024 24 867 10.79 15-19 10 729 10 672 21 401 9.29 20-24 7 728 8 478 16 206 7.03 25-29 7 281 9 109 16 390 7.11 30-34 7 692 8 676 16 368 7.10 35-39 7 877 8 865 16 742 7.27 40-44 7 415 7 650 15 065 6.54 45-49 6 698 6 582 13 280 5.76 50-54 5 397 5 148 10 545 4.58 55-59 4 207 4 107 8 314 3.61 60-64 2 931 2 684 5 615 2.44 65-69 1 740 1 693 3 433 1.49 70-74 1 083 1 260 2 343 1.02 75-79 752 974 1 726 0.75 80-84 433 619 1 052 0.46 85-89 225 402 627 0.27 90-94 77 144 221 0.10 95+ 35 63 98 0.04Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0-14 41 524 39 491 81 015 35.16 15-64 67 955 71 971 139 926 60.72 65+ 4 345 5 155 9 500 4.12

Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 128 973 130 892 259 865 100 0–4 14 800 14 161 28 961 11.14 5–9 15 050 14 512 29 563 11.38 10–14 14 151 14 085 28 237 10.87 15–19 12 158 11 784 23 941 9.21 20–24 8 960 9 569 18 529 7.13 25–29 8 674 9 890 18 563 7.14 30–34 9 230 9 846 19 077 7.34 35–39 9 068 9 326 18 394 7.08 40–44 8 701 8 949 17 650 6.79 45–49 7 357 7 359 14 715 5.66 50–54 6 042 6 091 12 133 4.67 55–59 5 010 4 941 9 951 3.83 60–64 3 959 3 790 7 749 2.98 65-69 2 574 2 464 5 038 1.94 70-74 1 496 1 570 3 066 1.18 75-79 860 999 1 859 0.72 80-84 479 758 1 237 0.48 85-89 257 466 723 0.28 90-94 102 254 356 0.14 95-99 32 68 100 0.04 100+ 13 10 23 0.01Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 44 001 42 758 86 759 33.39 15–64 79 159 81 545 160 704 61.84 65+ 5 813 6 589 12 402 4.77

Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 140 463 150 065 290 528 100 0–4 15 210 15 355 30 565 10.52 5–9 15 253 15 368 30 621 10.54 10–14 15 265 15 006 30 271 10.42 15–19 13 697 13 899 27 596 9.50 20–24 10 402 10 901 21 303 7.33 25–29 8 367 10 345 18 712 6.44 30–34 9 119 11 051 20 170 6.94 35–39 9 170 10 909 20 079 6.91 40–44 8 884 9 650 18 534 6.38 45–49 7 891 8 787 16 678 5.74 50–54 7 211 7 412 14 623 5.03 55–59 6 107 6 372 12 479 4.30 60–64 5 009 5 165 10 174 3.50 65-69 3 714 3 705 7 419 2.55 70-74 2 440 2 545 4 985 1.72 75-79 1 394 1 559 2 953 1.02 80-84 744 1 012 1 756 0.60 85-89 397 539 936 0.32 90-94 118 297 415 0.14 95-99 42 142 184 0.06 100+ 29 46 75 0.03Age group MaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 45 728 45 729 91 457 31.48 15–64 85 857 94 491 180 348 62.08 65+ 8 878 9 845 18 723 6.44

Vital statistics The total fertility rate in French Guiana has remained high and is today considerably higher than in metropolitan France, and also higher than the average of the French overseas departments. It is largely responsible for the high population growth of French Guiana.

