Venezuela

Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830, the others being Ecuador and New Granada (Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, military strongmen ruled Venezuela and promoted the oil industry while allowing some social reforms. Democratically elected governments largely held sway until 1999, but Hugo CHAVEZ, who was president from 1999 to 2013, exercised authoritarian control over other branches of government. This trend continued in 2018 when Nicolas MADURO claimed the presidency for his second term in an election boycotted by most opposition parties and widely viewed as fraudulent. The legislative elections in 2020 were also seen as fraudulent, and most opposition parties and many international actors consider the resulting National Assembly illegitimate. In 2021, many opposition parties broke a three-year election boycott and participated in mayoral and gubernatorial elections, despite flawed conditions. As a result, the opposition more than doubled its representation at the mayoral level and retained four of 23 governorships. The 2021 regional elections marked the first time since 2006 that the EU was allowed to send an electoral observation mission to Venezuela.MADURO has placed strong restrictions on free speech and the press. Since CHAVEZ, the ruling party has expanded the state's role in the economy through expropriations of major enterprises, strict currency exchange and price controls, and over-dependence on the petroleum industry for revenues. Years of economic mismanagement left Venezuela ill-prepared to weather the global drop in oil prices in 2014, sparking an economic decline that has resulted in reduced government social spending, shortages of basic goods, and high inflation. Worsened living conditions have prompted nearly 8 million Venezuelans to emigrate, mainly settling in nearby countries. The US imposed financial sanctions on MADURO and his representatives in 2017 and on sectors of the Venezuelan economy in 2018. Limited sanctions relief followed when the MADURO administration began making democratic and electoral concessions. The government's mismanagement and lack of investment in infrastructure has also weakened the country's energy sector. Caracas has relaxed some controls to mitigate the impact of its sustained economic crisis, such as allowing increased import flexibility for the private sector and the informal use of US dollars and other international currencies. Ongoing concerns include human rights abuses, rampant violent crime, political manipulation of the judicial and electoral systems, and corruption.

land

882,050 sq km

total

912,050 sq km

water

30,000 sq km

almost six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

2,800 km

highest point

Pico Bolivar 4,978 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

450 m

8 00 N, 66 00 W

note 1: the country lies on major sea and air routes linking North and South America note 2: Venezuela has some of the most unique geology in the world; tepuis are massive table-top mountains of the western Guiana Highlands that tend to be isolated and thus support unique endemic plant and animal species; their sheer cliffsides account for some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world including Angel Falls, the world's highest (979 m) that drops off Auyan Tepui

10,550 sq km (2012)

border countries

Brazil 2,137 km; Colombia 2,341 km; Guyana 789 km

total

5,267 km

agricultural land

24.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20.6% (2018 est.)

forest

52.1% (2018 est.)

other

23.4% (2018 est.)

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

salt water lake(s)

Lago de Maracaibo - 13,010 sq km

Rio Negro (shared with Colombia [s] and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco river source and mouth (shared with Colombia) - 2,101 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Orinoco (953,675 sq km)

South America

contiguous zone

15 nm

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas

Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

0-14 years

25% (male 3,987,361/female 3,811,307)

15-64 years

65.9% (male 10,264,353/female 10,330,376)

65 years and over

9.1% (2024 est.) (male 1,303,737/female 1,553,172)

beer

1.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

2.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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

NA

75% (2010)

3.8% of GDP (2020)

51.5% (2023 est.)

