Guyana (Co-operative Republic of Guyana)

https://www.humantruth.info/guyana.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Guyana Co-operative Republic of Guyana
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	122nd best
Capital	Georgetown
Land Area	196 850km²₁
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	0.8m₂
Life Expectancy	65.67yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$22 465 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	GY, GUY, 328₅
Internet Domain	.gy₆
Currency	Dollar (GYD)₇
Telephone	+592₈

1. Overview

#UK

“Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas 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.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“From towering waterfalls and tropical jungle to caiman-filled rivers, few places on the planet offer raw adventure as authentic as densely forested Guyana. Although the country has a troubled history of political instability and interethnic tension, underneath the headlines of corruption and economic mismanagement is a joyful and motivated mix of people who are turning the country into one of the continent´s premier ecotourism destinations.
Georgetown, the country´s crumbling colonial capital, is distinctly Caribbean with a rocking nightlife, great places to eat and an edgy market. The interior of the country is more Amazonian with its Amerindian communities and unparalleled wildlife-viewing opportunities tucked quietly away from the capital´s hoopla. Meanwhile, the coast is some of the wildest and least developed on the continent. From sea-turtle nesting grounds along the country´s north coast to riding with vaqueros at a ranch in the south or standing in awe watching one of the world´s highest single-drop waterfalls, Guyana is well worth the mud, bumps and sweat it takes to experience it. If you love nature, this promises to be the trip of a lifetime.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Guyana National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
105	Paraguay	0.717
106=	Palestine	0.715
106=	St Lucia	0.715
108	Guyana	0.714
109	S. Africa	0.713
110	Jamaica	0.709
111	Samoa	0.707
112=	Gabon	0.706
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
58	Trinidad & Tobago	$23 392
59	St Kitts & Nevis	$23 358
60	Bulgaria	$23 079
61	Guyana	$22 465
62	Mauritius	$22 025
63	Uruguay	$21 269
64	Argentina	$20 925
65	Montenegro	$20 839
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.2
2	Norway	29.2
3	Sweden	30.2
	...
119	Belize	96.8
120	Lebanon	96.9
121	Ghana	97.4
122	Guyana	97.7
123	Algeria	98.0
124	Uzbekistan	98.5
125	Azerbaijan	98.8
126	Egypt	99.2
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	89.2
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Guyana's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Guyana's population is predicted to rise to 794 743 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.37. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
158	Djibouti	1.0m
159	Fiji	0.9m
160	Comoros	0.8m
161	Guyana	0.8m
162	Bhutan	0.8m
163	Solomon Islands	0.7m
164	Montenegro	0.6m
165	Luxembourg	0.6m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
143	Rwanda	66.1
144	Palau	66.0
145	Gabon	65.8
146	Guyana	65.7
147	Myanmar	65.7
148	Papua New Guinea	65.4
149	Marshall Islands	65.3
150	Sudan	65.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
55	Turks & Caicos Islands	1.66
56	Guatemala	2.35
57	Barbados	1.63
58	Guyana	2.37
59=	Serbia	1.63
59=	Australia	1.63
61	Brazil	1.63
62	Czechia	1.62
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
93	Samoa	13.7
94	Algeria	14.0
95	Malaysia	14.5
96	Guyana	15.0
97	Fiji	15.3
98	Mexico	15.4
99	Peru	15.5
100=	Dominican Rep.	15.6
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
127	Liberia	2.1%
128	Mali	2.1%
129	Georgia	2.0%
130	Guyana	2.0%
131	Central African Rep.	1.9%
132	Romania	1.9%
133	Japan	1.8%
134	Sudan	1.8%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
6	Guyana	56.9%
7	Monaco	56.3%
8	Antigua & Barbuda	47.6%
9	Tonga	45.4%
10	Albania	45.4%
11	Barbados	41.0%
12	Suriname	39.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Guyana's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to The Americas (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Canada	17.0
2	Uruguay	30.8
3	Costa Rica	38.8
	...
23	Belize	83.9
24	Paraguay	84.0
25	St Vincent & Grenadines	84.8
26	Guyana	90.0
27	St Lucia	90.3
28	Dominica	92.0
29	Nicaragua	94.0
30	Venezuela	94.1
31	St Kitts & Nevis	98.9
	The Americas Avg	75.88
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	89.5
90	Ghana	89.8
91	Botswana	89.8
92	Guyana	90.0
93	St Lucia	90.3
94	Fiji	90.8
95	Palau	91.4
96	Lesotho	91.8
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics #slavery

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₁
Pos.		2025₂₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
69	Bulgaria	60.78
70	Congo, (Brazzaville)	60.58
71	Central African Rep.	60.15
72	Guyana	60.12
73	Senegal	59.43
74	Comoros	59.27
75	Malawi	59.20
76	Cyprus	59.04
	The Americas Avg	55.99
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Guyana only had Press Freedom data from 2008 onwards, making its average for the 2000s potentially skewed.

