Guyana Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Georgetown

Population

794,099 (2024 est.)

Area

214,969 sq km

Location

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

🧭 Background

Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to former slaves settling urban areas and indentured servants being imported from India to work the sugar plantations. The resulting ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then primarily socialist-oriented governments have ruled the country. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was elected in 2001 and again in 2006. Donald RAMOTAR won in 2011, but early elections held in 2015 resulted in the first change in governing party, and David GRANGER took office. After a 2018 no-confidence vote against the GRANGER government, the administration ignored a constitutional requirement to hold elections and remained in place until the 2020 elections, when Irfaan ALI became president. The discovery of massive offshore oil reserves in 2015 has been Guyana's primary economic and political focus, with many hoping the reserves will transform one of the poorest countries in the region. Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and shares cultural and historical bonds with the Anglophone Caribbean.

🗺️ Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

5 00 N, 59 00 W

Map references

South America

Area — total

214,969 sq km

Area — land

196,849 sq km

Area — water

18,120 sq km

Area - comparative

Slightly smaller than Idaho; almost twice the size of Tennessee

Land boundaries — total

2,933 km

Land boundaries — border countries

Brazil 1,308 km; Suriname 836 km; Venezuela 789 km

Coastline

459 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Maritime claims — continental shelf

200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin

Climate

Tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)

Terrain

Mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

Elevation — highest point

Laberintos del Norte on Mount Roraima 2,775 m

Elevation — lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Elevation — mean elevation

207 m

Natural resources

Bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

Land use — agricultural land

3.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 0.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 2.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

87.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

9.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

1,430 sq km (2012)

Major watersheds (area sq km) — Atlantic Ocean drainage

Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Orinoco (953,675 sq km)

Population distribution

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

Natural hazards

Flash flood threat during rainy seasons

Geography - note

The third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; contains some of the largest unspoiled rainforests on the continent

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

794,099 (2024 est.)

Population — male

405,244

Population — female

388,855

Nationality — noun

Guyanese (singular and plural)

Nationality — adjective

Guyanese

Ethnic groups

East Indian 39.8%, African descent 29.3%, mixed 19.9%, Indigenous 10.5%, other 0.5% (includes Portuguese, Chinese, White) (2012 est.)

Languages

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

Religions

Protestant 34.8% (Pentecostal 22.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 5.2%, Methodist 1.4%), Hindu 24.8%, other Christian 20.8%, Roman Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 6.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 0.5%, other 0.9%, none 3.1% (2012 est.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

23.5% (male 95,223/female 91,272)

Age structure — 15-64 years

68.4% (male 281,669/female 261,261)

Age structure — 65 years and over

8.1% (2024 est.) (male 28,352/female 36,322)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

46.3 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

34.3 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

11.9 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

8.4 (2024 est.)

Median age — total

28.7 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

28.2 years

Median age — female

28.4 years

Population growth rate

0.35% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

16.68 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

7.05 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-6.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

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

Urbanization — urban population

27.2% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Major urban areas - population

110,000 GEORGETOWN (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

1.08 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.78 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.8 years (2009 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

75 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate — total

20.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

23.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

18.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

72.4 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

70.6 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

74.3 years

Total fertility rate

2.04 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 96% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 95.8% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 95.9% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 4% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 4.2% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 4.1% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.9% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

10.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

1.39 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

2.6 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 98.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 99.5% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 99.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 1.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 0.5% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 0.7% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.2% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

5.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

2.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

2.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

9.2% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

16.9% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

1.9% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

9.4% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

59% (2020 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

6.3% (2020)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

32.3% (2020)

Child marriage — men married by age 18

11.9% (2020)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

7.2% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy — total population

85.6% (2020 est.)

Literacy — male

84.2% (2020 est.)

