Guyana is a country in South America. Its capital is Georgetown.
South America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Georgetown; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGuyana has a low Atlantic coastal plain backed by forests, uplands and southern savannas. Much of the settled coastal land is very low and requires water management. The interior is more sparsely populated and crossed by large rivers.
Kaieteur Falls illustrates the escarpments and river landscapes of the uplands. The Rupununi savannas provide a contrasting open environment farther south. These areas differ substantially from both dense forest and the cultivated coastal belt.
Guyana is hot and humid, with seasonal peaks in rainfall. Atlantic trade winds moderate conditions near the coast.
Tropical rainfall feeds rivers and seasonal wetlands. Forest, savanna and coastal habitats support different wildlife communities. Drainage and flood protection are particularly important along the low, densely settled coast.
Green with a red isosceles triangle (based on the left side) on top of a long yellow arrowhead shape that extends to the opposite side of the flag; a narrow black border sits between the red and yellow, and a narrow white border between the yellow and green
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · International Court of Justice · Guyana v. Venezuela
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The Potaro River drops over a broad escarpment in Guyana’s forested interior.
Photo: Bill Cameron · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Open grassland contrasts with the country’s extensive tropical forests.
Photo: Treez44est · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
English is the official language. Guyanese Creole is widely used in everyday conversation and differs from formal English in vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar.
Indigenous languages include Lokono, Wapishana, Makushi, Patamona and others. Heritage languages linked to migration from India and elsewhere are also present, though their use varies considerably between communities and generations.
Indigenous peoples inhabited the region before Dutch and British colonisation. Plantation slavery was followed by indentured labour, including migration from India, shaping Guyana’s diverse population. Guyana gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 through a constitutional transition and became a republic in 1970. Offshore oil discoveries in 2015 and production beginning in 2019 transformed the economy. A longstanding territorial dispute with Venezuela concerns the Essequibo region.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · International Court of Justice · Guyana v. Venezuela
Offshore oil production has become a major driver of output and exports. Gold, rice, sugar, bauxite and forestry remain important activities, alongside services and construction. Rapid increases in oil output can cause large GDP changes without an equivalent change in every household’s income. Managing public revenue and the effects of rapid expansion is an important policy challenge.
Offshore petroleum, gold and bauxite mining, rice, sugar, forestry and construction.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · International Court of Justice · Guyana v. Venezuela
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Rapid expansion of oil production produces unusually large GDP changes. GDP measures output and is not a measure of typical household income.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 702,705 | 702.705 |
| 1980 | 774,367 | 774.367 |
| 1990 | 749,894 | 749.894 |
| 2000 | 764,832 | 764.832 |
| 2010 | 749,256 | 749.256 |
| 2020 | 807,481 | 807.481 |
| 2025 | 835,986 | 835.986 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,782,661,480 | 1.783 |
| 1991 | 1,890,652,727 | 1.891 |
| 1992 | 2,037,327,406 | 2.037 |
| 1993 | 2,203,881,071 | 2.204 |
| 1994 | 2,391,925,530 | 2.392 |
| 1995 | 2,512,273,985 | 2.512 |
| 1996 | 2,712,138,382 | 2.712 |
| 1997 | 2,879,766,586 | 2.880 |
| 1998 | 2,831,412,296 | 2.831 |
| 1999 | 2,915,226,398 | 2.915 |
| 2000 | 2,875,468,427 | 2.875 |
| 2001 | 2,941,015,353 | 2.941 |
| 2002 | 2,974,326,086 | 2.974 |
| 2003 | 2,955,521,641 | 2.956 |
| 2004 | 3,001,726,851 | 3.002 |
| 2005 | 2,943,164,433 | 2.943 |
| 2006 | 3,094,137,271 | 3.094 |
| 2007 | 3,316,643,991 | 3.317 |
| 2008 | 3,374,858,506 | 3.375 |
| 2009 | 3,496,741,807 | 3.497 |
| 2010 | 3,641,452,425 | 3.641 |
| 2011 | 3,830,671,453 | 3.831 |
| 2012 | 4,032,790,344 | 4.033 |
| 2013 | 4,180,123,674 | 4.180 |
| 2014 | 4,250,621,228 | 4.251 |
| 2015 | 4,279,840,194 | 4.280 |
| 2016 | 4,442,793,237 | 4.443 |
| 2017 | 4,608,708,975 | 4.609 |
| 2018 | 4,813,377,726 | 4.813 |
| 2019 | 5,071,030,136 | 5.071 |
| 2020 | 7,275,896,377 | 7.276 |
| 2021 | 8,735,441,013 | 8.735 |
| 2022 | 14,268,000,638 | 14.268 |
| 2023 | 19,089,873,040 | 19.090 |
| 2024 | 27,454,916,554 | 27.455 |
| 2025 | 32,763,601,884 | 32.764 |
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
A republic with an executive President and a single-chamber National Assembly. Voters elect party lists for the Assembly; the presidential candidate of the list receiving the most votes becomes President. A Prime Minister and Cabinet assist in government.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · International Court of Justice · Guyana v. Venezuela
Three questions about Guyana.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · International Court of Justice · Guyana v. Venezuela
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
