Georgetown, Guyana – March 2025
A new national opinion poll has revealed a sobering disconnect between Guyana’s oil-driven economic boom and the day-to-day experiences of its citizens. Despite one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, the majority of Guyanese believe that the country’s oil wealth is being concentrated in the hands of a powerful elite, with little visible benefit to ordinary people.
The survey, was conducted with 1,000 registered voters across all ten of Guyana’s administrative regions. The sample was demographically representative: 43% Indo-Guyanese, 31% Afro-Guyanese, 16% Mixed-race, and 8% Indigenous, with a near-even gender balance (51% female, 49% male) and a broad age distribution.
One of the poll’s most telling findings is that more than 60% of respondents believe the oil wealth is not being fairly distributed. This perception cuts across ethnic, geographic, and economic lines—suggesting a growing national consensus that the promise of the oil era has not materialized for the average citizen.
One citizens with whom we shared this survey stated that,
“We were told the oil would transform our lives. What we see instead is rising food prices, failing public services, and a few people getting rich. For the rest of us, nothing has changed.”
The poll’s broader data supports this sentiment. Cost of living was identified as the number one national concern, well ahead of crime, education, or healthcare. This finding is striking given the billions of U.S. dollars flowing into the national treasury from offshore oil production.
Equally concerning is that fewer than 30% of respondents trust that government development programs are being implemented fairly, and only 21% trust the country’s public procurement system. These numbers reflect a sharp lack of confidence in the mechanisms that should, in theory, be used to channel oil wealth into national development.
The disconnect is even more pronounced among youth and undecided voters. The poll found that nearly 80% of undecided voters would consider supporting a new or independent political candidate, a sign that growing disillusionment with the major political parties is also being driven by perceptions of economic exclusion.
While the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) continues to enjoy a plurality of support, 62% of all respondents said they believe Guyana needs new national leadership, a number that includes voters across traditional party lines. This suggests that economic frustration may now be eroding even longstanding partisan loyalty, particularly if tangible improvements remain elusive.
Political analyst, Mr Randy Gopaul, who reviewed the data, noted:
“What we’re seeing is the early signs of a legitimacy gap. When a government presides over unprecedented wealth but fails to deliver widely shared improvements in quality of life, people begin to question not just policies, but the system itself.”
To date, the government has touted its spending on infrastructure, cash transfers, and job programs as evidence that oil money is being used to lift the population. Yet, the poll results indicate that many citizens either aren’t feeling those effects or don’t believe the benefits are sustainable or fairly distributed.
This is not a problem unique to Guyana. In several oil-rich nations, particularly in the Global South, the so-called “resource curse” has led to a concentration of wealth and power, often at the expense of transparency, equality, and long-term development. But Guyana, with its relatively small population and newly developing institutions, still has a chance to forge a different path.
The data offers a wake-up call, if leaders do not urgently address citizens’ demand for economic inclusion and social equity, the oil era may not unite the country, it could divide it even more deeply.
