According to estimates by the WorldBank and International Monetary Fund( IMF), Guyana, one of Latin America’s smallest countries is set to post the world’s highest GDP growth. For several years, since the production of crude oil begun through Exxon’s Liza development, the country has outpaced global growth averages.
It is projected that at the end of 2023 Guyana’s GDP growth rate will be close to 100% compared with 2021 figures. According to IMF estimates, Guyana will grow 57.8% this year and 25.2% next year, resulting in a GDP increase of around 97.6% in two years. Meanwhile, the World Bank forecasts an increase of 47.9% for 2022 and 34.3% for 2023. This equates to a 98.6% GDP jump over the two-year period.
In comparison the IMF reports the Latin America and Caribbean average is approximately 3.5% in 2022 and 1.7 in 2023.
Bloomberg’s radio show featured an episode titled, “Guyana is the most exciting story in the world oil market”. In the episode, hosts shared the story behind Guyana’s meteoric rise in GDP growth and shared that since 2015 one in every three barrels of oil discovered has been in Guyana. You can listen to the full episode here.
In the energy industry Guyana continues to be one of the most prolific provinces in the world and the Government in Guyana has consistently reiterated that the people of Guyana must benefit from the hydrocarbon sector. The International Energy Conference and Expo will play part in highlighting these issues. The theme for the conference in 2023 is Harnessing Energy for Development.