3                                                          Socio-Economic Background

3.1                                                          Population and Households

3.1.1                                                     Study Area Population

The Study Area comprises the entire Port of Spain administrative area and parts of Diego Martin and St. Anns.  The distribution of population between these areas is shown in Table 3.1.  The data presented relates to 1980 and 1990.  Early results from the 2000 census are expected imminently but were not available at the time of writing. 

Table 3.1   Distribution of Greater Port of Spain Population between Administrative Areas

Administrative Area

Population

Annual Growth Rate

Population Distribution

1980

1990

% of Study Area

% Of Admin. Area

Port of Spain

55800

45915

-1.9%

36%

100%

Diego Martin (part)

22296

21293

-0.5%

16%

23%

St. Anns (part)

64979

60818

-0.7%

48%

41%

Greater Port Of Spain

143075

128026

-1.1%

100%

 

Source: 1980 and 1990 Censuses.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 


The total population of Greater Port of Spain (GPoS) in 1990 was around 128,000.  Nearly half this population was located in St. Anns, almost entirely in the Laventille/Morvant districts.  Port of Spain itself constitutes just over 1/3rd of the GPoS population. 

The Diego Martin component comes from the Fort George, Upper St. James and Ellerslie/ Maraval areas.  Over 40% of the total population of St. Anns reside within GPoS.

The population of GPoS decreased by over 10% between 1980 and 1990.  A decrease occurred in every area but was particularly marked in Port of Spain.  There are three principal reasons:

·         Nationals trends of decreasing fertility and household size

·         Very limited availability of developable land leading to out-migration to, principally, Diego Martin, the Eastern corridor and Chaguanas

·         The spread of commercial development to previously residential areas like Woodbrook, St. Clair and Newtown.

The following sections examine growth trends in more detail and provide estimates of the current (2000) population.

(a)                  Population and Household Growth within Greater Port of Spain

Table 3.2 presents population and household data and growth rates for constituent parts of the Study Area.  It is envisaged that these districts, with some amendment, will provide the basis for the formulation of the Master Plan.  As before, no recent data is available

 

 

 

 

 

Table 3.2   Population and Households – Distribution and Growth (1980-1990)

(i)                  AREA

Population

% of 1990

Pop.

Households

Growth Rate 1980-90

District

Sub-district

1980

1990

1980

1990

Pop.

H’holds

Port of Spain

55800

45915

36%

15083

14460

-1.9%

-0.4%

West Outer

Cocorite/St James

11021

9259

7%

2804

2534

-1.7%

-1.0%

West Inner

Woodbrook/ St. Clair/Newtown

8581

6427

5%

2472

2281

-2.8%

-0.8%

Central

(inc. Sealots)

6933

5754

4%

1854

1851

-1.8%

0.0%

East 

Belmont/Gonzales/E.Dry River

29265

24475

19%

7953

7794

-1.8%

-0.2%

(b)                  Diego Martin

22296

21293