2020 Edition

Background

Bantu-speaking people settled in the area now called Angola in 6th century A.D.; by the 10th century various Bantu groups had established kingdoms, of which Kongo became the most powerful. From the late-14th to the mid-19th century, a Kingdom of Kongo stretched across central Africa from present-day northern Angola into the current Congo republics. It traded heavily with the Portuguese who, beginning in the 16th century, established coastal colonies and trading posts and introduced Christianity. Angola became a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade conducted by the Portuguese and other European powers -- often in collaboration with local kingdoms, including the Kongo. The Angola area is estimated to have lost as many as 4 million people as a result of the slave trade. The Kingdom of Kongo’s main rival was the Kingdom of Ndongo to its south, whose most famous leader was Nzingha Mbande, the 17th century diplomat to the Portuguese and later Queen, who successfully fought off Portuguese encroachment during her nearly 40-year reign. Smaller kingdoms, such as the Matamba and Ngoyo, often came under the control of the Kongo or Ndongo Kingdoms. During the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, Portugal and other European powers set Angola’s modern borders, but the Portuguese did not fully control large portions of the territory. Portugal gained control of the Kingdom of Kongo in 1888 when Kongo’s King Pedro V sought Portuguese military assistance in exchange for becoming a vassal. After a revolt in 1914, Portugal imposed direct rule over the colony and abolished the Kongo Kingdom. The Angolan National Revolution began in 1961, and in 1975, Angola won its independence when Portugal’s dictatorship fell, a collapse that occurred in part because of growing discontent over conflict in Angola and other colonies. Angola’s multiple independence movements soon clashed, with the Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Agostinho NETO, taking power and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, emerging as its main competitor. After NETO’s death in 1979, Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, also of the MPLA, became president. Over time, the Angolan civil war escalated and became a major Cold War conflict, with the Soviet Union and Cuba supporting the MPLA and the US and South Africa supporting UNITA. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost -- and 4 million people displaced -- during the more than a quarter-century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and cemented the MPLA's hold on power. DOS SANTOS did not seek reelection in 2017 and supported Joao LOURENCO’s successful bid to become president. LOURENCO was reelected in 2022. Angola scores low on human development indexes despite using its large oil reserves to rebuild since 2002. 

Area

land

1,246,700 sq km

total

1,246,700 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about eight times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)

Coastline

1,600 km

Elevation

highest point

Moco 2,620 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

1,112 m

Geographic coordinates

12 30 S, 18 30 E

Geography - note

the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Irrigated land

860 sq km (2014)

Land boundaries

border countries

Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province); Republic of the Congo 231 km; Namibia 1,427 km; Zambia 1,065 km

total

5,369 km

Land use

agricultural land

36.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 32.4% (2023 est.)

forest

51.6% (2023 est.)

other

11.5% (2023 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Major aquifers

Congo Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rio Zambeze (Zambezi) (shared with Zambia [s], Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Rio Cubango (Okavango) river source (shared with Namibia and Botswana [m]) - 1,600 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Congo (3,730,881 sq km)

Indian Ocean drainage

Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage

Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau

Natural resources

petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium

Population distribution

most people live in the western half of the country; urban areas account for the highest concentrations of people, particularly the capital of Luanda

Terrain

narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Age structure

0-14 years

46.9% (male 8,752,419/female 8,701,422)

15-64 years

50.7% (male 9,076,080/female 9,795,035)

65 years and over

2.4% (2024 est.) (male 367,559/female 509,546)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.78 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

5.84 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

39.75 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

6% (2016)

women married by age 15

7.9% (2016)

women married by age 18

30.3% (2016)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.2% (2016 est.)

Death rate

6.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.1 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

19.6 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

95.1 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

90 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 27.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 57.7% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 71.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 72.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 42.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 28.3% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

6.5% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, Mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%

Gross reproduction rate

2.68 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

3% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

6.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.8 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

50.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

60.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

46.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Portuguese 71.2% (official), Umbundu 23%, Kikongo 8.2%, Kimbundu 7.8%, Chokwe 6.5%, Nhaneca 3.4%, Nganguela 3.1%, Fiote 2.4%, Kwanhama 2.3%, Muhumbi 2.1%, Luvale 1%, other 3.6%  (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

65.1 years

male

60.8 years

total population

62.9 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

51.9% (2015 est.)

male

83.8% (2015 est.)

total population

66.2% (2015 est.)