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		Slavery in the 2020s Per 1000₂₂
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
54=	Angola	4.10
54=	Estonia	4.10
56=	Uganda	4.20
56=	Guyana	4.20
56=	Argentina	4.20
56=	Czechia	4.20
60=	Egypt	4.30
60=	Rwanda	4.30
	The Americas Avg	5.84
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
49=	Latvia	1.5
49=	Bahamas	1.5
51=	Jamaica	2.0
51=	Guyana	2.0
51=	USA	2.0
51=	Mauritius	2.0
51=	Argentina	2.0
51=	Greece	2.0
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₃
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₃
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
149=	Barbados	11
149=	Bahamas	11
149=	Cuba	11
149=	Guyana	11
149=	Swaziland	11
149=	Zimbabwe	11
155=	Saudi Arabia	10
155=	Laos	10
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₄
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
60	Jordan	7.75
61	Madagascar	7.75
62	Cuba	7.80
63	Guyana	7.85
64	Tanzania	8.05
65	Nicaragua	8.10
66	Guatemala	8.10
67	Netherlands	8.29
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #women

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Guyana and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Guyana has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2022₂₅
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
100	Colombia	0.41
101	Honduras	0.42
102	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.42
103	Guyana	0.42
104	Samoa	0.42
105	Bolivia	0.42
106	Paraguay	0.43
107	Dominican Rep.	0.44
	The Americas Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Data starts in 2018, so the 2010s average may be a little skewed due to too few datapoints.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
92=	Ivory Coast	1952
92=	Greece	1952
92=	Lebanon	1952
95=	Guyana	1953
95=	Mexico	1953
95=	Bhutan	1953
95=	Syria	1953
99=	Colombia	1954
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₂₆
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score₂₆
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
146	Samoa	-3.13
147	Papua New Guinea	-3.18
148=	Sierra Leone	-3.23
148=	Guyana	-3.23
150	Belarus	-3.26
151	Ghana	-3.28
152	Myanmar	-3.34
153	Tonga	-3.38
	The Americas Avg	0.41
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Guyana inherited British anti-male-homosexuality laws of 1861, granting life imprisonment; under Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Cap. 8:01 it's now 10 years.

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Guyana had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇣ Opposed the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights tabled by Argentina.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₇
Pos.		2021₂₇
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
137=	Turkmenistan	3.5
137=	Togo	3.5
137=	Poland	3.5
137=	Guyana	3.5
137=	Nicaragua	3.5
137=	Papua New Guinea	3.5
137=	Solomon Islands	3.5
137=	Kazakhstan	3.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Guyana's Health

#health

Compared to The Americas (2025)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈
1	Antigua & Barbuda	62.3
2	Canada	63.9
3	Cuba	64.7
	...
26	Ecuador	98.4
27	Mexico	100.4
28	Peru	101.4
29	Guyana	102.9
30	Bermuda	104.3
31	Belize	104.9
32	Dominican Rep.	107.3
33	Paraguay	108.2
34	Honduras	108.2
	The Americas Avg	91.99
q=41.

