Population and Demographics

Trinidad and Tobago's people are mainly of African or East Indian descent. Virtually all speak English. Small percentages also speak Hindi, French patois, Spanish, and several other dialects. Trinidad has two major folk traditions: Creole and East Indian. Creole is a mixture of African elements with Spanish, French, and English colonial culture. Trinidad's East Indian culture came to the island with indentured servants brought to fill a labour shortage created by the emancipation of the enslaved Africans in 1833. Most remained on the land, and they still dominate the agricultural sector, but many have become prominent in business and the professions. East Indians have retained much of their own way of life, including Hindu and Muslim religious festivals and practices.

Emigration from Trinidad and Tobago, as with other Caribbean nations, has historically been high; most emigrants go to the United States, Canada and Britain. 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 2006, Trinidad and Tobago has the lowest population growth rate in the world (-0.88%).

Facts and Figures

• Population: 1,056,608
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 19.5% (male 105,994/female 100,156)
  • 15-64 years: 71.6% (male 397,699/female 358,755)
  • 65 years and over: 8.9% (male 42,039/female 51,965)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 31.8 years
  • Male: 31.3 years
  • Female: 32.3 years
• Population Growth Rate: -0.883%
• Birth Rate: 13.07 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 10.76 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: -11.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.058 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.109 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.809 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 1.068 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 24.33 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 26.15 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 22.43 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 66.85 years
  • Male: 65.87 years
  • Female: 67.87 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 1.74 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 3.2%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 29,000
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Indian (South Asian) 40%
  • African 37.5%
  • Mixed 20.5%
  • Other 1.2%
  • Unspecified 0.8%
• Religions:
  • Roman Catholic 26%
  • Hindu 22.5%
  • Anglican 7.8%
  • Baptist 7.2%
  • Pentecostal 6.8%
  • Muslim 5.8%
  • Seventh Day Adventist 4%
  • Other Christian 5.8%
  • Other 10.8%
  • Unspecified 1.4%
  • None 1.9%
• Languages:
  • English (official)
  • Hindi
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Chinese
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 98.6%
  • Male: 99.1%
  • Female: 98%