Structure of the population

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2021) (Including armed forces stationed in the area.): ^[5]

Age structure

• 0–14 years: 27.22% (male 23,748/female 22,122)
• 15–24 years: 16.08% (male 14,522/female 12,572)
• 25–54 years: 36.65% (male 31,880/female 29,871)
• 55–64 years: 10.5% (male 9,079/female 8,610)
• 65 years and over: 9.54% (male 7,504/female 8,577) (2020 est.)

Population

• 169,086 as of 2022

Population growth rate

• 0.16%

Birth rate

• 18.56 births/1,000 population

Death rate

• 6.03 deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate

• -10.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio

• At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
• 0–14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
• 15–24 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
• 25–54 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
• 55–64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
• 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
• Total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

• Total: 11.46 deaths/1,000 live births
• Male: 11.49 deaths/1,000 live births
• Female: 11.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

• Total population: 77.5 years
• Male: 75.07 years
• Female: 80.08 years

Total fertility rate

• 2.78 children born/woman

Nationality

• noun: Guamanian / Guamanians
• adjective: Guamanian

Ethnic groups

• Chamorro 37.3%
• Filipino 26.3%
• White 7.1%
• Chuukese 7%
• Korean 2.2%
• Other Pacific Islander 2%
• Other Asian 2%
• Chinese 1.6%
• Palauan 1.6%
• Japanese 1.5%
• Pohnpeian 1.4%
• Mixed 9.5%
• Other 0.6%

Religion

According to the Pew Research Center, 2010:^[9]

• Roman Catholic 75%
• Protestants 17.7%
• Unaffiliated 1.7%
• Other religions 1.6%
• Folk religions 1.5%
• Other Christians 1.4%
• Buddhists 1.1%
• Eastern Orthodox <1%
• Hindu <1%
• Muslim <1%
• Jews <1%

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) reported 2,550 members in the LDS Church in Guam^[10] in 5 congregations^[11] as of December 31, 2019.^[12] On May 4, 2019, the church broke ground for a temple in Yigo.

In 2020, the Vatican noted that 87.72% of the population is Catholic, with 54 priests and 64 nuns across 27 parishes.^[13]

Languages

• English 43.6%
• Filipino 21.2%
• Chamorro 17.8%
• Other Pacific island languages 10%
• Other Asian languages 6.3%
• Other 1.1%

The Chamorro people

The Mariana Islands is an ethnic and cultural heritage of the Chamorro people.^[3]  Despite the invasion attempts from leading military countries, such as Spain, The United States of America and Japan, the Chamorro people have maintained their traditions.^[14] The cultural endurance of the Chamorro people was evident, as the Indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands maintained their language, tradition and integrity, in spite of the dominance of imperialism.^[15] While Guam has remained a colony in the postmodern world, the Chamorro people of Guam have gained an amount of local political control of the island traditions.^[14]

In pre-Spanish times, Chamorro clans were divided into two distinct, ranked social castes. Social castes are different from social classes in that individuals are born into a particular caste and their status, therefore, could not be changed. Social classes, on the other hand, are more fluid and members can move between classes. The upper caste was known as chamorri, and the lower caste was known as manachang. Movement in between these castes, such as through marriage, was prohibited.^[16] Concubines or other relationships could be maintained only within one’s social class. In addition, the chamorri caste was divided into an upper noble class called matao and a middle, or demi-noble class, known as acha’ot.

Architecture

The most prominent historical architectural complex in Guam is latte architecture.^[17] This style of architecture is described as village complexes with both residential and communal functions.^[17] This structure is unique, as the width is constant in all sizes of latte architecture, however the height of the complex differs from small, medium and large.^[17] Latte architecture is unique to Guam and the Mariana Islands.^[18]

These types of villages were utilised as expressions of a collective identity, rather than modes of competition or rank.^[18] The latte structures were tropes for social organisation as well as a Micronesian egalitarian and matrilineal clan.^[18] This system incorporated hierarchical authority that was founded on respect and reciprocity, rather than totalitarian power or unequal distributions of wealth.^[18]

Increased air temperatures

There has been increasing rising temperatures in daytime and nighttime air temperatures in Guam. The annual number of hot days in Guam had increased, with an average of five days a year exceeding the temperature of 31.1 °C (88 °F). It is estimated that 70% of days the year in Guam will potentially experience temperatures over 32 °C (90 °F). Furthermore, cool nights (below 23.3 °C/74 °F) in Guam have significantly decreased. The 2017 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCRI) report found that the number of cold nights in Guam have decreased from an average of forty nights per year in 1995, to zero per year since 2005. Increased air temperatures is an area of concern, partucularly in regards to public health, building construction and utilities.

Rainfall

Drought conditions are expected to be more frequent in Guam in the near future, due to decreased amounts of rainfall in the island territory. Overall, Guam is likely to become drier in the future, which is an underlying threat to ecosystems and the populace of Guam. This issue formulates difficulties in attaining fresh water.

Tropical storms

The intensity of tropical storms are expected to increase in Guam. While Tropical cyclones will likely decrease in the near future, the cyclones that do form will be more extremely intense and of a higher category, ultimately creating higher wind speeds. Guam is situated in one of the most active regions for tropical cyclones in the world.

Sea levels

Rising sea levels in Guam produce threats to infrastructure, and is expected to damage natural and built assets in the island territory. This is due to the fact that rising sea levels creates extreme coastal erosion, flooding and saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers. Changes in sea levels and cyclone occurrence has resulted in increased water frequency and coastal erosion. High water can create issues, such as the erosion of buildings and infrastructure, as well as vegetation.

Changes to the ocean

As a result of human activities, the chemical composition, temperature and circulation of oceans have significantly changed, which is concerning for marine ecosystems. The increased rising temperatures of the sea surface directly causes coral reef bleaching, and is likely to worsen in the near future. This is a major issue, due to the fact that coral reefs and ocean ecosystems in Guam facilitate tourism, contributing millions of dollars to Guam's economy. The intensity and frequency of heat stress has increased. From 2013 to 2017, more than one third of Guam's shallow corals were bleached and died, as a result of rising heat levels in the ocean.

Issues in relation to climate change in Guam

Climate change is a concept that pervades the entirety of the globe, and is no different in the US island territory of Guam. An array of groups, such as the elderly, children and low-income communities are disproportionately affected by climate change. Extreme weather and climate shifts will likely disrupt of the fabric of Guamanian society. In relation to human health, rising heat temperatures are a cause for concern, particularly in regards to heat related illnesses. Extreme storms and heatwaves are likely to aggravate existing illnesses, increasing the transition of disease. The decreased amount of rainfall in Guam, as well as the rise in heat temperatures facilitate an increased demand for fresh water. This additionally causes a decreased supply of fresh water. The increased droughts in Guam, as a result of the lack of rainfall has caused an increased dependency on well water. The amalgamation of potential pumping, droughts and rising sea levels may cause saltwater contamination in wells. Therefore, water conservation may be necessary in the near future, to prevent the depletion and access to fresh water in Guam.^[19]