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Demographics of Trinidad and Tobago

(Redirected from Ethnic groups in Trinidad and Tobago)

This article is about the demography of the population of Trinidad and Tobago including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Demographics of Trinidad and Tobago
Population pyramid of Trinidad and Tobago in 2020
Population1,405,646 (2022 est.)
Growth rate0.14% (2022 est.)
Birth rate10.79 births/1,000 population
Death rate8.38 deaths/1,000 population
Life expectancy75.94 years
 • male74.02 years
 • female77.93 years
Fertility rate1.63 children
Infant mortality rate15.83 deaths/1,000 live births
Net migration rate-1.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Sex ratio
Total1.01 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
At birth1.04 male(s)/female
Nationality
NationalityTrinidadian and Tobagonian
Language
OfficialEnglish
Census population and growth rate
YearPop.±%
1851 82,978—    
1861 99,848+20.3%
1871 126,692+26.9%
1881 171,179+35.1%
1891 218,381+27.6%
1901 273,899+25.4%
1911 333,552+21.8%
1921 365,913+9.7%
1931 412,783+12.8%
1946 563,222+36.4%
1960 834,350+48.1%
1970 945,210+13.3%
1980 1,079,791+14.2%
1990 1,213,733+12.4%
2000 1,262,366+4.0%
2011 1,328,019+5.2%
2019 1,363,985+2.7%
Source: [1]

Population

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The total population of Trinidad and Tobago was 1,328,018 according to the 2011 census,[1] an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects[2][3] the total population was estimated at 1,525,663 in 2021, compared to only 646,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 20.7%, 71% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 8.3% was 65 years or older.[4]

Total population
(x 1000) 		Proportion
aged 0–14
(%) 		Proportion
aged 15–64
(%) 		Proportion
aged 65+
(%)
1950 646 39.9 56.1 4.0
1955 740 42.2 54.2 3.7
1960 848 42.8 53.7 3.5
1965 912 43.4 53.2 3.4
1970 946 41.4 54.3 4.2
1975 1 011 37.6 57.5 4.8
1980 1 085 34.0 60.6 5.5
1985 1 171 34.3 60.2 5.6
1990 1 222 33.6 60.7 5.8
1995 1 255 30.8 63.2 6.1
2000 1 268 25.6 67.9 6.5
2005 1 297 21.8 70.9 7.2
2010 1 328 20.7 71.0 8.3

Structure of the population

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Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 09.I.2011):[5]

Age Group Male Female Total %
Total 666 305 661 714 1 328 019 100
0-4 47 847 46 274 94 121 7.09
5-9 46 379 44 952 91 330 6.88
10-14 44 953 43 010 87 963 6.62
15-19 49 709 48 670 98 378 7.41
20-24 57 407 56 833 114 240 8.60
25-29 62 268 61 250 123 517 9.30
30-34 53 897 51 683 105 580 7.95
35-39 46 862 45 677 92 538 6.97
40-44 43 491 42 672 86 163 6.49
45-49 48 685 47 429 96 113 7.24
50-54 43 981 43 203 87 184 6.56
55-59 36 719 36 496 73 215 5.51
60-64 29 645 29 002 58 647 4.42
65-69 21 582 23 055 44 639 3.36
70-74 14 209 16 079 30 289 2.28
75-79 9 286 11 463 20 750 1.56
80+ 9 384 13 966 23 351 1.76
Age group Male Female Total Percent
0-14 139 179 134 236 273 415 20.59
15-64 472 665 462 915 935 580 70.45
65+ 54 461 64 563 119 024 8.96

Due to decreasing fertility, the proportion of children below the age of 15 is decreasing, while the proportion of elderly is increasing. The median age has increased from 21.6 in 1980, 24.1 in 1990, 28.1 in 2000 to 32.6 in 2011.[1] The estimated mid-year population of 2014 is 1,344,000 (medium fertility scenario of The 2012 Revision of the World Population Prospects).[4] As of January 2019, the estimated population is 1,383,368.

Emigration

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Emigration from Trinidad and Tobago, as with other Caribbean nations, has historically been high; most emigrants go to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Emigration has continued, albeit at a lower rate, even as the birth-rate sharply dropped to levels typical of industrialised countries. Largely because of this phenomenon, as of 2011, Trinidad and Tobago has been experiencing a low population growth rate (0.48%). More recently, there has been some return migration, chiefly from the United States after the recession of 2008, which caused a population jump in the last census in 2011.