Average population Live birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate 1936 24,000 355 554-19914.823.1-8.3 1937 24,000 408 487-7917.020.3-3.3 1938 24,000 381 649-26815.927.0-11.2 1939 24,000 333 499-16613.920.8-6.9 1940 24,000 436 505-6918.221.0-2.9 1941 24,000 437 626-18918.226.1-7.9 1942 24,000 453 733-28018.930.5-11.7 1943 24,000 422 702-28017.629.3-11.7 1944 24,000 474 627-15319.826.1-6.4 1945 24,000 620 539 8125.822.53.4 1946 24,000 515 596-8121.524.8-3.4 1947 24,000 539 623-8422.526.0-3.5 1948 25,000 529 547-1821.221.9-0.7 1949 25,000 607 471 13624.318.85.4 1950 25,000 590 384 20623.615.48.2 1951 26,000 558 383 17521.514.76.7 1952 27,000 781 462 31930.017.812.3 1953 27,000 720 426 29426.715.810.9 1954 28,000 900 378 52232.113.518.6 1955 29,000 941 377 56432.613.019.5 1956 29,000 949 411 53832.113.918.2 1957 30,000 993 426 56733.014.218.8 1958 31,000 940 404 53630.913.317.6 1959 31,0001,043 460 58334.115.019.1 1960 32,0001,026 451 57531.413.817.6 1961 34,0001,066 487 57931.814.517.3 1962 35,0001,041 410 63130.111.818.2 1963 36,0001,118 446 67231.112.418.7 1964 38,0001,213 399 81432.010.521.5 1965 39,0001,161 403 75829.010.119.0 1966 41,0001,244 401 84329.59.520.0 1967 43,0001,281 376 90529.28.620.6 1968 45,0001,390 408 98230.48.921.5 1969 47,0001,424 431 99330.09.120.9 1970 49,0001,584 3851,19932.27.824.4 1971 50,0001,600 4001,20031.47.823.5 1972 52,0001,670 3991,27131.77.624.1 1973 54,0001,473 4181,05527.17.719.4 1974 55,0001,529 4351,09427.47.819.6 1975 57,0001,476 4081,06825.67.118.5 1976 59,0001,439 4151,02424.27.017.2 1977 61,0001,476 4631,01324.07.516.4 1978 63,0001,568 4701,09824.57.417.2 1979 65,0001,704 4541,25025.76.918.9 1980 68,0001,933 4681,46528.16.821.3 1981 71,0002,092 4281,66429.36.023.3 1982 74,0002,379 4921,88731.66.525.1 1983 78,0002,314 4891,82528.96.122.8 1984 83,0002,319 4911,82827.35.821.5 1985 87,0002,482 5011,98127.65.622.0 1986 93,0002,392 4911,90125.25.220.0 1987 99,0002,700 5502,15027.25.621.7 1988 105,0003,000 5502,45028.55.223.2 1989 111,0003,300 5502,75029.64.924.7 1990 113,3513,606 5943,01230.85.125.7 1991 117,3273,922 5833,33932.24.827.4 1992 121,4694,045 5683,47732.04.527.5 1993 125,7864,113 5783,53531.54.427.1 1994 130,2824,188 6183,57031.54.626.8 1995 134,9684,264 5403,67130.73.926.8 1996 139,8484,331 5563,77530.43.826.6 1997 144,9374,426 5983,82830.13.826.3 1998 150,2424,696 6074,08930.64.026.63.83 1999 155,7604,907 6484,25930.94.126.83.87 2000 162,0185,149 6354,51431.23.827.43.94 2001 168,6145,140 6604,48029.93.926.03.79 2002 176,6385,276 6694,60729.43.725.73.73 2003 184,7925,553 7214,83229.73.925.83.77 2004 193,1675,312 7194,59327.33.723.63.47 2005 199,2065,998 7055,29329.73.526.23.79 2006 205,9546,276 7115,56530.13.426.73.80 2007 213,0316,386 6905,69629.83.226.63.74 2008 219,2666,247 7625,48528.43.524.93.57 2009 224,4696,171 6995,47227.43.124.33.50 2010 229,0406,082 7735,30926.33.323.03.37 2011 237,5496,259 7145,54526.43.023.43.42 2012 239,6486,609 7895,82027.23.224.03.60 2013 244,1186,4747675,70726.13.123.03.47 2014 252,3386,5917865,80525.93.122.83.44 2015 259,8656,8068345,97226.23.223.03.44 2016 269,3527,2709016,36926.93.323.63.61 2017 268,7008,0579647,09329.63.526.13.92 2018 276,1287,9958997,09628.73.225.53.82 2019 281,6788,1041,0207,08428.63.625.03.82 2020 285,1337,9929907,00228.03.524.53.75 2021 286,6188,1271,3656,76228.34.723.63.81 2022 288,3827,7181,2106,50826.54.222.33.61 2023 290,1107,6891,2286,46126.14.221.93.57 2024 291,7746,8491,1915,65823.14.019.13.05 2025 292,3546,63022.54.018.52.89