Health (2025)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
118	Tonga	102.1
119	Kosovo	102.3
120	Niue	102.3
121	Guyana	102.9
122	Mongolia	103.6
123	Jordan	103.7
124	Philippines	104.0
125	Bermuda	104.3
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₂₉. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₉.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₉, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₉.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #birth_control #children's_health #demographics #guyana #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Guyana does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Guyana comes in the best 20 for delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₀. It does better than average for delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₁, its smoking rate₃₂, its fertility rate₁₅ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃. But, things could still be better. Guyana does worse than average for its alcohol consumption rate₃₄, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅, childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₆, its average life expectancy₁₁ (one of the worst in The Americas) and in its adolescent birth rate₃₇. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom when it comes to its suicide rate₃₈. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Guyana improved by +6.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Guyana's peak fertility rate was 6.37 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
143	Rwanda	66.1
144	Palau	66.0
145	Gabon	65.8
146	Guyana	65.7
147	Myanmar	65.7
148	Papua New Guinea	65.4
149	Marshall Islands	65.3
150	Sudan	65.3
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₄
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
92	Nauru	6.0
93	Cuba	6.1
94	Kyrgyzstan	6.2
95=	Guyana	6.3
95=	Peru	6.3
97=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.4
97=	Angola	6.4
99	Mexico	6.5
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
55	Turks & Caicos Islands	1.66
56	Guatemala	2.35
57	Barbados	1.63
58	Guyana	2.37
59=	Serbia	1.63
59=	Australia	1.63
61	Brazil	1.63
62	Czechia	1.62
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		Smoking in the 2020s %₃₂
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
36	Kenya	10.7%
37	Paraguay	10.8%
38	Cape Verde	11.0%
39	Guyana	11.2%
40	Burundi	11.2%
41=	Zimbabwe	11.3%
41=	Bahamas	11.3%
43	Guatemala	12.0%
	The Americas Avg	12.7%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k₃₈
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
178	Belarus	24.43
179	Swaziland	24.89
180	Suriname	25.29
181	Lesotho	26.45
182	S. Korea	29.96
183	Russia	30.84
184	Guyana	31.18
185	Lithuania	33.72
	The Americas Avg	8.02
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
94	Philippines	94
95	Bosnia & Herzegovina	95
96	Namibia	96
97	Guyana	97
98	Colombia	98
99	Vietnam	99
100	Lesotho	100
101	Tanzania	101
	The Americas Avg	94.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		1976 %₃₃
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
72	Trinidad & Tobago	20.6
73	Singapore	22.8
74	St Lucia	24.0
75	Guyana	24.3
76	Paraguay	25.1
77	Honduras	25.5
78	Antigua & Barbuda	25.8
79=	St Vincent & Grenadines	25.9
	The Americas Avg	30.7
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₉
Pos.		2022 %₃₉
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
117	Azerbaijan	27.5%
118	Bolivia	27.8%
119	Armenia	27.9%
120	Guyana	28.0%
121	Russia	28.0%
122	Greenland	28.2%
123	Tunisia	28.3%
124	Uzbekistan	28.5%
	The Americas Avg	32.0%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₇
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
149	Ghana	63.4
150	Eritrea	63.6
151	Senegal	64.6
152	Guyana	64.6
153	Ethiopia	66.5
154	Swaziland	68.4
155	Panama	68.5
156	Paraguay	69.9
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₀
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %₃₀
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
14=	Israel	98.5
14=	Malta	98.5
14=	Nauru	98.5
14=	Guyana	98.5
14=	New Caledonia	98.5
19=	Turkmenistan	98.4
19=	Andorra	98.4
21	Japan	98.2
	The Americas Avg	87.5
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₃₁
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₁
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
32	Albania	97.1
33	Andorra	97.1
34	Russia	97.0
35	Guyana	97.0
36	Slovakia	97.0
37	Kyrgyzstan	96.7
38	Brazil	96.7
39=	Jordan	96.6
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₆
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 1000₃₆
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
131	Tajikistan	31.41
132	Bhutan	32.24
133	Bolivia	33.37
134	Guyana	33.43
135	Cambodia	33.56
136	Dominican Rep.	34.90
137	Marshall Islands	35.97
138	Nepal	39.44
	The Americas Avg	18.99
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Guyana was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19).

6. Guyana's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #guyana #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2025)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
19	Honduras	84.6
20	Venezuela	86.1
21	Canada	87.2
22	Guyana	87.4
23	Jamaica	88.6
24	Paraguay	91.0
25	Belize	91.3
26	St Vincent & Grenadines	92.0
27	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
	The Americas Avg	82.39
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
111	Taiwan	86.1
112	Macedonia	86.9
113	Canada	87.2
114	Guyana	87.4
115	Gabon	87.9
116	Croatia	88.5
117	Jamaica	88.6
118	Fiji	89.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₁. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