Vital statistics

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[6][7][8]

Average population Live births Deaths Natural change Crude birth rate (per 1000) Crude death rate (per 1000) Natural change (per 1000) TFR
1934 428,000 12,743 7,970 4,773 29.8 18.6 11.2
1935 435,000 14,352 7,618 6,734 33.0 17.5 15.5
1936 442,000 14,625 7,230 7,395 33.1 16.4 16.7
1937 450,000 14,226 7,848 6,378 31.6 17.4 14.2
1938 458,000 15,119 7,283 7,836 33.0 15.9 17.1
1939 466,000 14,525 7,491 7,034 31.2 16.1 15.1
1940 476,000 16,535 7,499 9,036 34.7 15.8 19.0
1941 492,000 16,494 7,906 8,588 33.5 16.1 17.5
1942 510,000 17,729 9,028 8,701 34.8 17.7 17.1
1943 525,000 20,210 8,699 11,511 38.5 16.6 21.9
1944 536,000 20,944 8,055 12,889 39.1 15.0 24.0
1945 547,000 21,616 7,959 13,657 39.5 14.6 25.0
1946 561,000 21,767 7,734 14,033 38.8 13.8 25.0
1947 578,000 22,342 7,828 14,514 38.7 13.5 25.1
1948 600,000 23,940 7,293 16,647 39.9 12.2 27.7
1949 616,000 22,931 7,487 15,444 37.2 12.2 25.1
1950 646,000 23,722 7,665 16,057 37.5 12.1 25.4
1951 659,000 23,804 7,815 15,989 36.7 12.0 24.6
1952 676,000 22,923 8,000 14,923 34.6 12.1 22.5
1953 695,000 25,565 7,262 18,303 37.7 10.7 27.0
1954 717,000 29,253 6,807 22,446 41.9 9.8 32.2
1955 740,000 30,216 7,462 22,754 41.9 10.3 31.6
1956 763,000 27,447 7,136 20,311 36.9 9.6 27.3
1957 786,000 28,848 7,283 21,565 37.7 9.5 28.2
1958 809,000 29,667 7,288 22,379 37.6 9.2 28.4
1959 829,000 30,592 7,476 23,116 37.4 9.2 28.3
1960 848,000 32,858 6,608 26,250 39.1 7.9 31.2
1961 865,000 32,880 6,891 25,989 37.9 7.9 30.0
1962 880,000 34,107 6,465 27,642 37.9 7.2 30.7
1963 893,000 32,898 6,668 26,230 35.6 7.2 28.4
1964 903,000 32,955 6,675 26,280 34.7 7.0 27.6
1965 912,000 31,953 6,731 25,222 32.8 6.9 25.9
1966 920,000 30,079 7,060 23,019 30.2 7.1 23.1
1967 926,000 28,462 6,775 21,687 28.2 6.7 21.5
1968 931,000 28,107 7,116 20,991 27.5 7.0 20.6
1969 938,000 25,130 7,068 18,062 24.4 6.9 17.6
1970 946,000 25,151 6,956 18,120 24.4 6.8 17.6
1971 956,000 26,116 7,044 18,473 24.6 6.8 17.9
1972 969,000 28,049 6,955 20,099 26.3 7.0 19.2
1973 983,000 26,231 7,517 18,714 24.8 7.1 17.7
1974 997,000 26,138 6,716 19,422 24.5 6.3 18.2
1975 1,011,000 25,673 6,899 18,774 25.4 6.8 18.6
1976 1,026,000 27,149 7,388 19,761 26.5 7.2 19.3
1977 1,040,000 27,895 7,311 20,584 26.8 7.0 19.8
1978 1,054,000 28,295 6,824 21,471 27.0 6.5 20.5
