Which Countries Have Grown the Fastest Since 1990?
Key Takeaways
- Guyana leads the world in real GDP per capita growth since 1990, fueled by its recent oil boom.
- Asian economies make up nearly half of the global top 25, with China ranking second.
- The U.S. ranks 88th globally but recorded the strongest growth among G7 economies.
Over the last 35 years, some countries have seen extraordinary increases in economic output per person, ranging from export-driven Asian economies to resource-rich nations experiencing major commodity booms.
This graphic ranks countries by real GDP per capita growth from 1990 to 2025, based on World Bank data. Figures account for inflation and differences in purchasing power across countries.
Why Guyana Tops the Ranking
Guyana’s extraordinary growth is closely tied to its offshore oil boom. Oil production began in 2019 and reached roughly 225 million barrels in 2024, transforming the economy of a country with fewer than one million people.
That helps explain why Guyana’s real GDP per capita has risen 1,549% since 1990, putting it ahead of every other country in the ranking.
| Rank | Country | 1990 (PPP) | 2025 (PPP) | Change (1990-2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guyana | $5.1K | $83.7K | 1,549% |
| 2 | China | $1.7K | $25.1K | 1,404% |
| 3 | Equatorial Guinea | $1.1K | $13.8K | 1,128% |
| 4 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | $2.4K | $21.2K | 777% |
| 5 | Myanmar | $775 | $5.1K | 563% |
| 6 | Vietnam | $2.5K | $15.5K | 526% |
| 7 | Honduras | $1.2K | $6.7K | 474% |
| 8 | Cabo Verde | $1.8K | $10.4K | 462% |
| 9 | Bhutan | $3.4K | $16.7K | 391% |
| 10 | India | $2.1K | $10.0K | 369% |
| 11 | Ireland | $29.5K | $131.3K | 345% |
| 12 | Laos | $2.0K | $8.9K | 342% |
| 13 | Bangladesh | $2.1K | $8.7K | 319% |
| 14 | Albania | $5.6K | $22.7K | 309% |
| 15 | South Korea | $14.4K | $55.7K | 287% |
| 16 | Poland | $12.8K | $46.9K | 266% |
| 17 | Panama | $10.3K | $37.5K | 266% |
| 18 | Ethiopia | $874 | $3.1K | 254% |
| 19 | Malta | $18.2K | $63.7K | 250% |
| 20 | Armenia | $6.1K | $21.2K | 245% |
| 21 | Dominican Republic | $7.3K | $24.5K | 235% |
| 22 | Mauritius | $9.0K | $28.8K | 220% |
| 23 | Sri Lanka | $4.6K | $14.6K | 220% |
| 24 | Indonesia | $4.9K | $15.1K | 210% |
| 25 | Turkiye | $12.2K | $37.3K | 206% |
| 26 | Rwanda | $1.2K | $3.6K | 205% |
| 27 | Singapore | $46.0K | $139.6K | 204% |
| 28 | Malaysia | $12.0K | $35.5K | 195% |
| 29 | Nepal | $1.8K | $5.3K | 192% |
| 30 | Chile | $11.0K | $30.9K | 182% |
| 31 | Uganda | $1.1K | $3.0K | 176% |
| 32 | Cambodia | $2.6K | $7.3K | 176% |
| 33 | Uzbekistan | $4.2K | $11.6K | 174% |
| 34 | Maldives | $8.9K | $24.4K | 173% |
| 35 | Mongolia | $6.6K | $17.8K | 168% |
| 36 | Trinidad and Tobago | $11.9K | $31.7K | 167% |
| 37 | Mozambique | $548 | $1.5K | 165% |
| 38 | Ghana | $2.8K | $7.4K | 164% |
| 39 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | $7.5K | $19.5K | 161% |
| 40 | Costa Rica | $11.0K | $28.4K | 159% |
| 41 | Thailand | $8.7K | $22.4K | 158% |
| 42 | Peru | $6.3K | $16.1K | 155% |
| 43 | Romania | $16.3K | $40.8K | 150% |
| 44 | Turkmenistan | $7.9K | $19.3K | 146% |
| 45 | Belarus | $12.4K | $29.7K | 140% |
| 46 | Philippines | $4.5K | $10.7K | 139% |
| 47 | Lithuania | $20.6K | $48.8K | 137% |
| 48 | Burkina Faso | $1.1K | $2.6K | 137% |
| 49 | Bulgaria | $15.0K | $35.3K | 136% |
