If you lived in Guyana instead of Uruguay, you would:

Health

be 13.8% less likely to be obese

In Uruguay, 35.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guyana, that number is 30.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 8.0 years less

In Uruguay, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 82 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 57.5% less spent on your healthcare

Uruguay spends $3,135 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guyana spends $1,331 as of 2023.

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have 70.3% fewer doctors per person

Uruguay has 46.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Guyana has 13.9 as of 2020.

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Economy

make 28.5% more money

Uruguay has a GDP per capita of $25,216 as of 2025, while in Guyana, the GDP per capita is $32,414 as of 2025.

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be 59.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Uruguay, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guyana, that number is 12.0% as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.0 times more children

In Uruguay, there are approximately 9.8 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 5.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Uruguay, approximately 15.0 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 10.2% less likely to be literate

In Uruguay, the literacy rate is 98.9% as of 2024. In Guyana, it is 88.8% as of 2021.

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be 3.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Uruguay, approximately 6.2 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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Expenditures

spend 72.6% less on healthcare

Uruguay spends 9.0% 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 30.5% less coastline

Uruguay has a total of 660 km of coastline. In Guyana, that number is 459 km.

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Safety

be 70.0% more likely to be murdered

Uruguay has a homicide rate of 11.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Guyana, that number is 19.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 16.9% more likely to die in a road accident

In Uruguay, road accidents kill 13.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guyana, they kill 15.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 72.6% less strain on fresh water

Uruguay withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guyana withdraws 3% as of 2022.

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find 60.8% less home broadband

Uruguay has 33.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Guyana has 12.9 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 3.2 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Uruguay, air pollution causes 16.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Guyana, it causes 52.0 as of 2019.

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emit 77.4% more CO2

Uruguay emits 2.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guyana emits 4.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). 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 Uruguay? See an in-depth size comparison.

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