Several Indigenous groups, principally belonging to the Guarani language family, inhabited the area of modern Paraguay before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century, when the territory was incorporated into the Viceroyalty of Peru. Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811 with the help of neighboring states. In the aftermath of independence, a series of military dictators ruled the country until 1870. During the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1864-70) - fought against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two thirds of its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century and experienced a tumultuous series of political regimes. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country’s return to democracy.
land: 397,302 sq km
water: 9,450 sq km
border countries (3): Argentina 2,531 km; Bolivia 753 km; Brazil 1,371 km
lowest point: junction of Río Paraguay and Río Paraná 46 m
mean elevation: 178 m
arable land: 10.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 42.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 43.8% (2018 est.)
other: 2.4% (2018 est.)
note 2: pineapples are probably indigenous to the southern Brazil-Paraguay region
7,439,863 (2023 est.)
noun: Paraguayan(s)
adjective: Paraguayan
Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian ancestry) 95%, other 5%
Spanish (official) and Guarani (official) 46.3%, only Guarani 34%, only Spanish 15.2%, other (includes Portuguese, German, other Indigenous languages) 4.1%, no response 0.4%; note - data represent predominant household language (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 80.4%, Protestant 7% (Evangelical (non-specific) 6.7%, Evangelical Pentecostal <0.1%, Seventh Day Adventist <0.1%, Protestant (non-specific) <0.1%), Believer (not belonging to church) 5.7%, other 0.6%, agnostic <0.1%, none 0.2%, unspecified 6.2% (2023 est.)
Paraguay falls below the Latin American average in several socioeconomic categories, including immunization rates, potable water, sanitation, and secondary school enrollment, and has greater rates of income inequality and child and maternal mortality. Paraguay’s poverty rate has declined in recent years but remains high, especially in rural areas, with more than a third of the population below the poverty line. However, the well-being of the poor in many regions has improved in terms of housing quality and access to clean water, telephone service, and electricity. The fertility rate continues to drop, declining sharply from an average 4.3 births per woman in the late 1990s to about 2 in 2013, as a result of the greater educational attainment of women, increased use of contraception, and a desire for smaller families among young women.Paraguay is a country of emigration; it has not attracted large numbers of immigrants because of political instability, civil wars, years of dictatorship, and the greater appeal of neighboring countries. Paraguay first tried to encourage immigration in 1870 in order to rebound from the heavy death toll it suffered during the War of the Triple Alliance, but it received few European and Middle Eastern immigrants. In the 20th century, limited numbers of immigrants arrived from Lebanon, Japan, South Korea, and China, as well as Mennonites from Canada, Russia, and Mexico. Large flows of Brazilian immigrants have been arriving since the 1960s, mainly to work in agriculture. Paraguayans continue to emigrate to Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, the United States, Italy, Spain, and France.
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 847,721/female 818,983)
15-64 years: 68.54% (male 2,560,031/female 2,539,378)
65 years and over: 9.06% (2023 est.) (male 320,958/female 352,792)
total dependency ratio: 54.4
youth dependency ratio: 44.8
elderly dependency ratio: 9.6
potential support ratio: 10.4 (2021 est.)
total: 31.3 years (2023 est.)
male: 31.1 years
female: 31.5 years
1.12% (2023 est.)
16.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
most of the population resides in the eastern half of the country; to the west lies the Gran Chaco (a semi-arid lowland plain), which accounts for 60% of the land territory, but only 2% of the overall population
urban population: 63.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
3.511 million ASUNCION (capital) (2023)
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: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
22.9 years (2008 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29
71 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 22.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 26.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.2 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 78.6 years (2023 est.)
male: 76 years
female: 81.4 years
1.88 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.92 (2023 est.)
68.4% (2016)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
7.6% of GDP (2020)
1.05 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
0.8 beds/1,000 population (2016)
improved: urban: 99.6% of population
rural: 90.6% of population
total: 96.2% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.4% of population
rural: 9.4% of population
total: 3.8% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: intermediate (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
20.3% (2016)
total: 5.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 3.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 11.5% (2020 est.)
male: 18.6% (2020 est.)
female: 4.4% (2020 est.)
