Peru

Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peru declared its independence in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980 but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, an economic slump and the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his resignation in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw a new election in 2001 that installed Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, presided over a robust economic rebound. Former army officer Ollanta HUMALA Tasso was elected president in 2011 and carried on the market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations. Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI Godard won a very narrow runoff in the 2016 presidential election. Facing impeachment after evidence surfaced of his involvement in a vote-buying scandal, KUCZYNSKI offered his resignation in 2018, and First Vice President Martin Alberto VIZCARRA Cornejo was sworn in as president. In 2019, VIZCARRA invoked his constitutional authority to dissolve Peru's Congress after months of battling with the body over anticorruption reforms. New congressional elections in 2020 resulted in an opposition-led legislature. The Congress impeached VIZCARRA for a second time and removed him from office after accusations of corruption and mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of vacancies in the vice-presidential positions, the President of the Peruvian Congress, Manuel MERINO, became the next president. His ascension to office was not well received, and large protests forced his resignation later in 2020. Francisco SAGASTI assumed the position of President of Peru after being appointed President of the Congress the previous day. Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones won presidential election in 2021 but was impeached and ousted the following year; his vice president, Dina BOLUARTE, assumed the presidency by constitutional succession in 2022.

land

1,279,996 sq km

total

1,285,216 sq km

water

5,220 sq km

almost twice the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska

varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes

2,414 km

highest point

Nevado Huascaran 6,746 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

1,555 m

10 00 S, 76 00 W

note 1: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River note 2: Peru is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Firenote 3: on 19 February 1600, Mount Huaynaputina in the southern Peruvian Andes erupted in the largest volcanic explosion in South America in historical times; intermittent eruptions lasted until 5 March 1600 and pumped an estimated 16 to 32 million metric tons of particulates into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the earth's surface and affecting weather worldwide; over the next two and a half years, millions died around the globe in famines from bitterly cold winters, cool summers, and the loss of crops and animalsnote 4: the southern regions of Peru and the extreme northwestern part of Bolivia are considered to be the place of origin for the common potato

25,800 sq km (2012)

border countries

Bolivia 1,212 km; Brazil 2,659 km; Chile 168 km; Colombia 1,494 km; Ecuador 1,529 km

total

7,062 km

agricultural land

18.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 14.6% (2018 est.)

forest

53% (2018 est.)

other

28.2% (2018 est.)

Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador

Amazon Basin

fresh water lake(s)

Lago Titicaca (shared with Bolivia) - 8,030 sq km

Amazon river source (shared with Brazil [m]) - 6,400 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km)

South America

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim

earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activityvolcanism: volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains; Ubinas (5,672 m), which last erupted in 2009, is the country's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes include El Misti, Huaynaputina, Sabancaya, and Yucamane; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas

approximately one-third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, which is strongly identified with the country's Amerindian population, contains roughly half of the overall population; the eastern slopes of the Andes, and adjoining rainforest, are sparsely populated

western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

0-14 years

25.8% (male 4,293,229/female 4,119,269)

15-64 years

66.2% (male 10,546,502/female 11,041,106)

65 years and over

8% (2024 est.) (male 1,112,825/female 1,487,318)

beer

3.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

5.74 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

16.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

women married by age 15

2%

women married by age 18

14.1% (2020 est.)

2.1% (2021)

77.4% (2020)

6.3% of GDP (2020)

51.2% (2023 est.)

10.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

A sharp fertility decline in urban areas has driven overall fertility reduction in Peru. The national birth rate is about 2.2 children per woman as of 2023 and averaged 2.5 in rural areas as of 2022. Contraceptive prevalence has increased largely due to a greater use of traditional rather than modern methods. Like most other Andean countries, Peru’s opportunity to benefit from its large labor force will taper off as its dependency ratio—the ratio of dependents to working-age persons—bottoms out between 2025 and 2030.  The poverty rate has climbed to 27.5% in 2022, much higher than the rate before the COVID-19 pandemic.  In 2021, 51% of the population was living in moderate food insecurity; Peru is the most food insecure country in South America. School enrollment has improved, but achievement scores reflect ongoing problems with educational quality. Many poor children temporarily or permanently drop out of school to help support their families. As of 2018, 21.8% Peruvian children aged 5 to 14 were working, often putting in long hours at hazardous mining or construction sites. Peru was a country of immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries but has become a country of emigration in the last few decades. Beginning in the 19th century, Peru brought in Asian contract laborers mainly to work on coastal plantations. Populations of Chinese and Japanese descent - among the largest in Latin America - are economically and culturally influential in Peru today. Peruvian emigration began rising in the 1980s due to an economic crisis and a violent internal conflict, but outflows have stabilized in the last few years as economic conditions have improved. Nonetheless, between 1990 and 2020 over 3 million Peruvians left the country – principally to the US, Spain, and Argentina – and did not return.

