2021 Edition

Background

Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to settlement of urban areas by former slaves and the importation of indentured servants 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 it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. 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. Early elections held in May 2015 resulted in the first change in governing party and the replacement of President Donald RAMOTAR by current President David GRANGER. After a December 2018 no-confidence vote against the GRANGER government, national elections will be held before the scheduled spring 2020 date.

Area

land

196,849 sq km

total

214,969 sq km

water

18,120 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Idaho; almost twice the size of Tennessee

Climate

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

Coastline

459 km

Elevation

highest point

Laberintos del Norte on Mount Roraima 2,775 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

207 m

Geographic coordinates

5 00 N, 59 00 W

Geography - note

the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively; contains some of the largest unspoiled rainforests on the continent

Irrigated land

1,430 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Brazil 1308 km, Suriname 836 km, Venezuela 789 km

total

2,933 km

Land use

agricultural land

8.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 6.2% (2018 est.)

forest

77.4% (2018 est.)

other

14.2% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Orinoco (953,675 sq km)

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

flash flood threat during rainy seasons

Natural resources

bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

Population distribution

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

Terrain

mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

Age structure

0-14 years

23.91% (male 91,317/female 88,025)

15-24 years

21.23% (male 81,294/female 77,987)

25-54 years

39.48% (male 154,825/female 141,385)

55-64 years

8.37% (male 29,385/female 33,386)

65 years and over

7.01% (male 21,325/female 31,275) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

16.64 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

33.9% (2014)

Current Health Expenditure

5.9% (2018)

Death rate

6.87 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Demographic profile

Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and shares cultural and historical bonds with the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana's two largest ethnic groups are the Afro-Guyanese (descendants of African slaves) and the Indo-Guyanese (descendants of Indian indentured laborers), which together comprise about three quarters of Guyana's population. Tensions periodically have boiled over between the two groups, which back ethnically based political parties and vote along ethnic lines. Poverty reduction has stagnated since the late 1990s. About one-third of the Guyanese population lives below the poverty line; indigenous people are disproportionately affected. Although Guyana's literacy rate is reported to be among the highest in the Western Hemisphere, the level of functional literacy is considerably lower, which has been attributed to poor education quality, teacher training, and infrastructure.Guyana's emigration rate is among the highest in the world - more than 55% of its citizens reside abroad - and it is one of the largest recipients of remittances relative to GDP among Latin American and Caribbean counties. Although remittances are a vital source of income for most citizens, the pervasive emigration of skilled workers deprives Guyana of professionals in healthcare and other key sectors. More than 80% of Guyanese nationals with tertiary level educations have emigrated. Brain drain and the concentration of limited medical resources in Georgetown hamper Guyana's ability to meet the health needs of its predominantly rural population. Guyana has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the region and continues to rely on international support for its HIV treatment and prevention programs.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

10.7

potential support ratio

9.3 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.2

youth dependency ratio

42.5

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 95.6% of population

improved: total

total: 96.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 38.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 26.5% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Ethnic groups

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

Hospital bed density

1.7 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Infant mortality rate

female

19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

25.66 deaths/1,000 live births

total

22.68 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

female

73.53 years (2021 est.)

male

69.74 years

total population

71.59 years

Major urban areas - population

110,000 GEORGETOWN (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

667 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

27.9 years (2020 est.)

male

27.2 years

total

27.5 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.8 years (2009 est.)

note

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

Nationality

adjective

Guyanese

noun

Guyanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-7.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Physicians density

0.8 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

787,971 (July 2021 est.)

note

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population distribution

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

0.19% (2021 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 95.4% of population

improved: total

total: 96% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 4.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 4% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.2% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.68 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.07 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

26.9% of total population (2021)