If you lived in Guyana instead of United States, you would:

Health

be 26.4% less likely to be obese

In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guyana, that number is 30.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 8.6 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Guyana, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 90.1% less spent on your healthcare

United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guyana spends $1,331 as of 2023.

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have 62.3% fewer doctors per person

United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Guyana has 13.9 as of 2020.

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have 11.6% less access to essential health services

United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guyana scores 76 as of 2021.

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be 58.5% more likely to die by suicide

United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guyana, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guyana, that number is 12.0% as of 2025.

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make 64.0% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Guyana, the GDP per capita is $32,414 as of 2025.

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Life

have 87.5% more children

In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guyana, there are 19.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 4.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Guyana, 75.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 4.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Guyana, on the other hand, 23.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.3% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guyana, about 83.0% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 17.9% less on education

United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Guyana spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

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spend 85.2% less on healthcare

United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guyana, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 97.7% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Guyana, that number is 459 km.

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Safety

be 3.3 times more likely to be murdered

United States has a homicide rate of 5.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Guyana, that number is 19.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

live with 88.3% less strain on fresh water

United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guyana withdraws 3% as of 2022.

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find 66.7% less home broadband

United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Guyana has 12.9 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 66.5% less CO2

United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guyana emits 4.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 3.7 times more likely to die from air pollution

In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guyana, it causes 52.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Guyana: At a glance

Guyana is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 196,849 sq km. 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 reelected in 2001 and again in 2006. Donald RAMOTAR was elected president in 2011.
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How big is Guyana compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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