Trinidad and Tobago Population and Language

Trinidad and Tobago have the most mixed population in the Caribbean. The residents mainly originate in India, Africa and Europe. Of the country’s indigenous people, today there is only a small waste.

About one-third of the population is of African descent and about as many are of Indian origin, according to a census in 2011. The Afrotrinidadians are descendants of slaves picked by European colonizers until the early 19th century and indotrinidadians of workers recruited from India after abolition of slavery. (see Older history).

Trinidad and Tobago Population Forecast

  • COUNTRYAAH.COM: Key populations estimated size and data of Trinidad and Tobago, including population density of how many people per square mile. Also included are facts for population and language.

Many of the former slaves settled in Tobago, where black people live today. Almost 5 percent of the country’s residents live on the smaller island.

Few Trinidadians have claims from European colonizers only, but almost every fourth of the residents identified themselves in 2011 as of mixed origin. A smaller proportion of them have mixed Indian and African origins and are referred to by a Trinidadian term “dougla” (or devil).

The indigenous population was severely affected by the European colonization of the 16th century and was long considered largely wiped out. However, some Trinidadians consider themselves both genetically and culturally belonging to the indigenous peoples and since 1990 the state officially recognizes a grouping in Arima, Santa Rosa First Peoples (Carib) Community.

Trinidad and Tobago Population and Language

English is the official language. Most people speak everyday English-language Creole, which sometimes differs between the two islands of Trinidad and Tobago. A French-based Creole language also exists but has become increasingly uncommon. Some residents also speak Spanish, French or Hindi.

FACTS – POPULATION AND LANGUAGE

Population

Indians 38%, blacks 36%, people of mixed origin 24%, other 2% (census 2011)

Number of residents

1 369 125 (2017)

Number of residents per square kilometer

267 (2017)

Percentage of residents in the cities

53.2 percent (2017)

Nativity / birth

13.6 per 1000 residents (2016)

Mortality / mortality

9.6 per 1000 residents (2016)

POPULATION GROWTH

0.3 percent (2017)

fertility rate

1.8 number of births per woman (2016)

Percentage of women

50.7 percent (2017)

Life expectancy

71 years (2016)

Life expectancy for women

74 years (2016)

Life expectancy for men

67 years (2016)

Language

English is officially language 1

  1. Spanish, French, Hindi are also spoken