Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of coups and countercoups, with the last coup occurring in 1978. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production.In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country’s traditional political class and empower the nation’s poor and indigenous majority. In December 2009 and October 2014, President MORALES easily won reelection. His party maintained control of the legislative branch of the government, which has allowed him to continue his “process of change.” In February 2016, MORALES narrowly lost a referendum to approve a constitutional amendment that would have allowed him to compete in the 2019 presidential election. However, a 2017 Supreme Court ruling stating that term limits violate human rights provided the justification for MORALES to be chosen by his party to run again in 2019. MORALES attempted to claim victory in the October 2019 election, but widespread allegations of electoral fraud, rising violence, and pressure from the military ultimately forced him to flee the country. An interim government, led by President Jeanine ANEZ Chavez, prepared new elections that took place in October 2020; President Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora took office the following month.
land: 1,083,301 sq km
water: 15,280 sq km
border countries (5): Argentina 942 km; Brazil 3,403 km; Chile 942 km; Paraguay 753 km; Peru 1,212 km
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
mean elevation: 1,192 m
arable land: 3.6% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 52.5% (2018 est.)
other: 13.2% (2018 est.)
salt water lake(s): Lago Poopo - 1,340 sq km
note 2: the southern regions of Peru and the extreme northwestern part of Bolivia are considered to be the place of origin for the common potato, while southeast Bolivia and northwest Argentina seem to be the original development site for peanuts
12,186,079 (2023 est.)
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian
Mestizo (mixed White and Amerindian ancestry) 68%, Indigenous 20%, White 5%, Cholo/Chola 2%, African descent 1%, other 1%, unspecified 3%; 44% of respondents indicated feeling part of some indigenous group, predominantly Quechua or Aymara (2009 est.)
note: results among surveys vary based on the wording of the ethnicity question and the available response choices; the 2001 national census did not provide “Mestizo” as a response choice, resulting in a much higher proportion of respondents identifying themselves as belonging to one of the available indigenous ethnicity choices; the use of “Mestizo” and “Cholo” varies among response choices in surveys, with surveys using the terms interchangeably, providing one or the other as a response choice, or providing the two as separate response choices
Spanish (official) 68.1%, Quechua (official) 17.2%, Aymara (official) 10.5%, Guarani (official) 0.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.1%; note - Bolivia’s 2009 constitution designates Spanish and all indigenous languages as official; 36 indigenous languages are specified, including a few that are extinct (2012 est.)
major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 19.6% (Evangelical (non-specific) 11.9%, Evangelical Baptist 2.1%, Evangelical Pentecostal 1.8%, Evangelical Methodist 0.7%, Adventist 2.8%, Protestant (non-specific) 0.3%), Believer (not belonging to the church) 0.9%, other 4.8%, atheist 1.7%, agnostic 0.6%, none 6.1%, unspecified 1.3% (2023 est.)
Bolivia ranks at or near the bottom among Latin American countries in several areas of health and development, including poverty, education, fertility, malnutrition, mortality, and life expectancy. On the positive side, more children are being vaccinated and more pregnant women are getting prenatal care and having skilled health practitioners attend their births.Bolivia’s income inequality is the highest in Latin America and one of the highest in the world. Public education is of poor quality, and educational opportunities are among the most unevenly distributed in Latin America, with girls and indigenous and rural children less likely to be literate or to complete primary school. The lack of access to education and family planning services helps to sustain Bolivia’s high fertility rate—approximately three children per woman. Bolivia’s lack of clean water and basic sanitation, especially in rural areas, contributes to health problems.Between 7% and 16% of Bolivia’s population lives abroad (estimates vary in part because of illegal migration). Emigrants primarily seek jobs and better wages in Argentina (the principal destination), the US, and Spain. In recent years, more restrictive immigration policies in Europe and the US have increased the flow of Bolivian emigrants to neighboring countries. Fewer Bolivians migrated to Brazil in 2015 and 2016 because of its recession; increasing numbers have been going to Chile, mainly to work as miners.
0-14 years: 29.14% (male 1,813,044/female 1,737,699)
15-64 years: 64.03% (male 3,929,462/female 3,872,943)
65 years and over: 6.84% (2023 est.) (male 384,356/female 448,575)
total dependency ratio: 56.3
youth dependency ratio: 48.7
elderly dependency ratio: 12
potential support ratio: 8.3 (2021 est.)
total: 26.2 years (2023 est.)
male: 25.9 years
female: 26.6 years
1.06% (2023 est.)
18.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
a high altitude plain in the west between two cordillera of the Andes, known as the Altiplano, is the focal area for most of the population; a dense settlement pattern is also found in and around the city of Santa Cruz, located on the eastern side of the Andes
urban population: 71.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
1.936 million LA PAZ (capital), 1.820 million Santa Cruz, 1.400 million Cochabamba (2022); 278,000 Sucre (constitutional capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
21.1 years (2008 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
161 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 22.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 24.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 72.5 years (2023 est.)
male: 71 years
female: 74 years
2.26 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.1 (2023 est.)