elderly dependency ratio

13.1

potential support ratio

7.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

53

youth dependency ratio

37.1

improved: rural

rural: 82.4% of population

improved: total

total: 94% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 17.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 6% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.8% of population

4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 60.2%, Indigenous 25.8%, White 5.9%, African descent 3.6%, other (includes Chinese and Japanese descent) 1.2%, unspecified 3.3% (2017 est.)

1.05 (2024 est.)

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2017)

female

9.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

11.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Spanish (official) 82.9%, Quechua (official) 13.6%, Aymara (official) 1.6%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes many minor Amazonian languages) 0.8%, other 0.2%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.7% (2017 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.

female

72.7 years

male

65.4 years

total population

68.9 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

92% (2020)

male

97%

total population

94.5%

11.204 million LIMA (capital), 959,000 Arequipa, 904,000 Trujillo (2023)

69 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

31.3 years

male

29.1 years

total

30.2 years (2024 est.)

21.9 years (2013 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

adjective

Peruvian

noun

Peruvian(s)

-1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

19.7% (2016)

1.37 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

female

16,647,693 (2024 est.)

male

15,952,556

total

32,600,249

approximately one-third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, which is strongly identified with the country's Amerindian population, contains roughly half of the overall population; the eastern slopes of the Andes, and adjoining rainforest, are sparsely populated

0.48% (2024 est.)

Roman Catholic 66.4%, Protestant 22.4% (Evangelical 19.6%, other Protestant 1.3%), other 1.9%, agnostic/atheist none 6.8%, unspecified 1.2% (2023 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 65.3% of population

improved: total

total: 87.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 93.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 34.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 12.6% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 6.4% of population

female

15 years (2017)

male

15 years

total

15 years

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

3% (2020 est.)

male

13.2% (2020 est.)

total

8.1% (2020 est.)

2.15 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

78.9% of total population (2023)

25 regions (regiones, singular - region) and 1 province* (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali

note

note: Callao, the largest port in Peru, is also referred to as a constitutional province, the only province of the Callao region

etymology

the word "Lima" derives from the Spanish pronunciation of "Limaq," the native name for the valley in which the city was founded in 1535; "limaq" means "talker" in coastal Quechua and referred to an oracle that was situated in the valley but which was eventually destroyed by the Spanish and replaced with a church

geographic coordinates

12 03 S, 77 03 W

name

Lima

time difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

2 years

amendments

proposed by Congress, by the president of the republic with the approval of the Council of Ministers or by petition of at least 0.3% of voters; passage requires absolute majority approval by the Congress membership, followed by approval in a referendum; a referendum is not required if Congress approves the amendment by greater than two-thirds majority vote in each of two successive sessions; amended many times, last in 2021

history

several previous; latest promulgated 29 December 1993, enacted 31 December 1993

conventional long form

Republic of Peru

conventional short form

Peru

etymology

exact meaning is obscure, but the name may derive from a native word "biru" meaning "river"

local long form

República del Perú

local short form

Perú

chief of mission

Ambassador Stephanie SYPTAK-RAMNATH (since 20 June 2024)

email address and website

lima_webmaster@state.govhttps://pe.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17 s/n, Surco, Lima 33

FAX

[51] (1) 618-2724

mailing address

3230 Lima Place, Washington DC  20521-3230

telephone

[51] (1) 618-2000

chancery

1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Alfredo Santiago Carlos FERRERO DIEZ CANSECO (since 27 February 2024)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (NJ), San Francisco

email address and website

Webadmin@embassyofperu.usEmbassy of Peru in the United States - E-United States - Platform of the Peruvian State (www.gob.pe)