1.3% (2016)
59.4% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 3.6%
women married by age 18: 21.6% (2016 est.)
3.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.5%
male: 94.9%
female: 94.2% (2020)
deforestation; water pollution; rivers suffer from toxic dumping; tanneries release mercury and chromium into rivers and streams; loss of wetlands; inadequate means for waste disposal pose health risks for many urban residents
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, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 2006
subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west
agricultural land: 53.8% (2018 est.)
arable land: 10.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 42.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 43.8% (2018 est.)
other: 2.4% (2018 est.)
urban population: 63.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
1.21% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 12.31 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 7.41 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 27.65 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1,818,501 tons (2015 est.)
Río de la Plata/Paraná (shared with Brazil [s], Argentina, and Uruguay [m]) - 4,880 km; Paraguay river mouth (shared with Brazil [s] and Argentina) - 2,549 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Paraná (2,582,704 sq km)
Guarani Aquifer System
municipal: 360 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 150 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 1.9 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
387.77 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
upper middle-income South American economy; COVID-19 hit while still recovering from 2019 Argentina-driven recession; global hydroelectricity leader; major corruption and money-laundering locale; highly agrarian economy; significant income inequality
$91.759 billion (2021 est.)
$88.143 billion (2020 est.)
$88.872 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
4.1% (2021 est.)
-0.82% (2020 est.)
-0.4% (2019 est.)
$13,700 (2021 est.)
$13,300 (2020 est.)
$13,600 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$38.94 billion (2017 est.)
4.79% (2021 est.)
1.77% (2020 est.)
2.76% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: BB+ (2018)
Moody’s rating: Ba1 (2015)
Standard & Poors rating: BB (2014)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 17.9% (2017 est.)
industry: 27.7% (2017 est.)
services: 54.5% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 66.7% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 11.3% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 17.3% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 46.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -42.2% (2017 est.)
soybeans, sugar cane, maize, cassava, wheat, rice, beef, milk, oranges, oil palm fruit
sugar processing, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, base metals, electric power
4.69% (2021 est.)
3.43 million (2021 est.)
7.21% (2021 est.)
7.55% (2020 est.)
6.59% (2019 est.)
total: 16.3% (2021 est.)
male: 12.7%
female: 21.9%
23.5% (2019 est.)
43.5 (2020 est.)
on food: 31.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 4.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 1.5%
highest 10%: 37.6% (2013 est.)
revenues: $7.272 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $8.714 billion (2019 est.)
-1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
19.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
18.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
9.51% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
$311.068 million (2021 est.)
$959.673 million (2020 est.)
-$178.179 million (2019 est.)
$14.154 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$11.794 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$13.272 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Brazil 32%, Argentina 22%, Chile 8%, Russia 8% (2019)
soybeans and soybean products, electricity, beef, corn, insulated wiring (2019)
$13.454 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$10.46 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$13.146 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Brazil 24%, United States 22%, China 17%, Argentina 10%, Chile 5% (2019)
broadcasting equipment, cars, pesticides, refined petroleum, tires (2019)
$9.661 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$9.202 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$7.717 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$16.622 billion (2019 est.)
$16.238 billion (2018 est.)
guarani (PYG) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
6,774.163 (2021 est.)
6,771.097 (2020 est.)
6,240.722 (2019 est.)
5,732.105 (2018 est.)
5,618.933 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 8.831 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 12,718,590,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 31.748 billion kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 4.47 billion kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 100% 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: 0% 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: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 2,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 56,900 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: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
40,760 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
7.896 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 3,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 7.893 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
62.775 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 560,631 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1.97 million (2018) mt-km
ZP
799 (2021)
15
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.)
784
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
total: 30 km (2014)
standard gauge: 30 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
total: 78,811 km (2020)
paved: 8,573 km (2020)
unpaved: 70,238 km (2020)
3,100 km (2012) (primarily on the Paraguay and Paraná River systems)
total: 105 (2022)
by type: container ship 2, general cargo 24, oil tanker 5, other 74
note: as of 2017, Paraguay registered 2,012 fluvial vessels of which 1,741 were commercial barges
river port(s): Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion (Parana)
manyapis