1979 1,069,000 29,698 7,060 22,638 27.9 6.6 21.3
1980 1,085,000 29,869 7,506 22,363 27.6 6.9 20.7
1981 1,103,000 32,177 7,355 24,822 29.4 6.7 22.7
1982 1,121,000 32,537 7,641 24,896 29.2 6.8 22.3
1983 1,139,000 33,208 7,546 25,662 29.2 6.6 22.5
1984 1,156,000 31,599 7,819 23,780 27.0 6.7 20.3
1985 1,171,000 33,719 8,026 25,693 28.8 6.9 21.9
1986 1,184,000 31,886 7,699 24,187 26.9 6.5 20.4
1987 1,195,000 29,167 8,054 21,113 24.4 6.7 17.7
1988 1,205,000 26,983 8,036 18,947 22.4 6.7 15.7
1989 1,214,000 25,072 8,213 16,859 20.7 6.8 13.9
1990 1,222,000 23,960 8,196 15,764 19.6 6.7 12.9 2.45
1991 1,230,000 22,368 8,192 14,176 18.2 6.7 11.5 2.34
1992 1,237,000 23,064 8,533 14,531 18.6 6.9 11.7 2.23
1993 1,244,000 21,094 8,807 12,287 17.0 7.1 9.9 2.13
1994 1,250,000 19,682 9,265 10,417 15.7 7.4 8.3 2.04
1995 1,255,000 19,258 9,042 10,216 15.3 7.2 8.1 1.96
1996 1,258,000 17,992 9,376 8,616 14.3 7.5 6.8 1.90
1997 1,261,000 18,452 9,157 9,295 14.6 7.3 7.4 1.84
1998 1,263,000 17,898 9,365 8,533 14.2 7.4 6.8 1.80
1999 1,265,000 18,321 10,014 8,307 14.5 7.9 6.6 1.77
2000 1,268,000 18,160 9,478 8,682 14.3 7.5 6.8 1.75
2001 1,272,000 18,078 9,753 8,325 14.2 7.7 6.5 1.74
2002 1,278,000 16,990 9,797 7,193 13.3 7.7 5.6 1.74
2003 1,284,000 17,989 10,206 7,783 14.0 7.9 6.1 1.75
2004 1,290,000 17,235 9,872 7,363 13.4 7.7 5.7 1.76
2005 1,294,000 17,264 9,885 7,379 13.3 7.6 5.7 1.77
2006 1,297,000 18,090 9,668 8,422 13.9 7.5 6.4 1.78
2007 1,303,000 18,889 9,654 9,235 14.5 7.4 7.1 1.79
2008 1,308,000 19,888 10,463 9,425 15.2 8.0 7.2 1.80
2009 1,310,000 17,499 9,693 7,806 13.4 7.4 6.0 1.80
2010 1,317,000 19,092 10,477 8,615 14.5 8.0 6.5 1.81
2011 1,328,000 18,141 10,007 8,134 13.7 7.5 6.2 1.80
2012 1,335,000 19,801 9,627 10,174 14.8 7.2 7.6 1.80
2013 1,340,000 18,741 10,376 8,365 14.0 7.7 6.3 1.79
2014 1,345,000 18,431 10,642 7,789 13.7 7.9 5.8 1.78
2015 1,350,000 18,896 11,580 7,316 14.0 8.6 5.4 1.77
2016 1,354,000 18,373 11,145 7,228 13.6 8.2 5.4 1.75
2017 1,356,000 17,393 11,655 5,738 12.8 8.6 4.2 1.74
2018 1,359,000 17,218 11,658 5,560 12.7 8.6 4.1 1.73
2019 1,364,000 16,058 11,266 4,792 11.8 8.2 3.6
2020[9] 1,366,725 ~15,731 ~12,984 ~2,747 11.5 9.5 2.0
2021[9] 1,367,558 ~14,223 ~13,388 ~883 10.4 9.8 0.6
2022[9] 1,365,805 ~14,000 ~18,356 ~-4,357 10.3 13.4 -3.2
2023[9] 1,367,510 ~13,073 ~13,976 ~-889 9.6 10.2 -0.7

