Capital

Guyana

name: Georgetown

geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 09 W

time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: when the British took possession of the town from the Dutch in 1812, they renamed it Georgetown in honor of King GEORGE III (1738-1820)

Citizenship

Guyana

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: na

Legal system

Guyana

common law system, based on the English model, with some Roman-Dutch civil law influence

Suffrage

Guyana

18 years of age; universal

Area

Guyana

total: 214,969 sq km

land: 196,849 sq km

water: 18,120 sq km

Land use

Guyana

agricultural land: 8.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 6.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 77.4% (2018 est.)

other: 14.2% (2018 est.)

Location

Guyana

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela

Age structure

Guyana

0-14 years: 23.65% (male 95,605/female 91,654)

15-64 years: 68.49% (male 281,157/female 261,113)

65 years and over: 7.86% (2023 est.) (male 27,269/female 34,941)

Birth rate

Guyana

16.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Guyana

7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Guyana

English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (including Caribbean and Arawak languages), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi), Chinese (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Guyana

total population: 72.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 70.3 years

female: 74.1 years

Major urban areas - population

Guyana

110,000 GEORGETOWN (capital) (2018)

Median age

Guyana

total: 27.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 27.8 years

female: 28 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Guyana

20.8 years (2009 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Net migration rate

Guyana

-7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Guyana

population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with noteable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

Population growth rate

Guyana

0.28% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Guyana

2.06 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Guyana

urban population: 27.2% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.01% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Guyana

4.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Guyana

total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 12 years (2012)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Guyana

-4.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Guyana

33.52% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Guyana

299,300 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Guyana

35% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

Guyana

16.42% (2021 est.)

16.43% (2020 est.)

13.99% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Guyana

52.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

50.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Guyana

5.03% (2021 est.)

0.99% (2020 est.)

2.09% (2019 est.)

Exports

Guyana

$4.64 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.799 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.805 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Guyana

United States 40%, Singapore 14%, United Arab Emirates 6%, United Kingdom 6%, Barbados 6% (2021)

Imports

Guyana

$6.611 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.756 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$5.025 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Guyana

Singapore 33%, United States 19%, Trinidad and Tobago 12%, China 8%, Brazil 2% (2021)

Airports

Guyana

117 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Guyana

total: 95,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Guyana

total: 680,000 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 85% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Guyana

total: 3,995 km (2019)

paved: 799 km (2019)

unpaved: 3,196 km (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

Guyana

total subscriptions: 130,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Guyana

total subscriptions: 860,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Guyana

330 km (2012) (the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively)

Disputes - international

Guyana

Guyana-Venezuela: Venezuela claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River and maintains that Guyana does not have jurisdiction to grant concessions in maritime areas off the Essequibo, waters which are potentially rich in hydrocarbon resources; Guyana submitted the dispute to the International Court of Justice in 2018; in December 2023, the Venezuelan Government conducted a public referendum asking its citizens to support establishing a state in the disputed territory, granting citizenship to current and future area residents, and rejecting the jurisdiction of the ICJ

Guyana-Suriname: Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari Rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne River