HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — For more than a decade, Guam has been referred to as an island of close to 160,000 people.
That’s no longer true because fewer people call the island home.
Guam’s population decreased by 3.5% to 153,836, according to the 2020 census.
The U.S. Census Bureau on Friday released the data from the population count.
In 2010, 159,358 people were counted as Guam residents.
The new census shows a reversal of the 2.9% population growth Guam saw between 2000 and 2010.
There has been a 2% rise in housing units, or 988 more housing units, between 2010 and 2020.
The five top villages showing an increase in housing unit counts are Talo’fo’fo’, Sånta Rita-Sumai, Yigo, Dededo, and Mangilao, according to the Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans.
Most villages saw a decline in population with the southern villages of Malesso’ and Humåtak reporting double-digit percent loss.
• Malesso’ saw a 13% decrease in population.
• Humåtak has 17% fewer residents.
The villages showing a rise in population were Talo’fo’fo’, Piti, Sånta Rita-Sumai, Chalan Pago, Inalåhan, and Sinajana, with Talo’fo’fo’ showing the most growth at 16%, or 500 people.
Dededo still accounts for one-third of the island’s population with 44,908 residents. Dededo’s population count is fewer, by 35 residents, compared to the total in 2010.
The census also found fewer military personnel and their families are living within the fence at Andersen Air Force Base — from 3,061 in 2010 to 1,973 in 2020, or 36% decrease.
The island has seen military families opting to live outside of the military bases, using their housing allowance to rent homes or pay down mortgages.
The relocation of nearly 5,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam could change the declining population of base housing occupants, according to the Bureau of Statistics and Plans.
Births slow, deaths rise
The population drop may have been contributed to by a slow growth in births and the rise in deaths on Guam, according to BSP.
Data from the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services shows total births remained constant, averaging about 3,300 births annually during the past decade. Total births dropped slightly to 2,938 births in 2020.
In contrast, the number of deaths on Guam have reportedly increased during the past 10 years, from 872 deaths in 2010 to a little over 1,000 deaths in 2020. In 2021, Guam has lost 235 residents whose deaths were linked to Covid-19.
“Other contributing factors may be the federal government’s increased restrictions on the entry of temporary skilled foreign laborers to Guam,” BSP reported. Since the census, more foreign workers have been allowed entry into the island because of expanded eligibility for certain foreign worker hires, including in the health care field, Post files show.
A more detailed breakdown of the census numbers will be coming up.
“Our office continues to work with the Census Bureau to provide more detailed information on Guam’s housing and population characteristics in the coming months,” said Tyrone Taitano, director, Bureau of Statistics and Plans.