When it comes to its responsibility towards the environment, Guyana comes 114th in the world. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Guyana does better than average for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. However Guyana performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂ (one of the worst in The Americas), its environmental performance₄₃ (one of the worst in The Americas), reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₄ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₅.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		Total₄₅
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
143	Mongolia	-0.6%
144	Sweden	-0.7%
145	Gabon	-0.7%
146	Guyana	-0.8%
147	Suriname	-0.9%
148	French Guiana	-1.0%
149	Congo, (Brazzaville)	-1.1%
150	St Lucia	-1.1%
	The Americas Avg	-2.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		2018₄₃
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
125	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49.5
126	Senegal	49.5
127	Malawi	49.2
128	Guyana	47.9
129	Tajikistan	47.9
130	Kenya	47.3
131	Bhutan	47.2
132	Vietnam	47.0
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
70	Nicaragua	64%
71	Trinidad & Tobago	63%
72	Egypt	63%
73	Guyana	63%
74	Uganda	62%
75	Singapore	62%
76	Bolivia	62%
77	Guinea	62%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Guyana was one of 19 countries that signed the Paris Agreement within the first few months in Q2 2016.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2011 %₄₂
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
91	Azerbaijan	31.7%
92	Guinea	31.2%
93	Slovakia	31.1%
94	Guyana	30.1%
95	Egypt	30.1%
96	Macedonia	30.1%
97	Senegal	29.6%
98	Comoros	28.3%
	The Americas Avg	58.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₄
Pos.		2021 kg₄₄
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
127	S. Africa	71.6
128	Kazakhstan	71.8
129	Estonia	72.1
130	Guyana	72.4
131	Latvia	74.0
132	Finland	74.0
133	Italy	74.3
134	Norway	74.7
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

In the 2010s, Guyana increased its meat consumption by over 20kgs per person per year, one of only 11 countries to do so, and putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₄₄

7. Guyana's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2025)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₆
1	Canada	28.7
2	Argentina	39.3
3	Chile	43.4
	...
28	Honduras	97.5
29	St Vincent & Grenadines	98.7
30	St Lucia	98.9
31	Jamaica	99.7
32	Guyana	112.8
33	Bahamas	113.4
34	Belize	121.2
35	Haiti	126.3
36	Puerto Rico	147.7
	The Americas Avg	79.58
q=36.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₆
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
129	Djibouti	107.9
130	Samoa	109.0
131	Ghana	111.9
132	Guyana	112.8
133	Bahamas	113.4
134	Kiribati	113.8
135	Cameroon	115.0
136	Palestine	115.1
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₄₇. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₉

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#metric

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
155	Paraguay	155
156	Tanzania	156
157	Equatorial Guinea	157
158	Guyana	158
159	Afghanistan	159
160	Indonesia	160
161	Bolivia	161
162	Iraq	162
	The Americas Avg	99.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		2025 %₅₀
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
107=	Mali	90
107=	Bahrain	90
107=	Maldives	90
107=	Guyana	90
107=	Gambia	90
107=	Guinea-Bissau	90
107=	Guinea	90
107=	Libya	90
	The Americas Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1971. Progression:

1960 (50%): British legacy; metric in science/administration.
1970 (70%): Metrication through standards; dual use common.
1980 (85%): Commerce/education largely metric; everyday legacy persists.
2000 (90%): Metric dominant officially.
2025 (90%).

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₁
Pos.		2018₅₁
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
85	Egypt	65.3%
86	Argentina	64.8%
87	Greece	64.8%
88	Guyana	63.3%
89	Ghana	63.1%
90	Peru	62.2%
91	Palestine	61.1%
92	Suriname	60.5%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		2021 Years₅₂
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
124	Maldives	12.6
125	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	12.6
126	Cape Verde	12.6
127	Guyana	12.5
128	Uzbekistan	12.5
129	Bangladesh	12.4
130	Samoa	12.4
131	Congo, (Brazzaville)	12.3
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
100	S. Africa	75%
101	Peru	74%
102	St Kitts & Nevis	74%
103	Guyana	74%
104	Mauritius	74%
105	Panama	73%
106	Colombia	73%
107	Moldova	72%
	The Americas Avg	75.7%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₃
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₃
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
126=	Micronesia	0.0
126=	Algeria	0.0
126=	Djibouti	0.0
126=	Guyana	0.0
126=	Namibia	0.0
126=	Tonga	0.0
126=	Myanmar	0.0
126=	Morocco	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Guyana's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to The Americas (2025)₅₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₄
1	Canada	20.9
2	USA	40.1
3	Costa Rica	46.8
	...
20	Brazil	83.1
21	Paraguay	84.9
22	Peru	86.7
23	Guyana	86.9
24	Ecuador	87.1
25	Dominican Rep.	87.9
26	Honduras	88.1
27	Cuba	88.2
28	Bolivia	88.7
	The Americas Avg	76.34
q=33.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)₅₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₄
1	Denmark	10.4
2	Netherlands	11.8
3	Finland	12.2
	...
96	Paraguay	84.9
97	Turkey	85.8
98	Peru	86.7
99	Guyana	86.9
100	Georgia	86.9
101	Ecuador	87.1
102	Tonga	87.4
103	Dominican Rep.	87.9
	World Avg	80.47
q=183.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 39 datasets, including multiple decades of data on resisting corruption, Creativity and Culture, overall happiness, Open Trading, Aid and Development, passport utility (so far), personal financial stability, World Giving Index, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #freedom #guyana #internationalism #politics