Infant mortality rate The infant mortality in French Guiana is higher than in metropolitan France: 2007-2009: 12.0 2008-2010: 11.6 2009-2011: 10.1

Life expectancy At birth, life expectancy is 76.2 years for male children, and 82.8 for female (figures for 2011).

Ethnic groups

Estimates of the percentages of French Guiana ethnic composition vary, a situation compounded by the large proportion of immigrants.

Creoles, or Mulattoes (people of mixed African and French ancestry), are the largest ethnic group, though estimates vary as to the exact percentage, depending upon whether the large Haitian community is included as well. Generally the Creole population is judged to be about 60 to 70% of the total population if Haitians (comprising roughly one-third of Creoles) are included, and 30 to 50% without.

Roughly 41,000 people or 14% of the population of French Guiana is of European ancestry. The vast majority of these are of French heritage, though there are also people of Dutch, British, Spanish and Portuguese ancestry.

The main Asian communities are the Chinese (about 3-4%, primarily from Zhejiang province in mainland China and Hong Kong) and Hmong from Laos (1-2%). There are also smaller groups from various Caribbean islands, mainly Saint Lucia as well as Dominica. Other Asian groups include East Indians, Lebanese and Vietnamese.

The main groups living in the interior are the Maroons (formerly called "Bush Negroes") who are from African descent, and Amerindians. The Maroons, descendants of escaped African slaves, live primarily along the Maroni River. The main Maroon groups are the Saramaka, Ndyuka (both of whom also live in Suriname), and Boni (Aluku). The Maroons are the fastest growing ethnic group, and as of 2018 constitute about one-third of the total population with an estimated population of close to 100,000 people.

The main Amerindian groups (estimated population about 10,000) are the Aparai, Kalina, Lokono, Palikur, Teko, Wayampi and Wayana. The estimated population for the beginning of the 17th century was 30,000 people. Until the middle of the 20th century, there was a sharp decline in population to almost 1,200 people in 1961 which was mainly caused by European diseases. Improved health care managed to turn the tide.

Nationality On 1 January 2010, 64.5% of the population had French nationality, while 35.5% had a foreign nationality. Of these, Surinamese (13.8% of the total population), Haitians (8.8%) and Brazilians (8.7%) were the largest groups. Smaller groups included people with nationality of Guyana (1.7%), Colombia (1.0%), China (0.5%), the Dominican Republic (0.4%) and Peru (0.2%).

Languages

French and French Guianese Creole (a local French-based creole) are the most widely spoken languages. There are also several native languages, including Arawakan (Arawak and Palikúr), Cariban (Carib and Wayana), and Tupi-Guarani (Emerillon and Wayampi) languages. On the border with Suriname, Maroon people use the English-based creoles of Ndyuka and Sranan Tongo (both spoken in Suriname) as lingua francas, while immigrant languages spoken include Antillean Creole, Brazilian Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Hakka Chinese, Hmong and Javanese. The official language, like for all overseas departments and territories of France, is French.

Religion

The dominant religion of French Guiana is Catholicism; some of the Maroons and Amerindian people maintain their own religions, however large tribes like the Kalina, Ndyuka have been Christianized.

See also Demographics of France

References

External links