Richest countries in South America, 1990 to 2025
Guyana has South America's highest income per person at about $97.9K in 2025 (PPP), far ahead of Uruguay at $38.3K. Venezuela led in 1990.
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What the data shows
- In 2025, Guyana ranks #1 with $97.9K, ahead of Uruguay ($38.3K) and Chile ($37.8K).
- Back in 1990, Venezuela was #1 with $11.7K.
- The top spot changed hands 3 times: Chile in 2012, Uruguay in 2019 and Guyana in 2022.
- Biggest climber: Guyana, from #11 in 1990 to #1 in 2025.
About this chart
Guyana has pulled far ahead of the rest of South America: GDP per person reaches about $97.9 thousand in 2025, more than double second-place Uruguay at $38.3 thousand. Chile ($37.8 thousand) and Argentina ($32.6 thousand) follow, then Brazil at $23.4 thousand. Guyana was not among the top five in 1990, when Venezuela led at $11.7 thousand, ahead of Argentina ($7.2 thousand), Brazil and Uruguay ($6.7 thousand each) and Suriname ($6.5 thousand).
The measure is GDP per person in purchasing power parity (PPP), in current international dollars, from the World Bank. PPP adjusts for local price differences. The numbers are national averages and do not show how income is shared. Suriname ($22.7 thousand), Colombia ($22.6 thousand), Paraguay ($20.2 thousand), Peru ($18.8 thousand) and Ecuador ($16.8 thousand) complete the top ten. Venezuela, first in 1990, is not in the 2025 top ten.
The data
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD), GDP per person, PPP, current international $ thousands; South America. Retrieved November 4, 2026.
| Date | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 🇨🇱 Chile | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 🇵🇪 Peru | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 🇻🇪 Venezuela |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | $3.0K | $6.7K | $4.4K | $7.2K | $6.7K | $6.5K | $5.1K | $5.6K | $3.4K | $4.6K | $11.7K |
| 1991 | $3.3K | $7.1K | $4.9K | $8.0K | $6.9K | $6.9K | $5.3K | $5.9K | $3.5K | $4.9K | $12.9K |
| 1992 | $3.7K | $7.8K | $5.6K | $8.7K | $6.9K | $7.0K | $5.5K | $6.0K | $3.5K | $5.0K | $13.7K |
| 1993 | $4.0K | $8.2K | $6.1K | $9.5K | $7.3K | $6.7K | $5.8K | $6.2K | $3.7K | $5.1K | $13.7K |
| 1994 | $4.4K | $8.9K | $6.5K | $10.1K | $7.7K | $7.0K | $6.2K | $6.5K | $4.1K | $5.3K | $13.4K |
| 1995 | $4.8K | $8.9K | $7.2K | $9.9K | $8.1K | $7.0K | $6.5K | $7.0K | $4.4K | $5.5K | $13.9K |
| 1996 | $5.2K | $9.5K | $7.9K | $10.5K | $8.3K | $7.0K | $6.6K | $7.0K | $4.6K | $5.6K | $13.8K |
| 1997 | $5.6K | $10.5K | $8.5K | $11.4K | $8.6K | $7.4K | $6.9K | $7.3K | $4.8K | $5.8K | $14.7K |
| 1998 | $5.6K | $11.0K | $8.9K | $11.8K | $8.6K | $7.5K | $6.9K | $7.2K | $4.8K | $5.9K | $14.6K |
| 1999 | $5.8K | $10.9K | $8.8K | $11.5K | $8.6K | $7.4K | $6.5K | $7.1K | $4.8K | $5.6K | $13.7K |
| 2000 | $5.9K | $10.9K | $9.4K | $11.5K | $9.1K | $7.5K | $6.8K | $6.9K | $5.0K | $5.7K | $14.2K |
| 2001 | $6.1K | $10.7K | $9.8K | $11.1K | $9.3K | $7.9K | $6.9K | $6.9K | $5.1K | $6.0K | $14.8K |
| 2002 | $6.3K | $10.0K | $10.1K | $10.0K | $9.6K | $8.0K | $7.1K | $6.9K | $5.4K | $6.3K | $13.4K |
| 2003 | $6.4K | $10.3K | $10.7K | $10.9K | $9.8K | $8.6K | $7.4K | $7.3K | $5.7K | $6.5K | $12.4K |
| 2004 | $6.7K | $11.1K | $11.6K | $12.1K | $10.5K | $9.4K | $7.9K | $7.7K | $6.0K | $7.0K | $14.8K |
