Country profile · Latin America & Caribbean

🇬🇾 Guyana

High income. Capital Georgetown. Full World Bank, WHO, ILO & OECD indicator profile across 38 measures, with regional peers and rankings.

831.1K
Population
$24.7 billion
GDP
$29,675
GDP / capita
70.3 years
Life expectancy
Latin America & Caribbean High income Capital: Georgetown

The verdict

Guyana ranks 121st of 217 by total GDP and 151st for life expectancy - a high income economy in Latin America & Caribbean.

#121
World GDP rank (of 217)
$29,675
GDP per capita
#151
Life-expectancy rank
#163
Population rank

Ranks are computed across the 217 countries with data for each indicator; see the full tables and sources below.

Guyana on the global income map

Guyana (GUY) plotted alongside its largest economic peers on GDP per capita and the Human Development Index. Bubble area scales with population; color encodes income tier; gold rings mark OECD members.

Guyana on the global income map Guyana positioned on the GDP-per-capita / HDI plane against its largest economic peers. 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 $200 $1K $10K $100K GDP per capita (USD, log scale) Human Development Index (0–1) India - GDP/cap $2,695 · lower-middle income IND China - GDP/cap $13,303 · upper-middle income CHN United States - GDP/cap $84,534 · high income · OECD USA Indonesia - GDP/cap $4,925 · upper-middle income IDN Pakistan - GDP/cap $1,479 · lower-middle income Nigeria - GDP/cap $1,084 · low income Brazil - GDP/cap $10,311 · upper-middle income Bangladesh - GDP/cap $2,593 · lower-middle income Russian Federation - GDP/cap $14,889 · high income Ethiopia - GDP/cap $1,134 · low income Mexico - GDP/cap $14,186 · high income · OECD Japan - GDP/cap $32,487 · high income · OECD Egypt, Arab Rep. - GDP/cap $3,338 · lower-middle income Philippines - GDP/cap $3,985 · lower-middle income Congo, Dem. Rep. - GDP/cap $693 · low income Viet Nam - GDP/cap $4,717 · upper-middle income Iran, Islamic Rep. - GDP/cap $5,190 · upper-middle income Turkiye - GDP/cap $15,893 · high income · OECD Germany - GDP/cap $56,104 · high income · OECD Thailand - GDP/cap $7,387 · upper-middle income United Kingdom - GDP/cap $53,246 · high income · OECD Tanzania - GDP/cap $1,193 · lower-middle income France - GDP/cap $46,103 · high income · OECD South Africa - GDP/cap $6,267 · upper-middle income Italy - GDP/cap $40,385 · high income · OECD Kenya - GDP/cap $2,133 · lower-middle income Myanmar - GDP/cap $1,359 · lower-middle income Colombia - GDP/cap $7,951 · upper-middle income · OECD Korea, Rep. - GDP/cap $36,239 · high income · OECD Sudan - GDP/cap $985 · low income Guyana - GDP/cap $29,675 · high income Income tier Low Lower-middle Upper-middle High OECD member

Indicators tracked

38

Across 8 topic areas

GDP per capita

$29,675

Latest WB report

Population

831.1K

UN estimate

OECD member

No

Outside OECD harmonized stats

Population
831.1K
GDP
$24.7 billion
GDP per Capita
$29,675
Life Expectancy
70.3 years

Overview

Guyana has a population of 831.1K, making it the 163rd-most populous country out of 217 tracked in Latin America & Caribbean.

Its economy totals $24.7 billion - ranked 121st globally by total GDP. GDP per capita stands at $29,675, placing it in the High income category.

Life expectancy at birth is 70.3 years (ranked 151st globally), reflecting overall health outcomes as measured by the World Bank.

The capital is Georgetown.

👥 Demographics

Population
831.1K
2024
Population Ages 0-14
29.2%
2024
Population Ages 65+
6.7%
2024
Population Density
3.9/km²
2023
Urban Population
26.5%
2024

💰 Economy

Foreign Direct Investment
$8.6 billion
2024
GDP (Current USD)
$24.7 billion
2024
GDP Growth Rate
43.8%
2024
GDP Per Capita (Current USD)
$29,675.25
2024
Inflation (Consumer Prices)
2.9%
2024
Trade (% of GDP)
194.4%
2005
Unemployment Rate
11.9%
2024

🏥 Health

Health Expenditure (% of GDP)
2.5%
2023
Infant Mortality Rate
23.2 per 1,000
2024
Life Expectancy at Birth
70.3 years
2024
Maternal Mortality Ratio
75
2023
Physicians (per 1,000 people)
1.4 per 1,000
2020
Stunting Prevalence (under 5)
9.5
2019
Under-5 Mortality Rate
25.2 per 1,000
2024

📚 Education

Education Expenditure (% of GDP)
4.5%
2018
Literacy Rate (Adult)
85.6
2020
School Enrollment (Primary)
97.6
2024
School Enrollment (Secondary)
91.4
2024
School Enrollment (Tertiary)
26.4
2024
Youth Literacy Rate
99.1
2020