Major urban areas - population

9.292 million LUANDA (capital), 959,000 Lubango, 905,000 Cabinda, 809,000 Benguela, 783,000 Malanje (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

183 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

16.8 years

male

15.8 years

total

16.6 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.4 years (2015/16 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Angolan

noun

Angolan(s)

Net migration rate

0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.2% (2016)

Physician density

0.24 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

19,869,015

male

19,115,781

total

38,984,796 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

3.32% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%, other 8.6%, none 12.3% (2014 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 30.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 73.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 93.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 69.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 26.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 6.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.72 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

5.45 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

68.7% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

21 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando, Cubango, Cuanza-Norte, Cuanza-Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Icolo e Bengo, Luanda, Lunda-Norte, Lunda-Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Moxico Leste, Namibe, Uige, Zaire

Capital

daylight saving time

does not observe daylight savings time

etymology

the Portuguese named the city São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda (Saint Paul of the Assumption of Loanda); over time, it was shortened to "Luanda," which may derive from a Bantu word meaning "tax" or "duty," in reference to local people paying their dues to the king of the Congo

geographic coordinates

8 50 S, 13 13 E

name

Luanda

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Angola

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the president of the republic or supported by at least one third of the National Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly subject to prior Constitutional Court review if requested by the president of the republic

history

previous 1975, 1992; latest passed by National Assembly 21 January 2010, adopted 5 February 2010

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Angola

conventional short form

Angola

etymology

in the 15th century, Portuguese explorers derived the name from the title "N'gola," which was held by kings of the Ndongo

former

People's Republic of Angola

local long form

Republica de Angola

local short form

Angola

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Shannon Nagy CAZEAU (since 2 October 2025)

email address and website

Consularluanda@state.gov https://ao.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Rua Houari Boumedienne, #32, Luanda

FAX

[244] (222) 64-1000

mailing address

2550 Luanda Place, Washington, DC 20521-2550

telephone

[244] (222) 64-1000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Agostinho de Carvalho dos Santos VAN-DÚNEM (since 30 June 2023)

consulate(s) general

Houston, New York

email address and website

info@angola.org https://angola.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 822-9049

telephone

[1] (202) 785-1156

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (since 26 September 2017)

election results

Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (MPLA) elected president by then winning party following the 24 August 2022 general election

election/appointment process

the candidate of the winning party or coalition in the last legislative election becomes the president; president serves a 5-year term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term)

expected date of next election

2027

head of government

President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (since 26 September 2017)

most recent election date

24 August 2022

Flag

description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem of a five-pointed star inside half a cogwheel, crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle) meaning: red stands for liberty and black for the African continent; the emblem symbolizes workers and peasants

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo (consists of the court president, vice president, and a minimum of 16 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 11 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges appointed by the president on recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, an 18-member body chaired by the president; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges - 4 nominated by the president, 4 elected by National Assembly, 2 elected by Supreme National Council, 1 elected by competitive submission of curricula; judges serve single 7-year terms

subordinate courts

provincial and municipal courts

Legal system

civil legal system based on Portuguese civil law; no judicial review of legislation

Legislative branch

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

August 2027

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

National Assembly (Assembleia nacional)

most recent election date

8/24/2022

number of seats

220 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) (124); National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) (90); Other (6)

percentage of women in chamber

39.1%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1975

lyrics/music

Manuel Rui Alves MONTEIRO/Rui Alberto Vieira Dias MINGAO

title

"Angola Avante" (Forward Angola)

National color(s)

red, black, yellow

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Mbanza-Kongo

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 11 November (1975)

National symbol(s)

giant black sable antelope (Palanca negra gigante)

Political parties

Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola Electoral Coalition or CASA-CE  Humanist Party of Angola or PHI  National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA; note - party has two factions National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA (largest opposition party) Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA; note- ruling party in power since 1975 Social Renewal Party or PRS 

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cassava, bananas, maize, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, tomatoes, pineapples, onions, potatoes, citrus fruits (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

50% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$13.871 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$18.117 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$11.763 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$4.185 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$6.31 billion (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$45.299 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

middle-income, oil-dependent African economy; widespread poverty; rising inflation and currency depreciation; seeking diversification through agricultural production; significant corruption in public institutions; major infrastructure investments from China and US; exited OPEC in 2023

Exchange rates

Currency

kwanza (AOA) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

578.259 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

631.442 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

460.568 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

685.02 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

869.846 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$50.12 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$36.961 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$36.924 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, diamonds, natural gas, ships, refined petroleum (2023)

Exports - partners

China 40%, India 9%, UAE 6%, Spain 6%, Netherlands 5% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

37.9% (2024 est.)

government consumption

6.3% (2024 est.)

household consumption

55.3% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-24.4% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

16.4% (2024 est.)

industry

44.2% (2024 est.)

services

39.3% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$80.397 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

51.3 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

39.6% (2018 est.)

lowest 10%

1.3% (2018 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$28.564 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$23.688 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$22.683 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, wheat, ships, cars, trucks (2023)

Imports - partners

China 19%, Portugal 10%, UAE 7%, India 6%, USA 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2024 est.)

