Brazil: 2,914 speakers and population; Guyana 240 speakers and population.

The Tunayana are mixed with Waiwai. In the 1960s, missionaries, who had been active among the Waiwai in neighbouring Guyana, came to evangelize the Surinamese American Indians of the interior. They brought
with them a few Waiwai, as well as Mawayana and Tunayana who had been living among the Waiwai, and whose task it was to learn Trio in order to convert them. The Tunayana and Mawayana have remained in Suriname and now speak Trio as their first language. There are only about 10 elderly speakers of Tunayana out of an
ethnic group of about 80–90.

2,910 in Brazil (ISA 2005). 200 in Guyana (Forte 1990).

2020 in Brazil; ethnic population 2900 (2005).
200 in Guyana; ethnic population 200 (2007).

(Ethnologue lists 10 in Suriname (ethnic population 80, but these are Tunayana, listed in this catalogue as a separate language.)

The people who are now called Waiwai by the outside world are remnants of various groups, such as the Mawayana, Hyxkaryana, Sikiana, and others. All of these tribe remnants have their own language or dialect. Nearly all that live among the Waiwai speak the Waiwai language fluently.