| 2005 | $6.8K | $12.3K | $12.6K | $13.5K | $11.1K | $10.0K | $8.4K | $8.0K | $6.6K | $7.5K | $16.5K |
| 2006 | $7.3K | $13.2K | $15.5K | $14.8K | $11.8K | $10.8K | $9.2K | $8.6K | $7.2K | $7.9K | $18.4K |
| 2007 | $8.1K | $14.4K | $16.7K | $16.5K | $12.7K | $11.5K | $9.9K | $9.2K | $8.0K | $8.1K | $20.3K |
| 2008 | $8.4K | $15.7K | $16.4K | $17.3K | $13.4K | $12.1K | $10.3K | $9.9K | $8.8K | $8.7K | $21.4K |
| 2009 | $8.8K | $16.4K | $16.0K | $16.2K | $13.4K | $12.4K | $10.4K | $9.8K | $8.9K | $8.7K | $20.6K |
| 2010 | $9.3K | $17.9K | $17.9K | $17.8K | $14.5K | $13.0K | $10.8K | $10.9K | $9.7K | $9.0K | $20.3K |
| 2011 | $10.1K | $19.1K | $20.1K | $19.1K | $15.2K | $13.9K | $11.7K | $11.4K | $10.5K | $9.8K | $21.3K |
| 2012 | $10.6K | $19.5K | $21.4K | $19.4K | $15.2K | $15.2K | $12.1K | $11.0K | $10.8K | $10.2K | |
| 2013 | $11.2K | $20.7K | $22.2K | $19.9K | $15.7K | $16.2K | $12.8K | $12.1K | $11.3K | $11.3K | |
| 2014 | $11.1K | $21.9K | $22.6K | $19.5K | $15.8K | $16.6K | $13.4K | $12.6K | $11.5K | $11.8K | |
| 2015 | $11.4K | $22.2K | $22.5K | $19.9K | $14.8K | $16.5K | $13.3K | $12.7K | $11.6K | $10.9K | |
| 2016 | $11.5K | $22.8K | $23.3K | $20.1K | $14.3K | $14.5K | $14.0K | $13.3K | $12.1K | $10.9K | |
| 2017 | $12.2K | $23.6K | $24.3K | $23.4K | $14.6K | $17.6K | $14.4K | $14.0K | $12.6K | $11.8K | |
| 2018 | $12.4K | $24.4K | $25.3K | $24.4K | $15.5K | $17.9K | $15.2K | $14.1K | $13.1K | $12.2K | |
| 2019 | $13.2K | $25.8K | $25.6K | $23.5K | $16.1K | $19.8K | $16.2K | $14.1K | $13.6K | $12.5K | |
| 2020 | $16.8K | $25.7K | $25.4K | $22.4K | $16.1K | $16.9K | $15.5K | $14.3K | $12.6K | $11.5K | |
| 2021 | $22.9K | $29.4K | $29.1K | $26.3K | $18.1K | $18.5K | $17.4K | $15.4K | $15.3K | $13.5K | |
| 2022 | $39.7K | $33.0K | $30.9K | $29.8K | $19.9K | $20.1K | $20.9K | $16.3K | $16.7K | $15.2K | |
| 2023 | $54.8K | $34.5K | $33.2K | $30.2K | $21.2K | $21.1K | $21.3K | $17.6K | $17.0K | $15.9K | |
| 2024 | $80.3K | $36.6K | $36.1K | $30.5K | $22.4K | $21.8K | $22.4K | $18.6K | $17.9K | $15.8K | |
| 2025 | $97.9K | $38.3K | $37.8K | $32.6K | $23.4K | $22.7K | $22.6K | $20.2K | $18.8K | $16.8K |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the richest country in South America?
In 2025, Guyana ranks #1 with $97.9K, followed by Uruguay ($38.3K) and Chile ($37.8K). Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD), GDP per person, PPP, current international $ thousands; South America.
What is the richest country in South America?
Guyana is the richest country in South America by GDP per person, at about $97.9 thousand in 2025 in PPP terms. Uruguay is second at $38.3 thousand and Chile third at $37.8 thousand.
Who was South America's richest country in 1990?
Venezuela was the richest in 1990, with GDP per person of about $11.7 thousand in PPP terms. Argentina was second at $7.2 thousand, then Brazil and Uruguay at $6.7 thousand each.
Where does Brazil rank?
Brazil ranks fifth in South America, with GDP per person of about $23.4 thousand in 2025 in PPP terms. That is below Argentina at $32.6 thousand and above Suriname at $22.7 thousand.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank, World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD), GDP per person, PPP, current international $ thousands; South America. Retrieved November 4, 2026. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.
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