| 50 | Uruguay | $14.1K | $32.7K | 133% |
| 51 | Slovak Republic | $17.5K | $40.7K | 132% |
| 52 | Kazakhstan | $16.8K | $37.9K | 125% |
| 53 | Latvia | $17.5K | $38.8K | 122% |
| 54 | St. Kitts and Nevis | $14.3K | $31.4K | 119% |
| 55 | Hong Kong SAR | $31.6K | $68.7K | 117% |
| 56 | Estonia | $19.2K | $41.6K | 117% |
| 57 | Egypt | $8.0K | $17.3K | 116% |
| 58 | Morocco | $4.4K | $9.5K | 115% |
| 59 | Tanzania | $1.8K | $3.8K | 113% |
| 60 | Macao | $55.3K | $117.1K | 112% |
| 61 | Azerbaijan | $10.8K | $22.3K | 107% |
| 62 | Grenada | $8.9K | $18.2K | 105% |
| 63 | El Salvador | $6.0K | $12.1K | 102% |
| 64 | Guinea | $2.1K | $4.2K | 100% |
| 65 | Samoa | $4.0K | $8.0K | 100% |
| 66 | Seychelles | $15.5K | $30.6K | 98% |
| 67 | Eswatini | $5.4K | $10.7K | 97% |
| 68 | Marshall Islands | $3.9K | $7.7K | 96% |
| 69 | Cyprus | $27.7K | $54.1K | 96% |
| 70 | Georgia | $12.9K | $25.1K | 95% |
| 71 | North Macedonia | $12.9K | $25.1K | 94% |
| 72 | Slovenia | $25.4K | $49.1K | 94% |
| 73 | Hungary | $21.3K | $41.2K | 93% |
| 74 | Tunisia | $6.7K | $13.0K | 93% |
| 75 | Timor-Leste | $2.1K | $4.1K | 92% |
| 76 | Lesotho | $1.4K | $2.7K | 91% |
| 77 | Israel | $25.3K | $48.2K | 90% |
| 78 | Croatia | $23.4K | $44.2K | 89% |
| 79 | Nicaragua | $4.2K | $7.9K | 88% |
| 80 | Colombia | $10.0K | $18.8K | 88% |
| 81 | Benin | $2.2K | $4.1K | 87% |
| 82 | Tuvalu | $3.1K | $5.8K | 85% |
| 83 | Fiji | $7.8K | $14.0K | 79% |
| 84 | Czechia | $27.9K | $49.3K | 77% |
| 85 | Bolivia | $6.2K | $11.0K | 76% |
| 86 | Pakistan | $3.2K | $5.6K | 76% |
| 87 | Iran | $9.7K | $16.8K | 74% |
| 88 | United States | $44.4K | $76.9K | 73% |
| 89 | Paraguay | $10.0K | $17.2K | 73% |
| 90 | Dominica | $11.3K | $19.4K | 72% |
| 91 | Guatemala | $7.6K | $13.0K | 71% |
| 92 | Norway | $56.6K | $95.2K | 68% |
| 93 | Botswana | $10.5K | $17.7K | 68% |
| 94 | Australia | $36.3K | $60.2K | 66% |
| 95 | Netherlands | $43.1K | $71.4K | 66% |
| 96 | Tonga | $4.5K | $7.4K | 65% |
| 97 | Argentina | $17.0K | $27.8K | 64% |
| 98 | United Kingdom | $33.5K | $54.0K | 61% |
| 99 | Senegal | $2.9K | $4.7K | 60% |
| 100 | Brazil | $12.6K | $20.0K | 59% |
| 101 | Mali | $1.9K | $3.0K | 58% |
| 102 | Denmark | $45.9K | $72.7K | 58% |
| 103 | Iceland | $43.1K | $68.1K | 58% |
| 104 | Sweden | $40.2K | $63.4K | 58% |
| 105 | Ecuador | $9.1K | $14.3K | 57% |
| 106 | New Zealand | $30.8K | $48.2K | 57% |
| 107 | Portugal | $27.2K | $42.6K | 57% |
| 108 | Luxembourg | $81.5K | $127.4K | 56% |
| 109 | Spain | $31.8K | $49.3K | 55% |
| 110 | Belize | $8.3K | $12.8K | 55% |
| 111 | Malawi | $1.0K | $1.6K | 55% |
| 112 | Zambia | $2.4K | $3.7K | 54% |
| 113 | Belgium | $41.6K | $63.5K | 52% |
| 114 | Kiribati | $2.2K | $3.4K | 52% |
| 115 | Nigeria | $5.4K | $8.1K | 50% |
| 116 | Germany | $42.4K | $62.8K | 48% |
| 117 | Austria | $43.3K | $64.0K | 48% |
| 118 | Qatar | $75.3K | $110.1K | 46% |
| 119 | Antigua and Barbuda | $21.1K | $30.6K | 45% |
| 120 | Bahrain | $41.9K | $60.7K | 45% |
| 121 | Chad | $1.7K | $2.5K | 45% |
| 122 | Togo | $2.4K | $3.5K | 45% |
| 123 | St. Lucia | $17.1K | $24.5K | 44% |
| 124 | Finland | $38.8K | $55.7K | 44% |
| 125 | Kenya | $4.2K | $6.0K | 44% |
| 126 | Canada | $40.5K | $58.0K | 43% |
| 127 | Guinea-Bissau | $2.0K | $2.8K | 43% |
| 128 | Russia | $29.6K | $42.4K | 43% |
| 129 | France | $38.7K | $55.1K | 43% |
| 130 | Greece | $26.9K | $38.2K | 42% |
| 131 | Papua New Guinea | $3.2K | $4.5K | 41% |