Industries

petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar; textiles; ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

21.4% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

13.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

28.2% (2024 est.)

Labor force

15.961 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

32.3% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

75.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$263.61 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$266.452 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$278.239 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1.1% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

4.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$7,400 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$7,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$7,300 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$13.655 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$13.942 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$14.243 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

10.1% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

14.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

14.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

14.5% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

25.7% (2024 est.)

male

30.2% (2024 est.)

total

27.9% (2024 est.)

Coal

imports

3,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

16.214 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

7.6 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.725 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

7.3% (2018 est.)

electrification - total population

48.5% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

76.2%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

23.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

74% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

9.146 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

1.244 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

4.928 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

5.984 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

343.002 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

7.783 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

121,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

1.175 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

total

137,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned media dominate; only four privately owned newspapers still exist in print form; state-run Radio Nacional de Angola (RNA) is the only outlet to offer programs in local languages such as Bantu; private stations operate in cities, including Catholic Radio Ecclesia, but RNA is the only radio broadcaster with near-national coverage (2023)

Internet country code

.ao

Internet users

percent of population

45% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2024 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

80,300 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

70 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

26.4 million (2024 est.)

Airports

107 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

D2

Heliports

2 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 13, oil tanker 8, other 43

total

64 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Cabinda, Estrela Oil Field, Lobito, Luanda, Malongo Oil Terminal, Namibe, Palanca Terminal, Takula Terminal

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

17

small

8

total ports

21 (2024)

very small

13

Railways

narrow gauge

2,638 km (2022) 1.067-m gauge

total

2,761 km (2022)

Military - note

the Angolan Armed Forces were created in 1991 under the Bicesse Accords signed between the Angolan Government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA); the current force is responsible for country’s external defense but also has some domestic security responsibilities, such as border protection; it participates in multinational exercises, as well as regional peacekeeping operations, including the deployment of several hundred troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023; in recent years, the military has placed additional emphasis on maritime security and protecting offshore resources (2025)

Military and security forces

Angolan Armed Forces (Forcas Armadas Angolanas, FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra Angola, MGA), Angolan National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana, FANA) Ministry of Interior: National Police, Border Guard Police (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 100,000 active duty Armed Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

most Angolan military weapons and equipment are of Russian or Soviet-era origin; there are smaller quantities of items originating from such suppliers as China, Brazil, Israel, Italy, South Africa, and the UAE (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

20-45 years of age for compulsory and 18-45 years for voluntary military service for men; 20-45 years of age for voluntary service for women; 24-month conscript service obligation; the Navy is entirely staffed with volunteers (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

75,308 (2024 est.)

refugees

55,542 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

2017 - first communications satellite (AngoSat-1) built, launched, and operated by Russia (satellite failed in 2018) 2022 - second communications satellite (AngoSat-2) with French-built payload, integrated and launched by Russia 2023 - signed US-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices for space exploration 2024 - inaugurated a national maritime coordination and surveillance center and country's first satellite mission control center 2025 - signed financial agreement with France for construction of country’s first high-resolution remote sensing satellite (ANGEO-1)

Space agency/agencies

National Space Program Office (Gabinete de Gestão do Programa Espacial Nacional, GGPEN; established 2013) (2025)

Space program overview

has a national space strategy with a focus on capacity-building, developing space infrastructure, investing in domestic space sector, supporting socioeconomic growth, and establishing cooperation agreements with foreign technical and scientific institutions in the space industry; contracts with foreign companies to build and launch satellites; operates satellites; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of France, Portugal, Russia, the US, and other African countries; member of the African Space Agency (2025)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

9,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

2.441 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

17.21 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

19.66 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion; desertification; deforestation of tropical rainforest from international demand for timber and domestic use as fuel; loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Methane emissions

agriculture

374.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

1,009.1 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

78.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

123 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

27.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

148.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

146.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

239.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

319.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4.214 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

19% (2022 est.)