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

Venezuela’s ongoing socio-economic, political, and human rights crises have resulted in widespread poverty and food insecurity and have devastated the country’s healthcare system.  According to a 2018 national hospital survey, many hospitals were unable to provide basic services, and 20% of operating rooms and intensive care units were non-functional.  Hospitals reported shortages in water (79%), medicines (88%), and surgical supplies (79%).  The poor conditions in healthcare facilities have motivated many doctors and other health professionals to emigrate, resulting in shortages of specialists, particularly in emergency care.  The scarcity of medicines, vaccines, medical supplies, and mosquito controls is leading to a rise in infectious diseases.  Tuberculosis cases jumped by 68% between 2014 and 2017, and malaria rates had the largest rise in the world from 2016 to 2017 at 69%.  Diptheria, which had been eradicated in the country in 1999, re-emerged in 2016, and new cases have surfaced in 2023.  Infectious disease outbreaks, such as measles and malaria, have crossed into neighboring countries.  Infant mortality, which had been decreasing since the 1950s, has been on the rise since 2009.  Between 2015 and 2016, infant deaths increased 30%, while maternal mortality increased 65%.   As of November 2023, more than 7.7 million Venezuelan migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers had been reported by host governments, with approximately 85% relocating in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Colombia has been the largest recipient, accommodating almost 2.5 million as of February 2022, followed by Peru and Ecuador.  As of June 2022, almost 212,000 of the refugees and close to 1.04 million of the asylum seekers were recognized by national authorities.  An additional 4.3 million Venezuelans have been granted residence permits or other types of regular stay arrangements, as of March 2023.  The initial wave of migrants were highly educated professionals.  These were followed by university-educated young people.  As the economy collapsed in 2017-2018, Venezuelan migrants have been less-educated and from low-income households.

elderly dependency ratio

13.1

potential support ratio

7.6 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.5

youth dependency ratio

44.4

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 94.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 5.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

1.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

unspecified Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous

1.06 (2024 est.)

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

female

12.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

15.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

Spanish (official) 98.2%, indigenous 1.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.4% (2023 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

77.7 years

male

71.5 years

total population

74.5 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.7% (2021)

male

97.4%

total population

97.5%

2.972 million CARACAS (capital), 2.368 million Maracaibo, 1.983 million Valencia, 1.254 million Barquisimeto, 1.243 million Maracay, 964,000 Ciudad Guayana (2023)

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

female

31.7 years

male

30.3 years

total

31 years (2024 est.)

adjective

Venezuelan

noun

Venezuelan(s)

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

25.6% (2016)

1.73 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

female

15,694,855 (2024 est.)

male

15,555,451

total

31,250,306

most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas

2.34% (2024 est.)

Roman Catholic 48.1%, Protestant 31.6% (Evangelical 31.4%, Adventist 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, African American/umbanda 0.7%, other 0.1%, believer 3.5%, agnostic 0.1%, atheist, 0.4%, none 13.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2023 est.)

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 95.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 4.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.84 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

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

2.18 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

88.4% of total population (2023)

23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales (Federal Dependencies)**, Distrito Capital (Capital District)*, Falcon, Guarico, La Guaira, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia

note

note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

etymology

named for the native Caracas tribe that originally settled in the city's valley site near the Caribbean coast

geographic coordinates

10 29 N, 66 52 W

name

Caracas

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years; reduced to five years in the case of applicants from Spain, Portugal, Italy, or a Latin American or Caribbean country

amendments

proposed through agreement by at least 39% of the National Assembly membership, by the president of the republic in session with the cabinet of ministers, or by petition of at least 15% of registered voters; passage requires simple majority vote by the Assembly and simple majority approval in a referendum; amended 2009; note - in 2016, President MADURO issued a decree to hold an election to form a constituent assembly to change the constitution; the election in July 2017 approved the formation of a 545-member constituent assembly and elected its delegates, empowering them to change the constitution and dismiss government institutions and officials

history

many previous; latest adopted 15 December 1999, effective 30 December 1999

conventional long form

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

conventional short form

Venezuela

etymology

native stilt-houses built on Lake Maracaibo reminded early explorers Alonso de OJEDA and Amerigo VESPUCCI in 1499 of buildings in Venice and so they named the region "Venezuola," which in Italian means "Little Venice"

former

State of Venezuela, Republic of Venezuela, United States of Venezuela

local long form

República Bolivariana de Venezuela

local short form

Venezuela

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); as of 19 May 2023, Francisco L. PALMIERI serves as the chief of mission of the Venezuela Affairs Unit, located in the US Embassy, Bogota

email address and website

ACSBogota@state.govhttps://ve.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Venezuela Affairs Unit, US Embassy, Carrera 45 N. 24B-27, Bogota, Colombiapreviously - F St. and Suapure St.; Urb. Colinas de Valle Arriba; Caracas 1080

mailing address

3140 Caracas Place, Washington DC  20521-3140

telephone

1-888-407-4747  

noneNote:  the embassy, which had been run by the Venezuelan political opposition, announced on 5 January 2023, that it had ended all embassy functions