| 132 | Namibia | $7.3K | $10.2K | 41% |
| 133 | Sao Tome and Principe | $3.9K | $5.5K | 41% |
| 134 | Andorra | $50.0K | $68.0K | 36% |
| 135 | Algeria | $11.7K | $15.9K | 35% |
| 136 | Switzerland | $63.9K | $85.7K | 34% |
| 137 | Japan | $36.1K | $48.3K | 34% |
| 138 | Cote d'Ivoire | $5.3K | $7.0K | 33% |
| 139 | Niger | $1.4K | $1.9K | 31% |
| 140 | Jordan | $8.2K | $10.8K | 31% |
| 141 | Kyrgyz Republic | $6.1K | $7.9K | 29% |
| 142 | Jamaica | $8.9K | $11.4K | 28% |
| 143 | Mexico | $17.2K | $21.9K | 28% |
| 144 | Micronesia | $3.1K | $3.9K | 26% |
| 145 | South Africa | $10.8K | $13.6K | 26% |
| 146 | Italy | $42.7K | $53.6K | 26% |
| 147 | Kuwait | $38.9K | $48.3K | 24% |
| 148 | Tajikistan | $4.2K | $5.1K | 21% |
| 149 | Gambia | $2.7K | $3.2K | 19% |
| 150 | Mauritania | $5.5K | $6.6K | 19% |
| 151 | Sierra Leone | $2.7K | $3.2K | 17% |
| 152 | Barbados | $19.2K | $22.1K | 15% |
| 153 | Comoros | $3.2K | $3.6K | 14% |
| 154 | Iraq | $10.7K | $12.2K | 14% |
| 155 | Suriname | $17.1K | $19.4K | 13% |
| 156 | Palau | $17.8K | $19.7K | 11% |
| 157 | Vanuatu | $3.5K | $3.9K | 9% |
| 158 | Cameroon | $4.5K | $4.9K | 9% |
| 159 | Moldova | $15.9K | $17.1K | 7% |
| 160 | Angola | $8.4K | $8.8K | 5% |
| 161 | Oman | $35.2K | $36.1K | 3% |
| 162 | Solomon Islands | $2.4K | $2.4K | 1% |
| 163 | Saudi Arabia | $65.2K | $63.1K | -3% |
| 164 | Zimbabwe | $6.1K | $5.5K | -9% |
| 165 | Liberia | $1.9K | $1.7K | -9% |
| 166 | Madagascar | $2.0K | $1.7K | -15% |
| 167 | Gabon | $23.9K | $19.0K | -21% |
| 168 | Libya | $18.1K | $14.1K | -22% |
| 169 | Sudan | $2.5K | $1.9K | -24% |
| 170 | Central African Republic | $1.5K | $1.1K | -24% |
| 171 | Burundi | $1.5K | $1.1K | -27% |
| 172 | Republic of Congo | $8.7K | $6.2K | -29% |
| 173 | Ukraine | $22.8K | $16.2K | -29% |
| 174 | Haiti | $3.9K | $2.7K | -32% |
| 175 | DR Congo | $2.4K | $1.6K | -32% |
| 176 | Brunei Darussalam | $118.2K | $79.0K | -33% |
| -- | World | $11.3K | $21.9K | 94% |
Asia Dominates the Fastest-Growing Economies
China’s rise stands out because of the scale involved. Nearly 800 million people have been lifted out of extreme poverty over the past four decades, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the global reduction.
The broader ranking shows that China is part of a much larger Asian growth story. Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, and South Korea all rank among the world’s fastest-growing economies by real GDP per capita since 1990.
Unlike Guyana’s recent oil-driven surge, much of this growth unfolded over decades of industrialization and trade expansion. Asian countries make up nearly half of the global top 25.
How Does the U.S. Compare?
The U.S. ranks 88th globally, with real GDP per capita rising 73% between 1990 and 2025. Among G7 economies, it recorded the largest increase over the period.
By comparison, GDP per capita grew 61% in the UK, 48% in Germany, 43% in Canada and France, and 34% in Japan.
One factor behind the U.S. advantage has been stronger productivity growth, helping it pull ahead of many advanced-economy peers. The largest gains, however, have occurred elsewhere, highlighting how much the global growth landscape has shifted since 1990.
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To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the world’s richest countries by GDP per capita in 2026.