By: Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News |
The opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is demanding answers over the prolonged delay in releasing Guyana’s 2022 Population and Housing Census results, accusing the Government of violating statutory obligations and withholding vital national data.
Speaking during a press conference on Friday, PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton said the stalled census—now three years overdue—has deepened national concern, raising questions about transparency, governance, and potential political manipulation.
Enumeration began on September 15, 2022, in keeping with Guyana’s standard 10-year cycle. Both the Statistics Act (1965) and the Population and Housing Census Act (1998) legally require the Bureau of Statistics to gather, analyze, and publish the results.
However, no preliminary nor final data has been released, a silence Norton calls unacceptable.
“This is a cause for public concern” — Norton
“Publishing this data is necessary to ensure transparency, proper planning, and good governance. Despite these clear legal obligations, the PPP has deliberately refused to release the 2022 Population and Housing Census results. This is a cause for public concern.”
Norton warned that the absence of updated demographic data cripples the country’s ability to plan.
“Census data is the backbone of national planning. Without access to reliable census results, stakeholders across Guyana cannot make informed decisions.”
Opposition Accuses Gov’t of Political Interference
The PNCR Leader further alleged that the census delay is intentional, arguing that population figures have major electoral implications and can influence political strategy.
“Withholding a G$2 billion taxpayer-funded census for partisan benefit amounts to institutional corruption. Public resources are being manipulated for the PPP’s political purposes rather than the country’s development.”
A “national vacuum” with serious consequences
Norton said the prolonged withholding of data has left:
- Businesses
- Civil society groups
- NGOs
- International agencies
without critical statistics needed for planning, monitoring, accountability, and development.
“Three years without census data is not a delay — it is a profound failure of governance that undermines every national decision.”
Gov’t Responds
Earlier this week, Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, said he is still awaiting a “definitive update” from the Bureau of Statistics. He noted that the Government also wants the data released.
The Bureau’s last update was in October 2024, when it promised that early findings would be released “soon.” A year later, nothing has been published.
The Bureau has denied accusations of political interference, instead citing a focus on data accuracy—adding that several Caribbean nations have faced similar delays.