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

Notification Statement: the United States does not recognize Nicolas MADURO Moros as president of VenezuelaPresident Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013)

election results

2024: official results disputed; Nicolas MADURO Moros was declared the winner by the MADURO-controlled National Electoral Council; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 52%, Edmundo GONZÁLEZ Urrutia (Independent) 43.2%, Luis Eduardo MARTÍNEZ (AD) 1.2%, other 3.6%; note – given overwhelming evidence, including more than 80% of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela indicating that GONZÁLEZ received the most votes by an insurmountable margin, the United States recognizes that GONZÁLEZ won the most votes in the 28 July 2024 presidential election2018: Nicolas MADURO Moros reelected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 67.9%, Henri FALCON (AP) 20.9%, Javier BERTUCCI 10.8%; note - the election was reportedly marred by serious shortcomings and electoral fraud2013: Nicolas MADURO Moros elected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 50.6%, Henrique CAPRILES Radonski (PJ) 49.1%, other 0.3%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits); election last held on 28 July 2024 (next to be held in 2030)

head of government

President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013)

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band; the flag retains the three equal horizontal bands and three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; yellow is interpreted as standing for the riches of the land, blue for the courage of its people, and red for the blood shed in attaining independence; the seven stars on the original flag represented the seven provinces in Venezuela that united in the war of independence; in 2006, then President Hugo CHAVEZ ordered an eighth star added to the star arc - a decision that sparked much controversy - to conform with the flag proclaimed by Simon Bolivar in 1827 and to represent the historic province of Guayana

federal presidential republic

5 July 1811 (from Spain)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACS, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s)

Supreme Tribunal of Justice (consists of 32 judges organized into constitutional, political-administrative, electoral, civil appeals, criminal appeals, and social divisions)

judge selection and term of office

judges proposed by the Committee of Judicial Postulation (an independent body of organizations dealing with legal issues and of the organs of citizen power) and appointed by the National Assembly; judges serve nonrenewable 12-year terms; note - in July 2017, the National Assembly named 33 judges to the court to replace a series of judges, it argued, had been illegally appointed in late 2015 by the outgoing, socialist-party-led Assembly; MADURO and the Socialist Party-appointed judges refused to recognize these appointments, however, and many of the new judges have since been imprisoned or forced into exile

subordinate courts

Superior or Appeals Courts (Tribunales Superiores); District Tribunals (Tribunales de Distrito); Courts of First Instance (Tribunales de Primera Instancia); Parish Courts (Tribunales de Parroquia); Justices of the Peace (Justicia de Paz) Network

civil law system based on the Spanish civil code

description

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (277 seats; 3 seats reserved for indigenous peoples of Venezuela; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - GPP (pro-government) 69.3%, Democratic Alliance (opposition coalition) 17.7%, other 13%; seats by party - GPP 253, Democratic Alliance 18, indigenous peoples 3, other 3; composition - NA

elections

last held on 6 December 2020 (next expected to be held in December 2025)

note

note: in 2020, the National Electoral Council increased the number of seats in the National Assembly from 167 to 277 for the December 2020 election

lyrics/music

Vicente SALIAS/Juan Jose LANDAETA

name

"Gloria al bravo pueblo" (Glory to the Brave People)

note

note: adopted 1881; lyrics written in 1810, the music some years later; both SALIAS and LANDAETA were executed in 1814 during Venezuela's struggle for independence

selected World Heritage Site locales

Coro and its Port (c); Canaima National Park (n); Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas (c)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)

Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

troupial (bird); national colors: yellow, blue, red

A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo) or UNTCambiemos Movimiento Ciudadano or CMCChristian Democrats or COPEI (also known as the Social Christian Party)Citizens Encounter or ECClear Accounts or CCCoalition of parties loyal to Nicolas MADURO - Great Patriotic Pole or GPPCoalition of opposition parties - Democratic Alliance (Alianza Democratica) (includes AD, EL CAMBIO, COPEI, CMC, and AP)Come Venezuela (Vente Venezuela) or VVCommunist Party of Venezuela or PCVConsenso en la Zona or ConenzoConvergenciaDemocratic Action or ADFatherland for All (Patria para Todos) or PPTFearless People's Alliance or ABPFuerza Vecinal or FVHope for Change (Esperanza por el Cambio) or EL CAMBIOJustice First (Primero Justicia) or PJLAPIZMovement to Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo) or MASPopular Will (Voluntad Popular) or VPProgressive Advance (Avanzada Progresista) or APThe Radical Cause or La Causa RUnited Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUVVenezuela First (Primero Venezuela) or PVVenezuelan Progressive Movement or MPVVenezuela Project or PV

18 years of age; universal

milk, sugarcane, maize, plantains, oil palm fruit, bananas, rice, potatoes, pineapples, chicken (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

3.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

18.4% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$76 million (2017 est.)

revenues

$30 million (2017 est.)

Fitch rating

RD (2017)

Moody's rating

WR (2019)

note

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

Standard & Poors rating

SD (2017)

Current account balance 2015

-$16.051 billion (2015 est.)

Current account balance 2016

-$3.87 billion (2016 est.)

note

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

South American economy; ongoing hyperinflation since mid-2010s; chaotic economy due to political corruption, infrastructure cuts, and human rights abuses; in debt default; oil exporter; hydropower consumer; rising Chinese relations

Currency

bolivars (VEB) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2014

6.284 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

6.284 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

9.257 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

9.975 (2017 est.)

Exports 2016

$28.684 billion (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$93.485 billion (2017 est.)

Exports 2018

$83.401 billion (2018 est.)

note

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

scrap iron, petroleum coke, crude petroleum, acyclic alcohols, aluminum (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 16%, Turkey 14%, Spain 12%, US 10%, Brazil 8% (2022)

note

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

exports of goods and services

16.7% (2014 est.)

government consumption

14.6% (2014 est.)

household consumption

75.3% (2014 est.)

imports of goods and services

-31.4% (2014 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.6% (2014 est.)

investment in inventories

3.2% (2014 est.)

note

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

agriculture

5% (2014 est.)

industry

37.2% (2014 est.)

note

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

services

51.7% (2014 est.)

$482.359 billion (2014 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports 2016

$25.81 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$18.376 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2018

$18.432 billion (2018 est.)

note

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

soybean oil, wheat, soybean meal, corn, plastic products (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 31%, US 23%, Brazil 14%, Colombia 7%, Turkey 4% (2022)

note

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

-5.84% (2014 est.)

note

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

agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products, crude oil and petroleum products

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

416.8% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

45,518.1% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

146,101.7% (2019 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

11.548 million (2023 est.)

note

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

33.1% (2015 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

note

note: data cover central government debt, as well as the debt of state-owned oil company PDVSA; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include some debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; some debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions

Public debt 2017

38.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$334.751 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$269.068 billion (2018 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2017

-15.76% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

-19.67% (2018 est.)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2017

$9,417 (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2018

$7,704 (2018 est.)

note

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

Remittances 2014

0.03% of GDP (2014 est.)

note

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015

$15.625 billion (2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016

$10.15 billion (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017

$9.794 billion (2017 est.)

44.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

7.03% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

5.75% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.53% (2023 est.)

female

14.1% (2023 est.)

male

9.5% (2023 est.)

note

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

total

10.8% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

188,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

36.042 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

44.539 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

80.769 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

82,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

124,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

300 metric tons (2022 est.)

production

197,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

730.999 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

56.768 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

652 million kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

34.742 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

27.882 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

22.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

77.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

57.282 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

17.696 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

17.696 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

5.674 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

303.806 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

367,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

761,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

9 (2020 est.)

total

2,561,556 (2020 est.)