FAX

[1] (202) 659-8124

telephone

[1] (202) 833-9860

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Dina Ercilia BOLUARTE Zegarra (since 7 December 2022)

election results

2021: Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones (PL) 18.9%, Keiko Sofia FUJIMORI Higuchi (FP) 13.4%, Rafael LOPEZ ALIAGA Cazorla (RP) 11.8%, Hernando DE SOTO Polar (Social Integration Party) 11.6%, Yonhy LESCANO Ancieta (AP) 9.1%, Veronika MENDOZA Frisch (JP) 7.9%, Cesar ACUNA Peralta (APP) 6%, George FORSYTH Sommer (VN) 5.7%, Daniel Belizario URRESTI Elera (PP) 5.6%, other 10%; percent of vote second round - Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones 50.1%, Keiko Sofia FUJIMORI Higuchi 49.9%2016: Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI Godard elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi (FP) 39.9%, Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI Godard (PPK) 21.1%, Veronika MENDOZA (FA) 18.7%, Alfredo BARNECHEA (AP) 7%, Alan GARCIA (APRA) 5.8%, other 7.5%; percent of vote in second round - Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI Godard 50.1%, Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi 49.9%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for nonconsecutive terms); election last held on 11 April 2021 with a runoff on 6 June 2021 (next to be held in April 2026)

head of government

President Dina Ercilia BOLUARTE Zegarra (since 7 December 2022)

note

note 1: First Vice President Dina Ercilia BOLUARTE Zegarra assumed the office of the president on 7 December 2022 after President Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones was impeached and arrested; BOLUARTE is the first woman to become president of Peru note 2: Prime Minister Gustavo ADRIANZÉN (since 6 March 2024) does not exercise executive power; this power rests with the president; on 5 March 2024, Prime Minister Alberto OTÁROLA resigned amid allegations of corruptionnote 3: the president is both chief of state and head of government

three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a vicuna (representing fauna), a cinchona tree (the source of quinine, signifying flora), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out coins (denoting mineral wealth); red recalls blood shed for independence, white symbolizes peace

presidential republic

28 July 1821 (from Spain)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

AIIB, APEC, BIS, CAN, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of 16 judges and divided into civil, criminal, and constitutional-social sectors)

judge selection and term of office

justices proposed by the National Board of Justice (a 7-member independent body), nominated by the president, and confirmed by the Congress; justices can serve until mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts

Court of Constitutional Guarantees; Superior Courts or Cortes Superiores; specialized civil, criminal, and mixed courts; 2 types of peace courts in which professional judges and selected members of the local communities preside

civil law system

description

unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la República del Perú (130 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote to serve single 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Free Peru 32, Popular Force 24, AP 15, APP 15, AvP 10, RP 9, Democratic Peru 7, We Are Peru 5, PP 5, JP 5, Purple Party 3; composition - men 80, women 50, percentage women 40%

elections

last held on 11 April 2021 (next to be held in April 2026)

lyrics/music

Jose DE LA TORRE Ugarte/Jose Bernardo ALZEDO

name

"Himno Nacional del Peru" (National Anthem of Peru)

note

note: adopted 1822; the song won a national anthem contest

selected World Heritage Site locales

Cuzco (c); Machu Picchu (m); Chavin (c); Historic Lima (c); Huascarán National Park (n); Chan Chan (c); Manú National Park (n); Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca (c); Rio Abiseo National Park (m); Historic Arequipa (c); Sacred City of Caral-Supe (c); Qhapaq Ñan/Andean Road System (c)

total World Heritage Sites

13 (9 cultural, 2 natural, 2 mixed)

Independence Day, 28-29 July (1821)

vicuna (a camelid related to the llama); national colors: red, white

Advance the Nation (Avanza País) or AvPAlliance for Progress (Alianza para el Progreso) or APPBroad Front (Frente Amplio) or FAFree Peru (Perú Libre) or PLFront for Hope (Frente Esperanza)Magisterial Block of National Concentration (Bloque Magisterial de Concertación Nacional) or BMCNNational Victory (Victoria Nacional) or VNPeru Bicentennial (Perú Bicentenario) or PBPopular Action (Acción Popular) or APPopular Force (Fuerza Popular) or FPPopular Renewal (Renovación Popular) or RPPurple Party (Partido Morado)Social Integration Party (Avanza País - Partido de Integración Social)Together For Perú (Juntos por el Peru) or JPWe Are Peru (Somos Perú) of SPWe Can Peru (Podemos Perú) or PP

18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70

sugarcane, potatoes, rice, bananas, milk, chicken, maize, oil palm fruit, cassava, grapes (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

2.4% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

26.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$51.709 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$48.008 billion (2021 est.)