Corruption Higher is better₅₅
Pos.		2022 Points₅₅
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
87=	Macedonia	40.0
87=	Maldives	40.0
87=	India	40.0
87=	Guyana	40.0
91=	Belarus	39.0
91=	Moldova	39.0
91=	Colombia	39.0
94=	Ethiopia	38.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Thoughout the 2010s, Guyana made serious improvements to its Corruption Perception Index score (+12), sitting amongst the top 10 best-improvers that decade.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
65	S. Africa	65
66	Lebanon	66
67	USA	67
68	Guyana	68
69	Bosnia & Herzegovina	69
70	Tonga	70
71	Trinidad & Tobago	71
72	Botswana	72
	The Americas Avg	80.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
115	Cape Verde	115
116	Russia	116
117	Angola	117
118	Guyana	118
119	Colombia	119
120	Congo, (Brazzaville)	120
121	Zambia	121
122	Nigeria	122
	The Americas Avg	100.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q₅₆
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
99	Ecuador	92.3
100	Maldives	89.7
101	Nauru	89.3
102	Guyana	88.7
103	Fiji	88.5
104=	Botswana	86.8
104=	Jamaica	86.8
106	Bahrain	85.8
	The Americas Avg	132.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Higher is better₅₇
Pos.		Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Score₅₇
1	Denmark	9.06
2	Switzerland	9.00
3	Finland	8.96
	...
119	Mozambique	5.53
120	Senegal	5.48
121	Somalia	5.47
122	Guyana	5.44
123	Bosnia & Herzegovina	5.42
124	Egypt	5.38
125	Burkina Faso	5.35
126	Algeria	5.34
	The Americas Avg	6.36
	World Avg	6.46
q=165.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better₅₈
Pos.		2023 Score₅₈
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
103=	Peru	2.13
103=	Guatemala	2.13
103=	Togo	2.13
106	Guyana	2.13
107	Sri Lanka	2.14
108	Bahrain	2.15
109	Swaziland	2.17
110	Benin	2.18
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
72	USA	72
73	Cyprus	73
74	Jamaica	74
75	Guyana	75
76	Fiji	76
77	Iceland	77
78	Turkey	78
79	Georgia	79
	The Americas Avg	82.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
151	Zimbabwe	151
152	Grenada	152
153	Angola	153
154	Guyana	154
155	Congo, DR	155
156	Ivory Coast	156
157	St Lucia	157
158	Vietnam	158
	The Americas Avg	91.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better₅₉
Pos.		2019 Score₅₉
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
17=	Qatar	0.03
17=	Iceland	0.03
19=	Panama	0.04
19=	Guyana	0.04
21	UAE	0.05
22	Slovakia	0.06
23	Norway	0.08
24	Lesotho	0.10
	The Americas Avg	2.16
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₆₀
Pos.		2019₆₀
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
124	Bangladesh	17.30
125	Nepal	17.50
126	Cambodia	18.10
127	Guyana	19.00
128	S. Africa	19.20
129	Botswana	19.40
130	Rwanda	19.50
131	India	19.70
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₆₁
Pos.		2018 Severity₆₁
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
19	Bosnia & Herzegovina	.008
20	Barbados	.009
21	Macedonia	.010
22	Guyana	.014
23	Dominican Rep.	.015
24	China	.016
25	Brazil	.016₆₂
26	Belize	.017
	The Americas Avg	.045
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₆₃:

	2010	2020
Christian	63.9%	65.9%
Hindu	24.8%	23.4%
Muslim	6.77%	6.5%
Unaffiliated	3.13%	2.91%
Other	1.33%	1.24%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 30.5% (Pentecostal 16.9%, Anglican 6.9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Methodist 1.7%), Hindu 28.4%, Roman Catholic 8.1%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.1%, Muslim 7.2%, other Christian 17.7%, other 4.3%, none 4.3% (2002 census)₆₄.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems