Guyana’s Oil Windfall and the Limits of GDP
In this GELI podcast episode, Caribbean economist Marla Dukharan explains how she reads economies with thin official data, why GDP falls short as a measure of wellbeing, and why Guyana's cash transfers, borrowed reserves, and Natural Resource Fund withdrawals show signs of a pre-resource curse.
Oil has made Guyana one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and the choices the country makes now on public spending, foreign exchange reserves, and its Natural Resource Fund will decide how much of that growth turns into better lives for Guyanese over the long run.
On September 17, Caribbean economist Marla Dukharan joined the GELI podcast to discuss what Guyana's boom looks like in the numbers, why she sees signs of a "pre-resource curse," how she reads economies where official data is thin, why Caribbean electricity costs roughly twice the global average, and why governments should measure wellbeing and poverty alongside GDP.
Watch the full episode below:
Keep up with Marla's analysis
Marla publishes a free monthly Caribbean economic report on her website and shares regular commentary across her channels:
