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Guyana vs Jamaica
Side-by-side comparison of Guyana and Jamaica from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Guyana
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 60 years
Jamaica
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 64 years
In short
Guyana scores 45.8 in the NationsTree Index (104th in the world) and Jamaica scores 41.3 (123rd), a gap of 4.4 points. Their trees are 5.2 m and 3.5 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Jamaica has 3.4 times the population of Guyana. Guyana is 20 times larger than Jamaica by land area. Guyana has an economy 2.2 times the size of Jamaica (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Guyana 835,986 and Jamaica 2.8 million (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $97,899 in Guyana and $13,291 in Jamaica (2025, international dollars). People in Jamaica live on average 1.3 years longer (71.6 vs 70.3 years).
Of 31 indicators reported by both countries, Guyana ranks higher in the world on 15 and Jamaica on 16. Guyana is clearly stronger in economy and natural resources. Jamaica is clearly stronger in tourism, infrastructure & digital and institutions & safety.
As a nation, Jamaica is the older of the two (statehood since 1962, 64 years), compared with Guyana (since 1966). Over the last five years Guyana improved faster (direction score 91 vs 28 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Guyana and Jamaica.
Guyanabetter
19.3%
1st of 210
Jamaica
0.1%
194th of 210
UnemploymentEconomy
Guyana
12.0%
162nd of 187
Jamaicabetter
3.3%
50th of 187
High-tech exportsTrade
Guyanabetter
13.3%
54th of 168
Jamaica
2.6%
126th of 168
Renewable freshwater per personNatural resources
Guyanabetter
293,317
2nd of 183
Jamaica
3,812
72nd of 183
Hospital bedsSociety & health
Guyanabetter
3.2
53rd of 145
Jamaica
1.7
97th of 145
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Guyana overtook Jamaica in the NationsTree Index and GDP (PPP) in 2023 and has stayed ahead since.
Guyana overtook Jamaica in GDP per person (PPP) in 2009 and has stayed ahead since.
Jamaica has been ahead of Guyana in life expectancy and population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
GuyanaJamaica All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Guyana | Jamaica |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 214,97084th/216 · 2024 | 10,991163rd/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 211,14083rd/216 · 2024 | 10,830160th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 835,986164th/217 · 2025 | 2.8 m140th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 0.59%131st/217 · 2025 | -0.07%177th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 3.9211th/216 · 2024 | 262.250th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 26.5%202nd/217 · 2025 | 59.4%129th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 28.9%76th/217 · 2025 | 18.3%137th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 7.0%125th/217 · 2025 | 8.6%111th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $27.10 bn120th/210 · 2025 | $22.70 bn126th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $81.84 bn110th/199 · 2025 | $37.71 bn142nd/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $69.94 bn110th/199 · 2025 | $32.22 bn142nd/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $32,41453rd/210 · 2025 | $8,003113th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $97,8999th/199 · 2025 | $13,291128th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $28,47051st/201 · 2025 | $7,790104th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 19.3%1st/210 · 2025 | 0.1%194th/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 3.3%98th/180 · 2025 | 4.0%123rd/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 12.0%162nd/187 · 2025 | 3.3%50th/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | — | 97.9%47th/55 · 2020 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 28.9%31st/189 · 2025 | 66.0%129th/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -5.5%159th/192 · 2025 | -2.5%92nd/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 7.7%86th/197 · 2025 | 8.7%79th/197 · 2025 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 75.1%1st/200 · 2025 | 16.3%154th/200 · 2025 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 1.9%177th/192 · 2025 | 7.7%127th/192 · 2025 |
| Services % of GDP | 14.8%200th/200 · 2025 | 59.8%85th/200 · 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $698.0 m2005 | — |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $905.1 m2005 | — |
| Exports % of GDP | 84.6%2005 | — |
| Imports % of GDP | 109.7%2005 | — |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 194.4%2005 | — |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 88.9%5th/170 · 2025 | 23.9%34th/170 · 2025 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 0.2%170th/171 · 2025 | 3.9%156th/171 · 2025 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 1.7%156th/171 · 2025 | 29.5%50th/171 · 2025 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 1.0%135th/171 · 2025 | 42.4%10th/171 · 2025 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 13.3%54th/168 · 2024 | 2.6%126th/168 · 2023 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | 21.4%4th/191 · 2025 | 1.5%63rd/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 33.1%4th/196 · 2025 | 1.2%133rd/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 33.7%7th/209 · 2021 | 0.5%133rd/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 22.08%8th/197 · 2021 | 0.29%63rd/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 9.38%13th/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 2.22%33rd/209 · 2021 | 0.16%100th/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 0.4%196th/206 · 2024 | 11.5%89th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 293,3172nd/183 · 2022 | 3,81272nd/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 86,400169th/194 · 2020 | 1.3 m85th/194 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $28.0 m2003 | $2.06 bn2011 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 4.2%2003 | 48.1%2011 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 70.3151st/217 · 2024 | 71.6142nd/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 25.2132nd/196 · 2024 | 17.8116th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 1.3995th/174 · 2020 | 0.46127th/174 · 2023 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 3.253rd/145 · 2023 | 1.797th/145 · 2023 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 98%20th/193 · 2024 | 99%1st/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 57.0%2019 | 77.4%76th/153 · 2022 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 91.4%96th/173 · 2024 | 84.5%122nd/173 · 2024 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | — | 52.8%2017 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 10.9%123rd/217 · 2025 | 11.7%119th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 2.5%189th/193 · 2023 | 7.6%71st/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 85.6%62nd/98 · 2020 | 79.9%1999 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 26.4%109th/150 · 2024 | 26.2%2015 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.77689th/193 · 2023 | 0.720117th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 45.11998 | 39.986th/108 · 2021 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 13.0%1998 | 1.4%55th/108 · 2021 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 93.0%157th/215 · 2024 | 97.7%143rd/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | 67.2%91st/150 · 2024 | — |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 43.4%93rd/144 · 2024 | 73.6%61st/144 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 83.0%91st/186 · 2024 | 90.1%55th/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 113114th/210 · 2022 | 11898th/210 · 2024 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 12.9107th/208 · 2022 | 16.098th/208 · 2024 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 2.4096th/164 · 2022 | 2.4096th/164 · 2022 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 7,512153rd/161 · 2021 | 180,9512018 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 4.56145th/203 · 2024 | 2.84108th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 12.1%134th/212 · 2022 | 10.5%144th/212 · 2021 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 16.9100th/200 · 2023 | 21.7125th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 87.1%6th/214 · 2024 | 56.5%42nd/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 6612007 | 837101st/149 · 2024 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 55.495th/205 · 2025 | 56.291st/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 40.4122nd/207 · 2025 | 46.295th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 53.5118th/207 · 2025 | 58.199th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 69.299th/207 · 2025 | 75.177th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 48.5128th/205 · 2025 | 55.892nd/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 58.999th/205 · 2025 | 68.664th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 19.1128th/145 · 2023 | 49.4142nd/145 · 2023 |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | $247.6 m118th/156 · 2025 | $286.6 m116th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | 1.0%116th/156 · 2025 | 1.4%95th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | 4.0%109th/154 · 2025 | 4.1%107th/154 · 2025 |
| Armed forces personnel people | 3,000152nd/170 · 2020 | 6,000145th/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 1.04%63rd/168 · 2020 | 0.41%126th/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 5.0 m129th/163 · 2025 | 10.0 m109th/163 · 2024 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| R&D spending % of GDP | — | 0.06%2002 |
| Patent applications by residents applications | 2123rd/137 · 2024 | 3118th/137 · 2024 |
| Scientific articles articles | 50155th/197 · 2023 | 161131st/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Guyana or Jamaica?
Jamaica has the larger population: 2.8 m (2025) compared with 835,986 for Guyana (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Guyana or Jamaica?
Guyana is larger: 214,970 km² (2024) compared with 10,991 km² for Jamaica (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Guyana or Jamaica?
Guyana has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $81.84 bn intl. (2025) compared with $37.71 bn intl. for Jamaica (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Guyana or Jamaica?
Guyana has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $97,899 intl. (2025) compared with $13,291 intl. for Jamaica (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Guyana or Jamaica?
Jamaica has the higher life expectancy at birth: 71.6 years (2024) compared with 70.3 years for Guyana (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which spends more on the military, Guyana or Jamaica?
Jamaica spends more on the military: $286.6 m (2025) compared with $247.6 m for Guyana (2025). Source: World Bank, MS.MIL.XPND.CD.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Guyana or Jamaica?
Guyana: 45.8 points (104th in the world); Jamaica: 41.3 points (123rd). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
El Salvador
Haiti
Honduras
Nicaragua
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
BahamasSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Guyana vs Jamaica — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/guyana-vs-jamaica. Data as of 26 October 2026.