2017 Edition

Background

In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. The country's population and culture were heavily shaped by immigrants from throughout Europe, with Italy and Spain providing the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's history was dominated by periods of internal political conflict between Federalists and Unitarians and between civilian and military factions. After World War II, an era of Peronist populism and direct and indirect military interference in subsequent governments was followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983 after a failed bid to seize the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) by force, and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent public protests and the successive resignations of several presidents. The years 2003-15 saw Peronist rule by Nestor and Cristina FERNANDEZ de KIRCHNER, whose policies isolated Argentina and caused economic stagnation. With the election of Mauricio MACRI in November 2015, Argentina began a period of reform and international reintegration.

Area

2,780,400 sq km 2,736,690 sq km 43,710 sq km

land

2,736,690 sq km

total

2,780,400 sq km

water

43,710 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US

Climate

mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest

Coastline

4,989 km

Elevation

595 m lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz) highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza; highest point in South America)

elevation extremes

lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz)

highest point

Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza; highest point in South America)

mean elevation

595 m

Environment - current issues

environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets

note

Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets

Environment - international agreements

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling Marine Life Conservation

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates

34 00 S, 64 00 W

Geography - note

second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere; shares Iguazu Falls, the world's largest waterfalls system, with Brazil

Irrigated land

23,600 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

11,968 km Bolivia 942 km, Brazil 1,263 km, Chile 6,691 km, Paraguay 2,531 km, Uruguay 541 km

border countries (5)

Bolivia 942 km, Brazil 1,263 km, Chile 6,691 km, Paraguay 2,531 km, Uruguay 541 km

total

11,968 km

Land use

53.9% arable land 13.9%; permanent crops 0.4%; permanent pasture 39.6% 10.7% 35.4% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

53.9%

forest

10.7%

other

35.4% (2011 est.)

Location

Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

12 nm 24 nm 200 nm 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the pampas and northeast; heavy flooding in some areas volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains along the Chilean border; Copahue (2,997 m) last erupted in 2000; other historically active volcanoes include Llullaillaco, Maipo, Planchon-Peteroa, San Jose, Tromen, Tupungatito, and Viedma

volcanism

volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains along the Chilean border; Copahue (2,997 m) last erupted in 2000; other historically active volcanoes include Llullaillaco, Maipo, Planchon-Peteroa, San Jose, Tromen, Tupungatito, and Viedma

Natural resources

fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium, arable land

Population - distribution

one-third of the population lives in Buenos Aires; pockets of agglomeration occur throughout the northern and central parts of the country; Patagonia to the south remains sparsely populated

Terrain

rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border

Age structure

24.59% (male 5,612,766/female 5,278,857) 15.28% (male 3,460,276/female 3,307,227) 39.38% (male 8,707,818/female 8,733,370) 9.13% (male 1,963,923/female 2,081,796) 11.62% (male 2,159,811/female 2,987,449) (2017 est.)

0-14 years

24.59% (male 5,612,766/female 5,278,857)

15-24 years

15.28% (male 3,460,276/female 3,307,227)

25-54 years

39.38% (male 8,707,818/female 8,733,370)

55-64 years

9.13% (male 1,963,923/female 2,081,796)

65 years and over

11.62% (male 2,159,811/female 2,987,449) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

16.7 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.3% (2005)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

81.3% (2013)

Death rate

7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Demographic profile

Argentina's population continues to grow but at a slower rate because of its steadily declining birth rate. Argentina's fertility decline began earlier than in the rest of Latin America, occurring most rapidly between the early 20th century and the 1950s and then becoming more gradual. Life expectancy has been improving, most notably among the young and the poor. While the population under age 15 is shrinking, the youth cohort - ages 15-24 - is the largest in Argentina's history and will continue to bolster the working-age population. If this large working-age population is well-educated and gainfully employed, Argentina is likely to experience an economic boost and possibly higher per capita savings and investment. Although literacy and primary school enrollment are nearly universal, grade repetition is problematic and secondary school completion is low. Both of these issues vary widely by region and socioeconomic group. Argentina has been primarily a country of immigration for most of its history, welcoming European immigrants (often providing needed low-skilled labor) after its independence in the 19th century and attracting especially large numbers from Spain and Italy. More than 7 million European immigrants are estimated to have arrived in Argentina between 1880 and 1930, when it adopted a more restrictive immigration policy. European immigration also began to wane in the 1930s because of the global depression. The inflow rebounded temporarily following WWII and resumed its decline in the 1950s when Argentina’s military dictators tightened immigration rules and European economies rebounded. Regional migration increased, however, supplying low-skilled workers escaping economic and political instability in their home countries. As of 2015, immigrants made up almost 5% of Argentina’s population, the largest share in South America. Migration from neighboring countries accounted for approximately 80% of Argentina’s immigrant population in 2015. The first waves of highly skilled Argentine emigrant workers headed mainly to the United States and Spain in the 1960s and 1970s, driven by economic decline and repressive military dictatorships. The 2008 European economic crisis drove the return migration of some Argentinean and other Latin American nationals, as well as the immigration of Europeans to South America, where Argentina was a key recipient. In 2015, Argentina received the highest number of legal migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean. The majority of its migrant inflow came from Paraguay and Bolivia.

