French Guiana Population 2024 (Live)

317,468
Population Rank
Growth Rate
2024 World Percentage
Land Area
83,534
The current population of French Guiana is 317,468 based on projections of the latest United Nations data. The UN estimates the July 1, 2024 population at 319,796.

French Guiana Growth Rate

French Guiana Population 2024 (Live)

French Guiana Population Clock

French Guiana Population (as of 3/11/2024)317,468
Next UN Estimate (July 1, 2024)319,796
Births per Day21
Deaths per Day4
Migrations per Day3
Net Change per Day21
Population Change Since Jan. 11,491

Components of Population Change

One birth every 68.57 minutes
One death every 360 minutes
One immigrant every 480 minutes
Net gain of one person every 68.57 minutes

French Guiana Population Clock

City
2024 Population
Cayenne61,550
Matoury26,350
Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni24,287
Kourou24,029
Remire-Montjoly19,029
Macouria8,773
Mana5,885

French Guiana Population Density Map

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Density (/km²)
Population Rank
Density Rank
2024319,7962.4%4184224
2023312,1552.44%4184224
2020290,9692.43%4185225
2019284,0722.68%3186225
2018276,6472.71%3187225
2017269,3532.49%3187225
2015257,0262.38%3186225
2010228,4532.57%3186226
2005201,2594.13%2186226
2000164,3513.68%2187227
1995137,1833.78%2190227
1990113,9315.56%1191228
198586,9315.4%1196228
198066,8254.22%1198228
197554,3473.17%1203228
197046,4843.6%1205228
196538,9464.58%0.47206228
196031,1254.1%0.38208228
195525,4561.7%0.31207228

French Guiana Population by Year (Historical)

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Density (/km²)
Population Rank
Density Rank
2024319,7962.4%4184224
2025327,4762.39%4184224
2030366,6692.29%4183221
2035407,2132.12%5181220
2040448,5361.95%5180220
2045490,2241.79%6180220
2050532,4591.67%6178220
2055575,3461.56%7176219
2060618,4661.46%8175219
2065661,2501.35%8175218
2070703,4621.24%9175216
2075745,2051.16%9173216
2080785,6701.06%10171216
2085824,8450.98%10171216
2090861,8170.88%10170216
2095896,5350.79%11168216

French Guiana Population by Year (Projections)

French Guiana Population Pyramid 2024

French Guiana Median Age

2.147

Total

1.93

Male

2.173

Female

French Guiana Population by Age

There are people over age 18 in French Guiana.

Census Years

Year
Date
20151 January 2015
20061 January 2006
19998 March 1999
199015 March 1990

French Guiana Population Pyramid

French Guiana is located in the north Atlantic coast of South America in the Guyanas. To the southeast it borders Brazil and to the west Suriname. As a French overseas department, and a region of the French Republic, French Guiana has been the only territory of a European country to be located in the mainland Americas since Belize gained independence in 1981.

French Guiana is the second largest, and largest outermost region within the European Union, however with only 9.3 residents per square mile, it has a very low population density. As of 2019, around 50% of its 297,000 inhabitants live in the capital city of Cayenne. Forests cover 98.9% of the country, of that 41% is the Guiana Amazonian Park.

The name Guiana comes from an Amerindian language, meaning “land of many waters.” The addition of the “French” adjective harkens back to colonial times, and the existence of Portuguese Guiana (now Ampá, Brazil), Spanish Guiana (now Guiana Esequiba and Guiana Region in Venezuela), Dutch Guiana (now Suriname) and British Guiana (now Guyana).

Demographics

High fertility rates in French Guiana have led to a very young population. 44% of the country is below the age of 20, and a mere 1.7% is recorded as 75 or older.

The breakdown of nationality was recorded in 2010 as:

  • 64.5% French
  • 13.8% Surinamese
  • 8.8% Haitian
  • 8.7% Brazilian
  • 1.7% Guyanese
  • 1% Colombian
  • 0.5% Chinese
  • 0.4% Dominican
  • 0.1% Peruvian

European ancestry accounts for about 14% of the population. The majority of people with European ancestry are French, however there are also people of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and British heritage.

History

The French first attempted to colonize Guiana in 1763, failing totally in part due to the harsh climate and tropical diseases. Of the initial 12,000 settlers only 2,000 survived.

In the mid 19th century, France set up prisons on three of the islands and on the mainland as a penal colony. Approximately 56,000 prisoners were transported to “Devil’s Island” during this time, and fewer than 10% would survive their sentence in its operation between 1852 and 1953.

French president Charles de Gaulle in 1964 selected Guiana to be the location of a new spaceport. The Guiana Space Centre became operational in 1968, and has grown considerably since it’s initial launches in the 1970s.

A 2010 referendum saw the people of French Guiana voting against independence, continuing its rule under the French Republic.

Population Growth

It's estimated that, after the first failed colonies in 1763, the population of French Guiana rose to around 14,520 by 1790. By 1891, 100 years later, this had more than doubled to 33,500.

It's believed that today there are 297,000 people living in the country today, an increase more than tenfold than the population in the 1950s. A similar increase is expected to continue into the foreseeable future.

French Guiana is overseas departments of France. It is located in the Guyanas along the coast of South America. French Guiana has the distinction of being the only territory on the mainland of America that is part of a country in Europe.

French Guiana has a total area of 32,253 square miles. Because the population is 296,711, this leaves the region with a very low population density of just over 9 people per square mile. Its total area makes it the second largest region of France.

Cayenne is the capital – or prefecture – of French Guiana. The population of Cayenne is 60,580. However, its urban area is home to about half of the inhabitants of French Guiana. This is because nearly 99% of the region is covered by forests, including rainforests. The largest park in the EU, Guiana Amazonian Park, takes up over 40% of the department’s land area.

French Guiana’s population has grown steading since the late 18th century. Not only has the population grown in size, but it has also grown in diversity. While over half of the inhabitants were born in French Guiana, there are also immigrants from places including Metropolitan France, Saint Martin, Suriname, Haiti, and Brazil.

The largest ethnic group in French Guiana are Mulattoes, which are of French and African ancestry. There are also Haitians, Europeans, and Asians calling this area home.

It should come as no surprise that the official language of French Guiana is French. It is spoken by most residents and is used by the government. However, there are other languages spoken throughout the region, including French Guianese Creole, Amerindian languages, Dutch, Spanish, and English. Most people in French Guiana practice Roman Catholicism, although other minority religions are practiced.

French Guiana Population Rank 2024
Area (km²)
83,534
2024 Growth Rate
Capital
GDP (IMF '23)
-
GDP (UN '22)
-

French Guiana - General Info

Sources