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Oil made Guyana six times richer per head in six years

Original title: Guyana's oil-driven economy has seen the world's fastest growth in GDP per capita in recent years · Our World in Data · 18 Aug 2026

Fast-moving · data as of 18 Aug 2026

Oil made Guyana six times richer per head in six years

Chart: Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0

So what

Guyana's GDP per head jumped from about $13,000 in 2019 to $84,000 in 2025, almost four times the world average. Few modern economies have re-rated this fast, and almost all of it is one commodity. For investors the question is no longer growth but governance: whether oil rent turns into broad living standards or a classic resource curse.

LabelValueUnitPeriod
Guyana GDP per capita5074.431international-$ (2021 prices)1990
Guyana GDP per capita12040.083international-$ (2021 prices)2015
Guyana GDP per capita13402.422international-$ (2021 prices)2019
Guyana GDP per capita19234.13international-$ (2021 prices)2020
Guyana GDP per capita70516.7international-$ (2021 prices)2024
Guyana GDP per capita83658.68international-$ (2021 prices)2025
World GDP per capita21913.51international-$ (2021 prices)2025
Oil production growth (text)860%2020-2025