Venezuela has a mixture of state-run and private broadcast media that are subject to high levels of control, including the shuttering of opposition-leaning media outlets; 13 public service networks, 61 privately owned TV networks, a privately owned news channel with limited national coverage, and a Maduro-backed Pan-American channel; 3 Maduro-aligned radio networks officially control roughly 65 news stations and another 30 stations targeted at specific audiences; Maduro-sponsored community broadcasters include 235 radio stations and 44 TV stations; the number of private broadcast radio stations has been declining, but many still remain in operation (2021)

.ve

percent of population

78.7% (2022 est.)

total

22,734,162 (2022 est.)

domestic

fixed-line is 10 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is 67 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Venezuela’s fixed-line penetration was relatively high for the region at 7.8 million lines in 2014 but the steady growth in the number of lines came to an end in 2015; since then, the number of fixed lines has plummeted to 2.7 million (2022) or a teledensity of about 9.5%; the cause is largely linked to the country’s ongoing economic troubles, which have compelled many people to terminate fixed-line telecom services and others still to flee the country; these pressures have also distorted sector revenue and have placed into disarray operators’ investment plans aimed at improving networks and expanding the reach and capabilities of new technologies and services; the fixed broadband penetration rate is lower than the regional average, while data speeds are also relatively low; there is no effective competition in the provision of DSL, and as a result the state-owned incumbent CANTV has had little incentive to improve services from its meager revenue streams; mobile penetration in Venezuela is 67% (2022), below the regional average and ahead of only Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Haiti; the number of mobile subscribers decline gradually from 2012 to 2020 as subscribers terminated services in a bid to reduce discretionary spending or left the country; after years of decline, mobile phone lines grew 15% from 2021 to the end of 2022 to reach 18.7 million, as subscribers replaced fixed lines with mobile service and mobile connectivity improved; an estimated 78% of mobile subscribers have smartphones with mobile access to the internet  (2021)

international

country code - 58; landing points for the Venezuela Festoon, ARCOS, PAN-AM, SAC, GlobeNet, ALBA-1 and Americas II submarine cable system providing connectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat (2020)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

3.147 million (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

63 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

17.949 million (2022 est.)

502 (2024)

YV

88 (2024)

by type

bulk carrier 3, container ship 1, general cargo 26, oil tanker 17, other 225

total

272 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1.55 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

2,137,771 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

75

number of registered air carriers

12 (2020)

981 km extra heavy crude, 5941 km gas, 7,588 km oil, 1,778 km refined products (2013)

key ports

Amuay (Bahia de Amuay), Bahia de Pertigalete, Ciudad Bolivar, Guanta, La Guaira, La Salina, Las Piedras, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Puerto de Hierro, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Miranda, Puerto Ordaz, Punta Cardon

large

1

medium

2

ports with oil terminals

21

small

11

total ports

31 (2024)

very small

17

standard gauge

447 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (41.4 km electrified)

total

447 km (2014)

total

96,189 km (2014)

7,100 km (2011) (Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels)

the armed forces (FANB) are responsible for ensuring Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity but also have a domestic role, including assisting with maintaining internal security, conducting counter-narcotics missions, contributing to national socio-economic development, and providing disaster relief/humanitarian assistance; the military conducts internal security operations in large parts of the country and has been deployed against illegal armed groups operating in the Colombian border region and other areas to combat organized crime gangs involved in narcotics trafficking and illegal mining; it has close ties to China and Russia, including weapons acquisitions and technical supportthe military has a large role in the country’s economy and political sectors; between 2013 and 2017, Venezuela established at least a dozen military-led firms in economic areas such as agriculture, banking, construction, insurance, the media, mining, oil, and tourism; military officers reportedly lead as many as 60 state-owned companies; as of 2023, 14 of 32 government ministries were controlled by the military, including the ministries of agriculture, food, petroleum, and waterthe FANB is deployed throughout the country in one maritime and seven geographical regional commands known as Integral Strategic Defense Regions (Regiones Estrategicas de Defensa Integral or REDI) that are mandated to provide for the defense, security, social, and economic needs of their respective areas of responsibility; the REDIs are further broken down into zones and state commands; the National Guard is also organized into regional commands, while the Bolivarian Militia is reportedly divided into a reserve service, a territorial guard component comprised of local battalions and detachments, and a coastal guard forcemembers of the terrorist organizations National Liberation Army (ELN) and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia dissidents (FARC-People's Army and Segundo Marquetalia) operate in Venezuela, mostly in the states of Amazonas, Apure, Bolivar, Guarico, Tachira, and Zulia, although the ELN is assessed to be present in 12 of Venezuela’s 23 states; the Venezuelan military has been deployed to the border region to patrol border crossings and has clashed with both the ELN and the FARC dissident groups (2023)

Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes marines, Coast Guard), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB; includes a joint-service Aerospace Defense Command (Comando de Defensa Aeroespacial Integral, CODAI), Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB)Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace: Bolivarian National Police (Policía Nacional Bolivariana, PNB) (2024)

note

note 1: the Bolivarian Militia was added as a "special component" to the FANB in 2020; it is comprised of armed civilians who receive periodic training in exchange for a small stipendnote 2: the National Guard, established in 1937 and made a component of the FANB in 2007, is responsible for maintaining public order, guarding the exterior of key government installations and prisons, conducting counter-narcotics operations, monitoring borders, and providing law enforcement in remote areas; it reports to both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peacenote 3: the PNB is a federal force created by Hugo CHAVEZ in 2008 as a “preventative police force,” separate from state and local ones; the PNB largely focuses on policing Caracas’ Libertador municipality, patrolling Caracas-area highways, railways, and metro system, and protecting diplomatic missions; the PNB includes the Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES), a paramilitary unit created by President MADURO to bolster internal security after the 2017 anti-government protests; it has been accused of multiple human rights abuses    

information varies; approximately 125-150,000 active military personnel, including about 25-30,000 National Guard; approximately 200-225,000 Bolivarian Militia; approximately 45,000 National Police (2023)

note

note: in December 2022, President Nicolas MADURO announced that the National Police would be increased to 100,000 in 2024

the FANB inventory is comprised mostly of Russian/Soviet-era weapons and equipment; in recent years, it has acquired some material from China and Iran; it also has smaller quantities of older equipment from France, Germany, Spain, the UK, and the US (2024)

note

note: the US prohibited the sale or transfer of military arms or technology to Venezuela in 2006

Military Expenditures 2015

1.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

Military Expenditures 2016

2.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military Expenditures 2017

2.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

4.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

5.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

18-30 (25 for women) for voluntary service; the minimum service obligation is 24-30 months; all citizens of military service age (18-50) are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training, although “forcible recruitment” is forbidden (2023)

a major drug-transit country and trafficking route in the Western Hemisphere for illegal drugs mainly cocaine;  government depends on rents from narco-trafficking, along with other illicit activities, to maintain power;  evidence of coca cultivation and cocaine production in domestic drug laboratories suggests the country is now also an illicit drug-producing country;  a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics  

note

note: As of November 2023, approximately 7.7 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants were residing worldwide with 84.7% in Latin America and the Caribbean

refugees (country of origin)

39,185 (Colombia) (mid-year 2022)

tier rating

Tier 3 — Venezuela does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making any efforts to do so, therefore, Venezuela remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/venezuela/

Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales, ABAE; formed 2007); ABAE was originally known as the Venezuelan Space Center (CEV; created 2005); the ABAE is under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (2024)

has a small program primarily focused on the acquisition of satellites and developing the country’s space engineering and sciences capabilities; operates satellites and maintains two satellite ground control stations; has relations with the space programs of China and Russia (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

National Liberation Army (ELN); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP); Segundo Marquetalia

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

164.18 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

68.66 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

16.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

widespread lack of access

due to severe economic crisis -despite a resumption of economic growth since 2021, outflows of refugees and migrants have continued in the first five months of 2023; the number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants (in-destination) in need of food assistance is projected at 3.62 million in 2023 (2023)

agricultural land

24.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20.6% (2018 est.)

forest

52.1% (2018 est.)

other

23.4% (2018 est.)

salt water lake(s)

Lago de Maracaibo - 13,010 sq km

Rio Negro (shared with Colombia [s] and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco river source and mouth (shared with Colombia) - 2,101 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Orinoco (953,675 sq km)

1.33 trillion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

16.71 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

790 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

5.12 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

88.4% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

9,779,093 tons (2010 est.)