Guyana now produces more per person than America
GDP per person at purchasing power, international $, 2000–2031. 2026 is an IMF estimate; 2027–31 projections.
Guyana's output per person rose from $11,512 in 2015, below Brazil's level, to an estimated $98,912 in 2026.
Guyana ranks 10th of the economies the IMF tracks in 2026, just ahead of the US in 12th.
A big new oil industry shared by a small population can reorder the world's rich list in under a decade.
the numbers
| Year | Guyana (k) | United States (k) | Saudi Arabia (k) | United Kingdom (k) | Brazil (k) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.8 | 36.3 | 33.3 | 27.9 | 8.3 |
| 2001 | 6.0 | 37.1 | 33.3 | 29.1 | 8.5 |
| 2002 | 6.2 | 37.9 | 32.7 | 30.0 | 8.8 |
| 2003 | 6.3 | 39.4 | 35.4 | 31.4 | 9.0 |
| 2004 | 6.5 | 41.6 | 38.5 | 32.8 | 9.6 |
| 2005 | 6.6 | 44.0 | 41.0 | 34.5 | 10.2 |
| 2006 | 7.1 | 46.2 | 42.6 | 36.1 | 10.8 |
| 2007 | 7.8 | 47.9 | 43.6 | 37.9 | 11.6 |
| 2008 | 8.1 | 48.5 | 46.0 | 38.3 | 12.3 |
| 2009 | 8.4 | 47.1 | 44.7 | 36.6 | 12.3 |
| 2010 | 8.8 | 48.6 | 45.1 | 37.6 | 13.2 |
| 2011 | 9.6 | 50.0 | 49.2 | 38.5 | 13.9 |
| 2012 | 10.3 | 51.7 | 50.8 | 39.6 | 14.4 |
| 2013 | 10.9 | 53.4 | 50.4 | 40.8 | 14.9 |
| 2014 | 11.4 | 55.3 | 52.0 | 42.5 | 15.1 |
| 2015 | 11.5 | 57.0 | 52.2 | 43.5 | 14.6 |
| 2016 | 11.9 | 58.2 | 51.6 | 44.5 | 14.2 |
| 2017 | 12.4 | 60.3 | 53.1 | 46.6 | 14.5 |
| 2018 | 12.5 | 63.2 | 59.4 | 47.8 | 15.4 |
| 2019 | 12.8 | 65.6 | 59.6 | 50.7 | 16.0 |
| 2020 | 15.8 | 64.5 | 47.5 | 48.9 | 16.1 |
| 2021 | 21.3 | 71.4 | 62.7 | 54.0 | 18.0 |
| 2022 | 36.4 | 78.0 | 72.0 | 60.2 | 19.8 |
| 2023 | 49.3 | 82.6 | 71.7 | 61.9 | 21.2 |
| 2024 | 69.9 | 86.4 | 72.0 | 63.5 | 22.3 |
| 2025 | 79.8 | 90.3 | 75.8 | 65.8 | 23.4 |
| 2026 | 98.9 | 95.2 | 74.3 | 68.5 | 24.6 |
| 2027 | 116.8 | 100.2 | 81.1 | 71.2 | 25.8 |
| 2028 | 128.3 | 104.1 | 85.1 | 73.5 | 26.9 |
| 2029 | 134.4 | 107.8 | 87.9 | 75.7 | 28.0 |
| 2030 | 138.8 | 111.4 | 90.8 | 77.8 | 29.1 |
| 2031 | 141.8 | 115.0 | 93.9 | 80.0 | 30.3 |
source notes & method
All values read directly from the IMF DataMapper (WEO, PPPPC) on 3 Nov 2026. 2026 is an IMF estimate for the current year; 2027–2031 are IMF staff projections. Recent years before 2026 may also be IMF estimates: the DataMapper does not show where Guyana's actual data ends. Guyana is below the US in 2025 (79,792 vs 90,267), so the lead rests on the 2026 estimate. PPP current international dollars; not adjusted for inflation over time. 8.6× is derived (98,912 / 11,512). Rank derived by progrss from IMF 2026 PPPPC values: Liechtenstein, Singapore, Luxembourg, Ireland, Macao SAR, Norway, Switzerland, Qatar and Taiwan Province of China rank above Guyana; Brunei sits between Guyana and the US. In plain US dollars (IMF NGDPDPC), Guyana's 2026 GDP per person is $38,572 vs $95,212 for the US (40.5%). GDP counts all output made in Guyana, including the profits of foreign oil companies. National income is lower: World Bank GNI per capita (PPP) was $80,300 for Guyana vs $89,490 for the US in 2025. GDP per person is not household income. Guyana has about 1 million people (IMF, 2026). IMF real GDP growth for Guyana: 43.5% (2020), 20.1% (2021), 63.3% (2022), 33.8% (2023), 43.8% (2024), 19.3% (2025), 22.3% (2026). Interpretation: the surge follows the start of offshore oil production in late 2019. Takeaway 3 is an interpretation. Revised 3 Nov 2026 after independent fact-check: title and subtitle wording tightened, chart rescaled to thousands; no numbers changed.
Published 3 Nov 2026
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