Life expectancy at birth

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Period Life expectancy in
Years 		Period Life expectancy in
Years
1950–1955 57.9 1985–1990 68.2
1955–1960 60.8 1990–1995 68.4
1960–1965 64.1 1995–2000 68.7
1965–1970 64.8 2000–2005 69.3
1970–1975 65.5 2005–2010 70.2
1975–1980 66.7 2010–2015 70.8
1980–1985 67.3

Source: UN World Population Prospects[10]

Ethnic groups

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Population of Trinidad and Tobago according to ethnic group[6]
Ethnic
group 		Census 1946 Census 1960 Census 1970 Census 1980 Census 1990 Census 2000 Census 2011 [11]
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
Indian 195,747 35.1 301,946 36.5 373,538 40.1 426,660 40.3 453,069 40.3 446,273 40.0 468,524 35.43
African 261,485 46.9 358,588 43.3 398,765 42.8 434,730 41.1 445,444 39.6 418,268 37.5 452,536 34.22
Mixed 78,775 14.1 134,749 16.3 133,706 14.4 175,150 16.5 207,558 18.4 228,089 20.5 301,866 22.82
European including Portuguese 15,283 2.7 20,202 2.4 11,383 1.2 9,850 0.9 7,254 0.6 7,034 0.6 8,669 0.65
Chinese 5,641 1.0 8,361 1.0 7,962 0.9 5,670 0.5 4,314 0.4 3,800 0.3 4,003 0.30
Amerindian 1,394 0.11
Syrian, Lebanese or Arab 889 0.2 1,590 0.2 1,010 0.1 934 0.1 849 0.1 1,029 0.08
Other 6,714 0.8 4,332 0.5 2,900 0.3 1,724 0.2 1,972 0.2 2,280 0.17
Unknown or undeclared 150 0.0 291 0.0 1,385 2,350 0.2 4,831 0.4 8,487 0.8 82,246 6.22
Total 557,970 827,957 1,058,320 1,125,128 1,114,772 1,322,546
Ethnic groups of Trinidad and Tobago [12]
Ethnic groups percent
Indian
 
 35.4%
African
 
 34.2%
Mixed
 
 15.3%
Dougla (Mixed African/Indian)
 
 7.7%
Unspecified
 
 6.2%
Other
 
 1.3%

Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians

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Main article: Indo–Trinidadians and Tobagonians

Indo-Trinidadians make up the country's largest ethnic group (approximately 35.43%).[1] Indo-Trinidadians are primarily the descendants of indentured workers from British India.

Afro-Trinidadian and Tobagonians

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Main article: Afro-Trinidadian and Tobagonian

Afro-Trinidadian and Tobagonian make up the country's second largest ethnic group (approximately 34.22%).[1] Although enslaved Africans were first imported in 1517, they constituted only 11 percent of the population (310) in 1783.[13] Many Afro-Trinbagonians have ancestors hailing from West and West-central Africa, akin to numerous other Caribbean islands and in some cases a result of later migration between the islands. This would have been from many kingdoms, states, and peoples from a range of modern-day Senegal in the north to Angola in the south. The majority of the enslaved Africans were brought in the last few years of Trinidad's Spanish colonial era, and the beginning of the British colonial period. The Cedula of Population transformed a small colony of 1,000 in 1773 to 18,627 by 1797. In the census of 1777 there were only 2,763 people recorded as living on the island, including some 2,000 Arawaks. In 1807, the UK Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act 1807 that abolished the trading of enslaved persons, and the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 abolished the practice of slavery itself. Numerous staples of Trinbagonian culture have Afro-Trinbagonian roots, such as Calypso, Carnival, and traditional dishes such as callaloo.

European Trinidadian and Tobagonians

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Main articles: White Trinidadian and Portuguese Trinidadian and Tobagonian

The European Trinidadian (or White Trinidadian) population is primarily descended from early settlers and immigrants. The recent census counted 8,669 people of European descent including those of Portuguese descent.[1] These numbers do not include people who have at least some European ancestry or self-identify as African or Indian.

The French arrived mostly during the Spanish period to take advantage of free agricultural lands. Some Portuguese arrived in the mid-nineteenth century and more came at the turn of the century.[14] The Europeans who remained in Trinidad live in areas in and around Port of Spain. Furthermore, British rule led to an influx of settlers from the United Kingdom and the British colonies of the Eastern Caribbean and descendants of English indentured workers brought in as overseers following the end of the Second World War.

The Portuguese came to Tobago and Trinidad as early as the 17th century, including groups of Jews, Catholics and Protestants. For over 140 years, from 1834 up to 1975, the ancestors of the modern Portuguese community in Trinidad and Tobago hailed mostly from the archipelago of Madeira, starting from 1846, with the earliest registers being from the Azores in 1834.

Most Portuguese came directly from Madeira, and also via Guyana, St Vincent, Antigua and St Kitts.

Important communities settled in Port of Spain, Arima, Arouca, Chaguanas, San Fernando and Scarborough.

In 2011, the Madeiran Portuguese Community of Trinidad and Tobago celebrated their 165th Anniversary of arrival of the first Madeirans in Trinidad back in 1846.

Recalling the presence of the Portuguese in the nation today are over 100 Portuguese surname, some of which have become street nomenclature. As an independent nation, the country has recognised several members of the Portuguese community, through official awards.[15]

In Tobago, many white residents are retirees who have recently arrived there. [citation needed]

Mixed ethnicity

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Main article: Multiracial
Further information: Creole peoples, Mulatto, Dougla, Cocoa panyols, Chindian, Anglo-Indian people, Luso-Indian, Afro-Asians, Zambo, and Pardo

Given the large number of ethnic identities in Trinidad and Tobago, many citizens have a mixed ethnic heritage due to influences from French, West African, Indian or Han Chinese ancestry. Common ethnic mixtures include people of African and European descent (mulatto-creoles) and African and Indian descent (often colloquially known as dougla). This mixed population is estimated at around 22.8%. A Dougla person might self-identify as simply African based on physical appearance, for instance, but they might be genetically more similar to a person of Indian descent.[16][17][18]

Chinese-Trinidadians and Tobagonians

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Main article: Chinese Trinidadian

There are groups of Chinese who, like the Indians, are descended from indentured labourers. They account for about 4,000 people and live mostly in Port-of-Spain and San Fernando.

In Trinidad there were, about twenty years ago [i.e. about 1886], 4,000 or 5,000 Chinese, but they have decreased to probably about 2,000 or 3,000, [2,200 in 1900]. They used to work in sugar plantations, but are now principally shopkeepers, as well as general merchants, miners and railway builders, etc.[19]

Arab-Trinidadians and Tobagonians

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Main article: Arab

There are also more than 1,000 Arabs, originating from Syria and Lebanon who live mostly in Port-of-Spain. The Syrian and Lebanese communities of Trinidad are predominantly Christian, migrating from the Middle East in the 19th century from the Ottoman Empire later landing in the Caribbean and Latin America. Other Lebanese and Syrians came in the early to middle 20th century to escape the war and turmoil in the region.[20]

Indigenous (Caribs)

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Finally, there are the mixed raced Caribs who are descended from the native, precolonial people of the islands. They are organized around the Santa Rosa Carib Community and live mostly in and around Arima.

Religion

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Main article: Religion in Trinidad and Tobago
Further information: Hinduism in Trinidad and Tobago, Islam in Trinidad and Tobago, and Hinduism in the West Indies
Religions of Trinidad and Tobago [12]
Religion percent
Roman Catholic
 
 21.6%
Hindu
 
 18.2%
Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel
 
 12%
Unspecified
 
 11.1%
Other
 
 8.4%
Baptist
 
 6.9%
Anglican
 
 5.7%
Islam
 
 5%
Seventh-Day Adventist
 
 4.1%
None
 
 2.2%
Presbyterian/Congregational
 
 2.5%
Jehovah's Witness
 
 1.5%

In 2011, according to census data, Roman Catholicism was again the largest religious denomination with 285,671 followers (21.6% of the total population), having declined from a membership of 289,711 in 2000 (26% of the population).[1] Other religious denominations that experienced decreases in their membership in 2011 were Hinduism (from 22.5% in 2000 to 18.2% in 2011), Anglican (from 7.8% to 5.7%), Presbyterian/Congregational (from 3.3% to 2.5%) and Methodist (from 0.9% to 0.7%). The number of persons claiming affiliation to Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel more than doubled from 76,327 in 2000 (6.8%) to 159,033 in 2011 (12.0%). The number of Muslims slightly increased but as proportion of the total population there was a decrease from 5.8% in 2000 to 5.0% in 2011. The category ‘None’ witnessed a small increase from 1.9% to 2.2%, while those who did not state a religion increased significantly, from 1.4% to 11.1%. Approximately 1.2% of the population are adherents of the Baháʼí Faith. The African religions and specifically Orisha have become institutions in Trinidad and Tobago's society. They serve not only the obvious religious needs but also as a source of inspiration for personal identity. Many people, motivated by the need to re-claim their African heritage can now openly support these religions because they see in them a source of understanding and a coming to terms with their enslavement and the colonial past.[21]

Language

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Languages of Trinidad and Tobago
OfficialEnglish
IndigenousCarib, Yaio, Shebaya (all extinct)
VernacularTrinidadian English Creole, Tobagonian English Creole
MinoritySpanish, Trinidadian Hindustani, Antillean French Creole (Patois), Chinese
ImmigrantEnglish, French, Spanish, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Magahi, Hindi-Urdu, Sindhi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Yoruba, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, several other South Asian languages and African languages

English and creoles

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Further information: Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian Creole, and Tobagonian Creole