Literacy — female

86.9% (2020 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

Water pollution from sewage and agricultural/industrial chemicals; deforestation

International environmental agreements — party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

None of the selected agreements

Climate

Tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January)

Land use — agricultural land

3.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 0.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 2.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

87.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

9.5% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

27.2% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

2.639 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

2.635 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from consumed natural gas

4,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

11.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Methane emissions — energy

103 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Methane emissions — agriculture

51.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — waste

7.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — other

2.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

179,300 tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

23% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

61.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

20.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

1.363 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

271 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Country name — conventional short form

Guyana

Country name — former

British Guiana

Country name — etymology

The name is derived from Guiana, the original name for the region that included British Guiana, Dutch Guiana, and French Guiana; the name Guiana may be derived from a local term meaning "Land of Water" (referring to the area's multitude of rivers and streams)

Government type

Parliamentary republic

Capital — name

Georgetown

Capital — geographic coordinates

6 48 N, 58 09 W

Capital — time difference

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

Capital — etymology

The British founded the town in 1781 and named it in honor of King GEORGE III (1738-1820)

Administrative divisions

10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Legal system

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

Constitution — history

Several previous; latest promulgated 6 October 1980

Constitution — amendment process

Proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, such as national sovereignty, government structure and powers, and constitutional amendment procedures, requires approval by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum, and assent of the president; other amendments only require Assembly approval

International law organization participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

Yes

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

Yes

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

No

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

Na

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

President Mohammed Irfaan ALI (since 2 August 2020)

Executive branch — head of government

President Mohammed Irfaan ALI (since 2 August 2020)

Executive branch — cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly

Executive branch — election/appointment process

The predesignated candidate of the winning party in the last National Assembly election becomes president for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister appointed by the president

Executive branch — most recent election date

1 September 2025

Executive branch — election results

2025: Mohammed Irfaan ALI (PPP/C) reelected president by the majority party in the National Assembly 2020: Mohammed Irfaan ALI (PPP/C) designated president by the majority party in the National Assembly 2015: David GRANGER (APNU-AFC) designated president by the majority party in the National Assembly

Executive branch — expected date of next election

August 2030

Legislative branch — legislature name

Parliament of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Unicameral

Legislative branch — chamber name

National Assembly

Legislative branch — number of seats

72 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch — electoral system

Proportional representation

Legislative branch — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch — term in office

5 years

Legislative branch — most recent election date

9/1/2025

Legislative branch — parties elected and seats per party

People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) (36); We Invest in Nationhood (W.I.N.) (16); A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) (12); Other (1)

Legislative branch — percentage of women in chamber

36.1%

Legislative branch — expected date of next election

August 2030

Judicial branch — highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Judicature (consists of the Court of Appeal with a chief justice and 3 justices, and the High Court with a chief justice and 10 justices organized into 3- or 5-judge panels); Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appeal in civil and criminal cases

Judicial branch — judge selection and term of office

Court of Appeal and High Court chief justices appointed by the president; other judges of both courts appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a body appointed by the president; judges appointed for life with retirement at age 65

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

Land Court; magistrates' courts

Political parties

A New and United Guyana or ANUG A Partnership for National Unity or APNU Alliance for Change or AFC Justice for All Party Liberty and Justice Party or LJP National Independent Party or NIP People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C The New Movement or TNM The United Force or TUF United Republican Party or URP

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Samuel Archibald HINDS (since 7 July 2021)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 265-6900

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 232-1297

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Guyanaembassydc@verizon.net http://www.guyanaembassydc.org/

Diplomatic representation in the US — consulate(s) general

New York

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Nicole THERIOT (since 14 October 2023)

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

[592] 225-4900 through 4909

Diplomatic representation from the US — FAX

[592] 225-8497

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

Acsgeorge@state.gov https://gy.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, PROSUR, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Independence

26 May 1966 (from the UK)

National holiday

Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

Flag

Description: 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 meaning: green stands for forest and foliage, yellow for mineral resources and a bright future, white for the rivers, red for zeal and the people's sacrifice, and black for perseverance

National symbol(s)

Canje pheasant (hoatzin), jaguar, Victoria Regia water lily

National color(s)

Red, yellow, green, black, white

National coat of arms

Guyana’s coat of arms was adopted in 1966, the year of the country’s independence from the United Kingdom; the jaguars signify strength and resilience, with one holding a pickaxe that stands for labor and the other holding stalks of rice and sugarcane for agriculture; two national symbols, the Canje pheasant and the Victorian lily, are on the shield, with the national motto underneath; three wavy blue lines stand for the Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice rivers, the headdress for the country’s ethnic groups, and the diamonds for the mining industry; the helmet is a symbol of past UK rule in Guyana

