Top-5 Richest Countries in South America in 2025, Check the List

South America is a continent full of natural beauty, cultural diversity, and valuable resources. While many countries here have growing economies, a few stand out for their high income and strong industries. From farming and mining to tourism and manufacturing, these nations have built stable economies that make them the richest in the region and important players in global trade.

Richest Country in South America

In 2025, Guyana became the richest country in South America based on GDP per capita (PPP), reaching over $94,000 per person. This sudden rise is due to massive offshore oil discoveries made in 2015, which transformed its economy. While this boom brings great opportunities, it also presents challenges, such as diversifying the economy and ensuring the new wealth benefits all citizens equally.

How Guyana’s Economy Changed Overnight?

Before 2015, Guyana’s GDP per capita was among the lowest in South America. Everything changed when huge offshore oil reserves were found. Since then, the country’s economy has grown at an incredible speed, and in 2025, it is projected to grow by around 19%, one of the fastest growth rates in the world.

Challenges with Sudden Wealth

While the oil boom has made Guyana wealthy on paper, it also brings serious challenges:

• Ensuring wealth is shared fairly among citizens.
• Diversifying the economy so it doesn’t rely only on oil.
• Managing inflation and the rising cost of living.

If these issues are not handled well, the benefits of the oil discovery may not reach everyone.

GDP vs. GDP Per Capita

It’s important to understand the two main economic measures:

• GDP – The total value of all goods and services a country produces. This shows the overall size of an economy.
• GDP Per Capita (PPP) – The GDP divided by the number of people, adjusted for cost of living. This shows the average wealth of a person in that country.

A country can have a high total GDP (like Brazil) but still have lower GDP per capita if its wealth is spread over a large population.

Top-5 Richest Countries in South America in 2025

South America is home to countries with vast natural resources, strong industries, and growing economies. In 2025, a few nations stand out for their high income and wealth, driven by sectors like oil, mining, agriculture, and trade, making them the richest in the region.Rank

Here is the list of top-5 richest countries in South America: