Guyana, a country of fewer than one million people that was among South America's poorer economies until recently, now records higher income per head than the United States when measured in purchasing-power terms. The International Monetary Fund puts its 2026 figure at $95,477 in international dollars, the tenth highest in the world. The result depends on the measure used. In current dollars the IMF estimates Guyana's income per head at $33,167, against $94,430 for the United States.

The change follows oil. In May 2015 ExxonMobil announced that its Liza-1 well, about 120 miles offshore in the Stabroek Block, had found more than 295 feet of oil-bearing sandstone. Commercial production began on 20 December 2019, under five years later. ExxonMobil operates the block with a 45 per cent interest. Chevron, which now owns Hess, holds 30 per cent and CNOOC holds the remaining 25 per cent.

Four floating production vessels now operate in the block: Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, Prosperity and ONE GUYANA. Output reached a record 918,000 barrels a day in February 2026 and averaged 903,000 in April, according to government data. A fifth vessel, Errea Wittu, is due to start in the final quarter of this year and is expected to take production past one million barrels a day. ExxonMobil’s estimate of the oil recoverable from the Stabroek Block stands at roughly 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent. 

IMF figures show GDP growth of 43.8 per cent in 2024 and 19.3 per cent in 2025, with 16.2 per cent projected for 2026. The finance minister, Ashni Singh, has said the non-oil economy grew by 14.3 per cent in 2025. Nominal GDP has risen from about $4.8 billion in 2018 to a projected $34 billion this year.

Purchasing-power measures adjust for differences in price levels between countries. Nominal figures do not, which explains the gap between the two Guyanese numbers above. Because Guyana has so few people, income from a large export industry is spread across a small base, which pushes per-person totals up sharply. An average of this kind also gives no indication of how income is shared among households. 

A further boost came after the US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February 2026 and disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world's oil consumption. Reuters reported that crude prices had risen by about 30 per cent since the conflict began. Early in the year the government had expected oil revenue of about $2.79 billion for 2026. Reuters estimated that if crude averaged $100 a barrel at current production levels, the state’s share of oil revenue would come to roughly $4.3 billion, an increase of 67 per cent on 2025.

President Irfaan Ali has cautioned that higher import costs, including those for fuel and fertiliser, will absorb part of the gain.

All oil revenue is paid into the Natural Resource Fund, established in 2019. The fund held $3.25 billion at the end of 2025. Withdrawals are governed by a formula applied to the previous year's deposits, which permits about $2.37 billion for 2026, slightly less than the $2.46 billion authorised for 2025. Budget projections show withdrawals rising to $4.33 billion by 2029 as new projects raise deposits.

The World Bank's April outlook expects higher inflation in Guyana this year and describes the economy as exposed to movements in oil prices. Oil accounts for most of national output, so a fall in crude prices would reduce both growth and government income.

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