National anthem(s) — title

"Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains"

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Archibald Leonard LUKERL/Robert Cyril Gladstone POTTER

National anthem(s) — history

Adopted 1966

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Economic overview

Small, hydrocarbon-driven South American export economy; major forest coverage being leveraged in carbon credit offsets to encourage preservation; strengthening financial sector; large bauxite and gold resources

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$58.423 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$40.749 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$30.457 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

43.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

33.8% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

63.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$70,300 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$49,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$37,100 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$24.836 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.9% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.1% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

8% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

74.3% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

15.3% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

Rice, sugarcane, plantains, cassava, papayas, pumpkins/squash, chicken, milk, ginger, eggplants (2023)

Industries

Bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate

53.3% (2024 est.)

Labor force

292,200 (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

10.2% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

12.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

12.1% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

22.3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

17.4% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

28.1% (2024 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

3.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

3.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2021

6.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget — revenues

$1.333 billion (2019 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$1.467 billion (2019 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

50.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

$2.352 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

$4.242 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2021

-$1.36 billion (2021 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$13.739 billion (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$11.517 billion (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2021

$4.594 billion (2021 est.)

Exports - partners

USA 20%, Trinidad & Tobago 11%, Netherlands 10%, Singapore 10%, Germany 7% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Crude petroleum, railway cargo containers, gold, ships, rice (2023)

Imports — Imports 2023

$10.956 billion (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$7.033 billion (2022 est.)

Imports — Imports 2021

$6.588 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners

USA 28%, China 13%, Trinidad & Tobago 11%, Brazil 5%, Bahamas, The 4% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Refined petroleum, ships, construction vehicles, excavation machinery, cars (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$1.01 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$895.275 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$917.877 million (2022 est.)

Debt - external — Debt - external 2023

$1.805 billion (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Guyanese dollars (GYD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

208.5 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

208.5 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

208.5 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

208.5 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

208.5 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

93% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

98%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

91.6%

Electricity — installed generating capacity

259,000 kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

1.07 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

268.803 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

92.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — hydroelectricity

0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — biomass and waste

5.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum — total petroleum production

391,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

18,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas — consumption

1.991 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — imports

1.991 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

46.045 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

125,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

15 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

856,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

106 (2021 est.)

Broadcast media

Government-dominated broadcast media; the National Communications Network (NCN) TV is state-owned; a few private TV stations relay satellite services; the state owns and operates 2 radio stations broadcasting on multiple frequencies; government limits on licensing of new private radio stations has constrained competition

Internet country code

.gy

Internet users — percent of population

82% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

106,000 (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

13 (2022 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

8R

Airports

55 (2025)

Merchant marine — total

80 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

General cargo 45, oil tanker 10, other 25

Ports — total ports

3 (2024)

Ports — large

0

Ports — medium

1

Ports — small

0

Ports — very small

2

Ports — ports with oil terminals

3

Ports — key ports

Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

The Guyana Defense Force (GDF) is a unified force with ground, air, and coast guard components, as well as the Guyana National Reserve (2026)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2024

0.9% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2023

0.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2022

0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2021

1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2020

1.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

Approximately 3,500 active-duty Guyana Defense Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

The military has a limited inventory comprised mostly of older or secondhand platforms imported from a variety of foreign suppliers, including Brazil, China, India, the former Soviet Union, the UK, and the US (2025)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age or older for voluntary military service; no conscription (2026)

Military - note

The Guyana Defense Force (GDF) was established in 1965; its primary missions are territorial defense, maritime security, search and rescue, medical evacuation, aviation and engineering support, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, peace support operations, and community engagement; key areas of concern include illegal fishing, narcotics trafficking, piracy, porous borders, and threats from Venezuela over disputed territory; the GDF participates in both bilateral and multinational exercises and has relationships with Brazil, China, France, the UK, and the US Guyana joined the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) in 2022; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

79 (2024 est.)