🌍 Environment

CO2 Emissions Per Capita
4.6
2024
Forest Area
87.1
2023
Freshwater Withdrawal
0.6
2022
Renewable Energy Consumption
12.1%
2022

🏗️ Infrastructure

Access to Clean Water
67.2%
2024
Access to Electricity
98.9%
2023
Access to Sanitation
43.4%
2024
Internet Users
83.0%
2024
Mobile Subscriptions
112.6
2022

⚖️ Social

Female Labor Participation
47.4
2024
Intentional Homicides
19.1
2023
Male Labor Participation
63.6
2024
Net Migration
-5,407
2024

🫀 Disease Burden

Key causes of death and disease risk in Guyana. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory.

NCD Death Rate
545
per 100K · 2021
Premature NCD Risk
25.4%
dying 30–70 from NCD
Road Traffic Deaths
15.2
per 100K
Suicide Rate
32.4
per 100K
TB Deaths
17.00
per 100K
Maternal Mortality
75
per 100K births

Sources: WHO Global Health Observatory. NCD mortality rate: 2021. Rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population. Premature NCD risk covers cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease.

Compare Guyana with Another Country

What the data says about Guyana

Guyana sits in the high-income bracket but outside the OECD's harmonized reporting network, so its statistics come straight from the World Bank, WHO, and ILO source series rather than a jointly reconciled OECD dataset - still official, but with less cross-checking between agencies than an OECD member gets. Because output and income figures are converted at market exchange rates into current dollars, they can swing with currency movements independent of any real change in living standards, and for a small economy like this one that swing shows up more visibly in the headline numbers than it would for a larger country. The fuller picture comes from comparing Guyana against income-tier peers of a similar size.

Guyana sits in Latin America & Caribbean with a population of 831.1K, placing it 163rd out of 217 countries by headcount. Its capital, Georgetown, anchors a High income economy with total GDP of $24.7 billion - ranked 121st globally, and GDP per capita of $29,675. This combination of demographic scale and economic output shapes everything from household purchasing power and domestic market depth to the country's weight in regional trade flows and international development programmes.

Life expectancy at birth in Guyana is 70.3 years, ranking 151st worldwide and offering a summary read on healthcare access, nutrition, sanitation, and long-run living standards. The World Bank's World Development Indicators, combined with the WHO Global Health Observatory and ILO ILOSTAT wage statistics, expose 38 data points across 7 thematic areas, from fertility and urbanisation to CO₂ emissions, school enrolment, and labour-force participation. Reading these indicators together, rather than in isolation, is what turns headline numbers into a grounded portrait of how people actually live.

Use the indicator tables below to track trajectories over time, jump to Guyana's placement on specific rankings such as GDP, population density, or life expectancy, and open the side-by-side Compare view to benchmark against peers inside Latin America & Caribbean or across income groups. Because all figures come from official, CC BY 4.0-licensed datasets with clear vintages, you can cite them directly in research or journalism. Where a field reads "N/A", the upstream agency has not yet released that value for Guyana - we never fabricate estimates or carry forward stale values, so missing points stay visible rather than quietly filled in.

Using the Guyana profile

A single rank only means something in context, read Guyana's numbers against its peers and over time.

  • Put Guyana side-by-side with another country to see exactly where the gaps are. Compare countries
  • See the full GDP table to find every country above and below Guyana's #121 position. GDP rankings
  • Browse Latin America & Caribbean to benchmark Guyana against its regional peers. Regional peers

Figures come from official World Bank, WHO, ILO and OECD releases; observation years differ by indicator (shown in the “Year” column) and unavailable values appear as “N/A” rather than estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the data for Guyana come from?

Data for Guyana is sourced from the World Bank Open Data catalog, WHO Global Health Observatory, and ILO ILOSTAT (for average wages and working hours). These are official, publicly available datasets.

How current is the data for Guyana?

It varies by indicator - most points are 2020-2024. See our methodology page for the update cadence per source.

Can I compare Guyana with other countries?

Yes - use the compare tool above, or the rankings catalog to see where Guyana stands on any single indicator.

What does GDP per capita tell us about Guyana?

Guyana's total output divided by its population, in current US dollars - an approximate read on average economic productivity per person. See our methodology page for the PPP-adjustment caveats.

How does Guyana's life expectancy compare to the global average?

70.3 years, ranking 151st of 217 countries tracked - against a global average near 73 years.

Does PlainCountries cover visa or travel information for Guyana?

No - PlainCountries is development and health data only. PlainVisa (plainvisa.com) covers immigration policy; PlainFlights (plainflights.com) covers flight routes.

Source: World Bank Open Data, Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, Source: ILO ILOSTAT. World Bank and ILO data licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or policy advice. Data is sourced from the World Bank, WHO, ILO, and OECD. See our full disclaimer and editorial policy.