Fitch rating

BBB+ (2013)

Moody's rating

A3 (2014)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BBB+ (2013)

Current account balance 2021

-$4.674 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$9.743 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$2.219 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external 2022

$37.467 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

upper-middle-income South American economy; strong post-COVID rebound tempered by political uncertainty and climate risks; exports driven by mineral extraction and agriculture; large informal sector and uneven access to public services; stable fiscal position and financial sector

Currency

nuevo sol (PEN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

3.337 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

3.495 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

3.881 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

3.835 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

3.744 (2023 est.)

Exports 2021

$66.061 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$71.129 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$73.326 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

copper ore, gold, natural gas, refined copper, refined petroleum (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 30%, US 15%, Japan 5%, Canada 5%, South Korea 4% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

27.1% (2023 est.)

government consumption

13.7% (2023 est.)

household consumption

64.3% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-23.8% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.3% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-2.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

7.1% (2022 est.)

industry

35% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

49.6% (2022 est.)

$267.603 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

40.3 (2022 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

30.7% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

2.1% (2022 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2021

$58.509 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$69.44 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$62.99 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, trucks (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 27%, US 24%, Brazil 6%, Argentina 4%, Chile 3% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-1.28% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas and natural gas liquefaction; fishing and fish processing, cement, glass, textiles, clothing, food processing, beer, soft drinks, rubber, machinery, electrical machinery, chemicals, furniture

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

4.27% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.33% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.46% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

18.529 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

27.5% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2021

35.25% of GDP (2021 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$506.697 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$520.507 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$517.644 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

13.36% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.73% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

-0.55% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$15,000 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$15,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$15,100 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

1.59% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.58% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$78.59 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$72.328 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$71.394 billion (2023 est.)

15.92% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

5.1% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.85% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.82% (2023 est.)

female

10% (2023 est.)

male

7.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

8.8% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

1.481 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

16.236 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

27.786 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

45.504 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

712,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

1.159 million metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

356,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

production

153,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

1.567 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

50.868 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

43 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

15.504 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

6.814 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

85.1%

electrification - total population

96.2% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

99%

biomass and waste

1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

38.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

55.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

1.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

3.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

24.932 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

7.185 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

5.041 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

12.27 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

300.159 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

858.89 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

210,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

118,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

9 (2020 est.)

total

3.044 million (2020 est.)

10 major TV networks of which only one, Television Nacional de Peru, is state owned; multi-channel cable TV services are available; in excess of 5,000 radio stations including a substantial number of indigenous language stations (2021)

.pe

percent of population

71% (2021 est.)

total

24.14 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line teledensity is 7 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is 128 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

after suffering a sharp retraction in the number of subscriptions and revenue during 2020 due to the pandemic, Peru’s telecom sector managed to stage a small recovery in the first half of 2021; it will likely be two to three years before penetration rates return to the peak levels last seen in 2018; this is especially true given the overwhelming influence of mobile on Peru’s telecommunications market, which now commands almost 95% of all connections; Peru’s fixed-line teledensity continued its slow dropping below 7% at the end of 2021; investment in network infrastructure is mainly focused on rolling out fiber cable for fixed broadband services in (mainly) urban areas; fixed broadband services inched higher to reach 8.4% at the end of 2020, a positive result that reflected the shift to working from home during enforced lock downs at the start of the year; yet Peru has a relatively low level of computer use, and prices for fixed broadband services are among the highest in Latin America; the overwhelmingly preferred internet access platform will remain the smartphone, with a further 8.6% growth in the number of mobile broadband subscriptions expected in 2021 (2021)

international

country code - 51; landing points for the SAM-1, IGW, American Movil-Telxius, SAC and PAN-AM submarine cable systems that provide links to parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

1.798 million (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

122 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

41.549 million (2022 est.)

166 (2024)

OB

6 (2024)

by type

general cargo 1, oil tanker 9, other 101

total

111 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

313.26 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

17,758,527 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

62

number of registered air carriers

6 (2020)

786 km extra heavy crude, 1,526 km gas, 679 km liquid petroleum gas, 1,106 km oil, 15 km refined products (2022)

key ports

Bahia de Matarani, Iquitos, Puerto del Callao, Talara

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

16

small

3

total ports

20 (2024)

very small

16

narrow gauge

124 km (2014) 0.914-m gauge

standard gauge

1,730.4 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (34 km electrified)

total

1,854.4 km (2017)

note

note: includes 27,109 km of national roads (21,434 km paved), 247,505 km of departmental roads (3,623 km paved), and 113,857 km of local roads (1,858 km paved)

paved

18,699 km (2022)

total

70,000 km (2021)