66.5% (2016)
improved: urban: 99.2% of population
rural: 80.2% of population
total: 93.5% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.8% of population
rural: 19.8% of population
total: 6.5% of population (2020 est.)
7.9% of GDP (2020)
1.03 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)
improved: urban: 97.8% of population
rural: 48.4% of population
total: 83.1% of population
unimproved: urban: 2.2% of population
rural: 51.6% of population
total: 16.9% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: very high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
20.2% (2016)
total: 2.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 2.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 12.7% (2020 est.)
male: 20.5% (2020 est.)
female: 4.8% (2020 est.)
3.4% (2016)
57.1% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 3.4%
women married by age 18: 19.7%
men married by age 18: 5.2% (2016 est.)
9.8% of GDP (2020 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 96.5%
female: 88.6% (2015)
the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
agricultural land: 34.3% (2018 est.)
arable land: 3.6% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 52.5% (2018 est.)
other: 13.2% (2018 est.)
urban population: 71.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.33% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 25.23 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 21.61 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 21.01 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 2,219,052 tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 268,727 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 12.1% (2015 est.)
fresh water lake(s): Lago Titicaca (shared with Peru) - 8,030 sq km
salt water lake(s): Lago Poopo - 1,340 sq km
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Paraná (2,582,704 sq km)
Amazon Basin
municipal: 140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 1.92 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
574 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
resource-rich economy benefits during commodity booms; has bestowed juridical rights to Mother Earth, impacting extraction industries; increasing Chinese lithium mining trade relations; hard hit by COVID-19; increased fiscal spending amid poverty increases; rampant banking and finance corruption
$97.266 billion (2021 est.)
$91.669 billion (2020 est.)
$100.446 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
6.11% (2021 est.)
-8.74% (2020 est.)
2.22% (2019 est.)
$8,100 (2021 est.)
$7,700 (2020 est.)
$8,500 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$40.822 billion (2019 est.)
0.74% (2021 est.)
0.94% (2020 est.)
1.84% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: B (2020)
Moody’s rating: B2 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2020)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 13.8% (2017 est.)
industry: 37.8% (2017 est.)
services: 48.2% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 67.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 17% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 21.3% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 3.8% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 21.7% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -31.3% (2017 est.)
sugar cane, soybeans, potatoes, maize, sorghum, rice, milk, plantains, poultry, bananas
mining, smelting, electricity, petroleum, food and beverages, handicrafts, clothing, jewelry
9.56% (2021 est.)
6.322 million (2021 est.)
8.51% (2021 est.)
7.9% (2020 est.)
3.82% (2019 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment
total: 17.4% (2021 est.)
male: 16.8%
female: 18.4%
37.2% (2019 est.)
43.6 (2020 est.)
on food: 29.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 2.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 0.9%
highest 10%: 36.1% (2014 est.)
revenues: $11.796 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $14.75 billion (2019 est.)
-7.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
49% of GDP (2017 est.)
44.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities
39.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
calendar year
$802.112 million (2021 est.)
-$269.456 million (2020 est.)
-$1.366 billion (2019 est.)
$11.439 billion (2021 est.)
$7.383 billion (2020 est.)
$10.271 billion (2019 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Argentina 16%, Brazil 15%, United Arab Emirates 12%, India 10%, United States 6%, South Korea 5%, Peru 5%, Colombia 5% (2019)
gold, natural gas, zinc, silver, soy products, tin (2021)
note: Bolivian cocaine production remains a significant illicit trade commodity
$10.799 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$8.261 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$11.957 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Brazil 22%, Chile 15%, China 13%, Peru 11%, Argentina 8%, United States 7% (2017)
cars, refined petroleum, delivery trucks, iron, buses (2019)
$4.73 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$5.247 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$6.455 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$12.81 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$7.268 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
6.91 (2021 est.)
6.91 (2020 est.)
6.91 (2019 est.)
6.91 (2018 est.)
6.91 (2017 est.)
population without electricity: 2 million (2020)
electrification - total population: 98.5% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 100% (2021)
electrification - rural areas: 95.1% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 3.834 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 8,756,690,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1.227 billion kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 64.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 30.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 1.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 1 million metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 65,400 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 87,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 240.9 million barrels (2021 est.)
65,960 bbl/day (2015 est.)
9,686 bbl/day (2015 est.)
20,620 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 15,328,422,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
consumption: 2,918,839,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 11,818,215,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 302.99 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
17.786 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 12.071 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 5.715 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
27.094 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 7 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 39
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 4,122,113 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 13.73 million (2018) mt-km
CP
855 (2021)
21
civil airports: 3
military airports: 1
joint use (civil-military) airports: 4
other airports: 13
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
834
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
5,457 km gas, 51 km liquid petroleum gas, 2,511 km oil, 1,627 km refined products (2013)
total: 3,960 km (2019)
narrow gauge: 3,960 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
total: 90,568 km (2017)
paved: 9,792 km (2017)
unpaved: 80,776 km (2017)
10,000 km (2012) (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country)
total: 46 (2022)
by type: general cargo 29, oil tanker 3, other 14
river port(s): Puerto Aguirre (Paraguay/Parana)
note: Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay
manyapis