T&T population increased by 4.9% since 2000; now at 1.3M

The preliminary count of the 2011 population and housing census states that there are 1,324,699 people living in Trinidad and Tobago. 

That's a 4.9 per cent increase over the figure of 1,262,366 recorded in the 2000 census. The figure for Tobago alone is 56,810.

The new figure includes members of private households, persons in institutions such as hospitals and prison, those living on the streets, people on board ships in the harbour, those at hotels and guest houses or people found at some other type of collective living quarters.

Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie made the the preliminary report public Tuesday at a media conference in Port of Spain.

Tewarie said the government invested $83 million in conducting the census and noted that the final report would be available in September. 

The preliminary report shows a 22.5 per cent decrease in the population of Port-of-Spain, 9.2 decrease in San Fernando, 2.7 decrease in Diego Martin and 1.6 reduction in the population for the San Juan/Laventille.

The minister told reporters, “What you are seeing you might call a de-urbanisation, in the sense that there are new settlements emerging, new housing developments that are both State and private sector. 

"Basically as these things grow and develop around malls and commercial areas and what you are seeing is the emergence of a decentralisation spread in Trinidad and Tobago.”