English is the country's official language (the local variety of standard English is Trinidadian and Tobagonian English or more properly, Trinidad and Tobago Standard English, abbreviated as "TTSE"), but the main spoken language is either of two English-based creole languages (Trinidadian Creole or Tobagonian Creole), which reflects the Amerindian, European, African, and Asian heritage of the nation. Both creoles contain elements from a variety of African and South Asian languages; Trinidadian English Creole, however, is also influenced by French and French Creole (Patois).[22]

Hindustani

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Further information: Caribbean Hindustani § Trinidadian Hindustani

The variant that is spoken in Trinidad and Tobago is known as Trinidadian Hindustani, Trinidadian Bhojpuri, Trinidadian Hindi, Indian, Plantation Hindustani, or Gaon ke Bolee (Village Speech).[23] A majority of the early Indian indentured immigrants spoke the Bhojpuri and Awadhi dialects, which later formed into Trinidadian Hindustani. In 1935, Indian movies began showing to audiences in Trinidad. Most of the Indian movies were in the Standard Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) dialect and this modified Trinidadian Hindustani slightly by adding Standard Hindi and Urdu phrases and vocabulary to Trinidadian Hindustani. Indian movies also revitalized Hindustani among Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians.[24] The British colonial government and estate owners had disdain and contempt for Hindustani and Indian languages in Trinidad. Due to this, many Indians saw it as a broken language keeping them in poverty and bound to the cane fields, and did not pass it on as a first language, but rather as a heritage language, as they favored English as a way out.[25] Around the mid to late 1960s the lingua franca of Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians switched from Trinidadian Hindustani to a sort of Hindinized version of English. Today Hindustani survives on through Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian musical forms such as, Bhajan, Indian classical music, Indian folk music, Filmi, Pichakaree, Chutney, Chutney soca, and Chutney parang. As of 2003, there are about 15,633 Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians who speak Trinidadian Hindustani and as of 2011, there are about 10,000 who speak Standard Hindi. Many Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians today speak a type of Hinglish that consists of Trinidadian and Tobagonian English that is heavily laced with Trinidadian Hindustani vocabulary and phrases and many Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians can recite phrases or prayers in Hindustani today. There are many places in Trinidad and Tobago that have names of Hindustani origin. Some phrases and vocabulary have even made their way into the mainstream English and English Creole dialect of the country.[26][27][28][29][23][30] World Hindi Day is celebrated each year on 10 January with events organized by the National Council of Indian Culture, Hindi Nidhi Foundation, Indian High Commission, Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Co-operation, and the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha.[31]

Spanish

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Further information: Spanish language in Trinidad and Tobago and Trinidadian Spanish

In 2014, Spanish was the native language of 4,000[32] (0.3% of the total population) people in Trinidad and Tobago, being mostly made up of Venezuelan immigrants. Due to Trinidad and Tobago's proximity to Venezuela, current government regulations require that Spanish be taught in secondary education. Spanish is estimated to be spoken by around 5% of the population[33] and has been promoted by recent governments as a "first foreign language" since March 2005 due to the country's proximity to Venezuela.[34][35]

Tamil

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Further information: Tamil language
Further information: Tamil diaspora § Trinidad and Tobago

The Tamil language is spoken by some of the older Tamil Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian population. It is mostly spoken by the few remaining children of indentured Indian laborers from the present-day state of Tamil Nadu in India. Other speakers of the language are recent immigrants from Tamil Nadu.[36]

Chinese

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Further information: Chinese language
Further information: Chinese Trinidadian and Tobagonian

The Chinese language first came to Trinidad and Tobago in 1806, when the British had brought Chinese laborers in order to determine if they were fit to use as laborers after the abolition of slavery. About 2,645 Chinese immigrants arrived in Trinidad as indentured labour between 1853 and 1866. A majority of the people who immigrated in the 19th century were from southern China and spoke the Hakka and Yue dialects of Chinese. In the 20th century after the years of indentureship up to the present-day more Chinese people have immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago for business and they speak the dialects of the indenturees along with other Chinese dialects, such as Mandarin and Min.[37]

Indigenous languages

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The indigenous languages were Yao on Trinidad and Karina on Tobago, both Cariban, and Shebaya on Trinidad, which was Arawakan.[37] These languages have been extinct for over a century, but there are attempts to revive the Carib language by the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community.[38][39]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Trinidad and Tobago 2011 Population and Housing Census Demographic Report Archived May 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "World Population Prospects 2022". United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  3. ^ "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950-2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
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