| Group: | Guyanese Hindus |
| Pop: | 250,000 (2020) 31% of the population |
| Scriptures: | VedasPuranasUpanishads Ramayana (incl. Ramcharitmanas version)Mahabharata (incl. Bhagavad Gita)other Hindu texts |
| Rels: | Hinduism (Sanātana Dharma) Majority sect Sanātanī Minority sects Arya SamajCaribbean Shaktism (Kali Mai Dharam/Madrasi Hinduism)Sathya Sai Baba movementSieunarini (Sir Narain/Shiv Narayani) PanthHindu atheismothers |
| Langs: | Sanskrit Tamil (liturgical languages) English (Guyanese English Creole)Guyanese Hindustani |
| Related-C: | Trinidadian and Tobagonian HindusSurinamese HindusJamaican Hindusother Caribbean Hindus |
Hinduism in Guyana is the religion of about 31% of the population in 2020.[1] [2] This makes Guyana the country with the highest percentage of Hindu residents in the Western Hemisphere.[3]
After the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act in the British Empire, the need for labour led to the recruitment of Indians in Guyana and other British West Indian territories. Upon arrival, the new workers had to adapt to the extreme tropical conditions, along with their new contracts and working conditions. Between 1835 and 1918, 341,600 indentured labourers were imported into British Guyana from India.[4]
From 1852, Christian missionaries attempted to convert East Indians during the indentured servitude period, but this was met with little success. In response to Christian proselytizing, Hindu priests and monks began administering spiritual rites to all Hindus.
In the late 1940s, reform movements caught the attention of many Guyanese Hindus. In 1910, Arya Samaj arrived in Guyana.
Hinduism had been slowly decreasing for many decades. In 1991, 35.0% of the Guyanese population adhered to Hinduism, decreasing to 28.4% in 2002,[5] 24.8% in 2012[6] but increasing to 31.0% in 2020.
| Year | Percent | Decrease | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 35.7% | - | |
| 1991 | 35.0% | -0.7% | |
| 2002 | 28.4% | -6.6% | |
| 2012 | 24.8% | -3.6% | |
| 2020 | 31.0% | +6.2% |
| Region | Percent of Hindus (2002) | Percent of Hindus (2012) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1% | 0.4% | ||
| Pomeroon-Supenaam | 37.3% | 33.2% | |
| 46.5% | 37.7% | ||
| 24.4% | 20.8% | ||
| 39.0% | 34.1% | ||
| 46.4% | 42.1% | ||
| 5.6% | 3.5% | ||
| 6.4% | 1.0% | ||
| 0.5% | 0.4% | ||
| Upper Demerara-Berbice | 4.7% | 0.8% | |
| Guyana | 28.4% | 24.8% |
According to the 2012 census, 39.8% of the Guyana's population is of East Indian origin and 24.8% are Hindus.[6] The remainder is mostly Muslim (6.8%) or Christian (62.7%).
Holi-Phagwah and Deepavali are National Holidays in Guyana.[8]