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It has been twelve years since the 2012 Census was conducted in Guyana, and yet the most critical data—ethnicity figures—remain undisclosed. Now, with the 2022 Census already two years overdue, questions are mounting about the integrity and independence of the Bureau of Statistics. Despite the agency’s repeated public denials of political interference, the delays are increasingly difficult to explain, and suspicion is growing that politics has compromised its operations.
Anonymous sources familiar with internal Bureau operations say there are “political instructions to stall or adjust” key census data—particularly those related to ethnicity and demographic shifts. These insiders suggest that the unexplained delays reflect a deliberate effort to suppress information that could affect the political narrative, especially as elections loom. “It’s very clear,” one source explained, “the census is being held hostage by the interests of the powerful.”
The Bureau’s latest statement, however, dismisses such accusations. “Claims suggesting that the publication of the 2022 Census is being delayed as a result of political interference are simply erroneous,” it said. Instead, the Bureau attributes the hold-up to professional diligence and unforeseen challenges encountered during the census round.
But in 2024, data analysis tools have evolved far beyond spreadsheets and manual entry systems. Analyzing a population of 750,000 citizens should not take years. With powerful data processing technologies—some of which can analyze millions of records within a few hours—it is hard to accept the Bureau’s explanation at face value. One anonymous insider asked, “Are they counting citizens with an abacus?”
The 2022 Census, according to Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, was expected to deliver a preliminary report by the second quarter of 2024. Now, that timeline has passed, and there is no sign of the promised report. The Bureau offers vague assurances of challenges being resolved, but the public has heard nothing concrete.
If, as the Bureau suggests, technical or operational obstacles delayed the data, why haven’t they provided specific updates or deadlines? Why has the Guyanese public been left to speculate? And why has the media, the supposed watchdog of democracy, failed to demand answers?
One insider within the Bureau of Statistics who is afraid of being identified stated that, “For months, media workers have attended press conferences and listened to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo deliver lengthy monologues on various political matters. Yet, no one in the press corps has demonstrated enough curiosity to ask about the census data—despite its immense importance in understanding population changes, government spending priorities, and electoral demographics. This lack of scrutiny raises troubling questions about the role of the media in holding power to account. Are journalists being intimidated into silence, or has the issue of the census fallen off their radar entirely?”
What makes this situation even more puzzling is the Bureau’s excuse that “other Caribbean nations have faced similar census delays.” However, an opposition MP who is investigating the matter statee that, “this excuse from the Bureau of Statistics rings hollow. The tools available today—data analytics software, machine learning, and modern survey technologies—can deliver population insights almost effortlessly. If Guyana’s Bureau of Statistics were committed to transparency, the ethnic composition figures from 2012 would not still be a secret.”
According to Human Rights Activist Rickford Burke, “It seems more plausible that there is pressure from political leadership to either delay or manipulate the data. Ethnicity data in Guyana has long been a politically sensitive subject, shaping narratives about representation, resource allocation, and power dynamics. By withholding this data, the government avoids scrutiny over shifting demographics—information that could challenge the political status quo.”
One citizen on on social media stated that, “It is unacceptable that in 2024, the Bureau of Statistics has not yet published the ethnicity numbers from a census conducted twelve years ago. The lack of transparency erodes trust in public institutions and undermines democracy by keeping citizens in the dark about the country’s demographic makeup. The ongoing delays with the 2022 Census further deepen public skepticism, as more time passes with no concrete answers in sight.”
The Bureau’s assurances of professional diligence no longer suffice. The public has a right to know why it is taking so long to release data that is essential to informed policy-making. Citizens also deserve to know whether the Bureau has succumbed to political pressure, regardless of the denials.