8,808 km (2011) (8,600 km of navigable tributaries on the Amazon River system and 208 km on Lago Titicaca)

the Peruvian Armed Forces (FAP) are responsible for external defense in addition to some domestic security responsibilities in designated emergency areas and in exceptional circumstances; key areas of focus include counterinsurgency, counternarcotics, disaster relief, and maritime security operations; the FAP has contributed to UN missions since 1958 and has ties to regional militaries, particularly Colombia, as well as those of numerous other countries such as China, Russia, Spain, and the US; the FAP’s last external conflict was a brief border war with Ecuador in 1995; the FAP supported the police during anti-government protests in early 2023 and was accused of human rights violations the Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Peru (Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas del Perú or CCFFAA) has responsibility for the planning, preparation, coordination, and direction of the military’s operations; the CCFFAA has oversight over commands for air, air defense, cyber, maritime, and special operations, as well as five regional commands (Amazonas, central, north, south, and Ucayali) and a Special Command of the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro rivers (CE-VRAEM); CE-VRAEM is responsible for combating the remnants of the Shining Path terrorist group (aka Sendero Luminoso) and includes several thousand air, ground, naval, police, and special forces personnel; the FAP also provides aircraft, vehicles, and logistical support to the command (2024)

Armed Forces of Peru (Fuerzas Armadas del Perú or FAP): Peruvian Army (Ejercito del Peru), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP, includes naval infantry and Coast Guard), Air Force of Peru (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP)Ministry of the Interior (Ministerio del Interior): Peruvian National Police (Policía Nacional del Perú, PNP) (2024)

information varies; approximately 95,000 active-duty personnel (60,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 4,000 naval infantry and 1,000 Coast Guard; 10,000 Air Force) (2023)

225 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2024)

the military has a broad mix of mostly older but some more modern equipment from a range of suppliers, including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the former Soviet Union, South Korea, and the US; some deliveries have been secondhand weapons systems; Peru has a small defense industry, including a shipyard that builds and upgrades naval vessels; it also has defense industrial cooperation agreements with several countries, including Russia, South Korea, Spain, and the US (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service (12 months); no conscription (abolished in 1999) (2023)

note

note: as of 2019, women made up about 10% of the active duty military

world’s second-largest producer of cocaine and coca (after Colombia), with approximately 84,400 hectares (ha) under cultivation in 2021;  Peruvian cocaine is trafficked throughout South America for shipment to Europe, East Asia, Mexico, and the United States;  major importer of precursor chemicals for cocaine production; growing domestic drug consumption problem; a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

IDPs

73,000 (civil war from 1980-2000; most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and Amazonian regions; as of 2011, no new information on the situation of these IDPs) (2022)

refugees (country of origin)

1,542,004 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2023)

National Aerospace Research and Development Commission (Comisión Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Aeroespacia, CONIDA; established 1974); National Satellite Imagery Operations Center (Centro Nacional de Operaciones de Imágenes Satelitales, CONIS; established 2006) (2024)

Punta Lobos Rocket Range (Chilca, Huancayo; used by foreign partners for scientific sounding rocket launches (1970s-1990s; the US used the site for scientific launches in 1975 and 1983) (2023)

has a small space program focused on acquiring satellites, applying space applications such as data satellite imagery, and building small rockets; has built a small science/technology satellite; operates satellites and processes satellite imagery data; builds and launches sounding rockets with goal of developing a satellite/space launch vehicle (SLV); researching, developing, and acquiring technologies for manufacturing satellites and satellite payloads with a focus on remote sensing (RS) capabilities; member of Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE); cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Brazil, China, the European Space Agency and individual member states (particularly France and Germany), India, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, and the US, as well as signatories of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

carbon dioxide emissions

57.41 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

30.17 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

29.07 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes

deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes; overfishing

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

global geoparks and regional networks

Colca y Volcanes de Andagua (2023)

total global geoparks and regional networks

1

agricultural land

18.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 14.6% (2018 est.)

forest

53% (2018 est.)

other

28.2% (2018 est.)

Amazon Basin

fresh water lake(s)

Lago Titicaca (shared with Bolivia) - 8,030 sq km

Amazon river source (shared with Brazil [m]) - 6,400 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

0.12% of GDP (2018 est.)

1.88 trillion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

32.8 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

3.51 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

2.24 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

78.9% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

8,356,711 tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

334,268 tons (2012 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

4% (2012 est.)