Dependency ratios

56.5 39.4 17.1 5.8 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

17.1

potential support ratio

5.8 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

56.5

youth dependency ratio

39.4

Drinking water source

urban: 99% of population rural: 100% of population total: 99.1% of population urban: 1% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0.9% of population (2015 est.)

rural

0% of population

total

0.9% of population (2015 est.)

urban

1% of population

Education expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic groups

European (mostly Spanish and Italian descent) and mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian ancestry) 97.2%, Amerindian 2.4%, African 0.4% (2010 est.)

Health expenditures

4.8% of GDP (2014)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.4% (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,400 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

120,000 (2016 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.7 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

9.8 deaths/1,000 live births 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

female

8.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

male

10.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish (official), Italian, English, German, French, indigenous (Mapudungun, Quechua)

Life expectancy at birth

77.3 years 74.2 years 80.6 years (2017 est.)

female

80.6 years (2017 est.)

male

74.2 years

total population

77.3 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 98.1% 98% 98.1% (2015 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.1% (2015 est.)

male

98%

total population

98.1%

Major infectious diseases

active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

note

active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population

BUENOS AIRES (capital) 15.18 million; Cordoba 1.511 million; Rosario 1.381 million; Mendoza 1.009 million; San Miguel de Tucuman 910,000; La Plata 846,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality ratio

52 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

31.7 years 30.5 years 32.9 years (2017 est.)

female

32.9 years (2017 est.)

male

30.5 years

total

31.7 years

Nationality

Argentine(s) Argentine

adjective

Argentine

noun

Argentine(s)

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28.3% (2016)

Physicians density

3.76 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

44,293,293 (July 2017 est.)

Population distribution

one-third of the population lives in Buenos Aires; pockets of agglomeration occur throughout the northern and central parts of the country; Patagonia to the south remains sparsely populated

Population growth rate

0.91% (2017 est.)

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 96.2% of population rural: 98.3% of population total: 96.4% of population urban: 3.8% of population rural: 1.7% of population total: 3.6% of population (2015 est.)

rural

1.7% of population

total

3.6% of population (2015 est.)

urban

3.8% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

17 years 16 years 18 years (2014)

female

18 years (2014)

male

16 years

total

17 years

Sex ratio

1.05 male(s)/female 1.06 male(s)/female 1.05 male(s)/female 1 male(s)/female 0.94 male(s)/female 0.71 male(s)/female 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.71 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.26 children born/woman (2017 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

18.3% 15.6% 22.8% (2014 est.)

female

22.8% (2014 est.)

male

15.6%

total

18.3%

Urbanization

92% of total population (2017) 0.93% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

rate of urbanization

0.93% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

92% of total population (2017)

Administrative divisions

23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous city*; Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires*, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur (Tierra del Fuego), Tucuman the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

note

the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Capital

Buenos Aires 34 36 S, 58 22 W UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

geographic coordinates

34 36 S, 58 22 W

name

Buenos Aires

time difference

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

yes yes yes 2 years

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

2 years

Constitution

several previous; latest effective 11 May 1853; amended many times, last in 1994 (2016)

Country name

Argentine Republic Argentina Republica Argentina Argentina originally the area was referred to as Tierra Argentina, i.e., "Land beside the Silvery River" or "silvery land," which referred to the massive estuary in the east of the country, the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver); over time the name shortened to simply Argentina or "silvery"

conventional long form

Argentine Republic

conventional short form

Argentina

etymology

originally the area was referred to as Tierra Argentina, i.e., "Land beside the Silvery River" or "silvery land," which referred to the massive estuary in the east of the country, the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver); over time the name shortened to simply Argentina or "silvery"

local long form

Republica Argentina

local short form

Argentina

Diplomatic representation from the US

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Tom COONEY (since 20 January 2017) Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires international mail: use embassy street address; APO address: US Embassy Buenos Aires, Unit 4334, APO AA 34034 [54] (11) 5777-4533 [54] (11) 5777-4240

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Tom COONEY (since 20 January 2017)

embassy

Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires

FAX

[54] (11) 5777-4240

mailing address

international mail: use embassy street address; APO address: US Embassy Buenos Aires, Unit 4334, APO AA 34034

telephone

[54] (11) 5777-4533

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador (vacant) 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 [1] (202) 238-6400 [1] (202) 332-3171 Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, DC

chancery

1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, DC

FAX

[1] (202) 332-3171

telephone

[1] (202) 238-6400

Executive branch

President Mauricio MACRI (since 10 December 2015); Vice President Gabriela MICHETTI (since 10 December 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government President Mauricio MACRI (since 10 December 2015); Vice President Gabriela MICHETTI (since 10 December 2015) Cabinet appointed by the president president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); election last held in 2 rounds on 25 October and 22 November 2015 (next to be held in October 2019) Mauricio MACRI elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Daniel SCIOLI (PJ) 37.1%, Mauricio MACRI (PRO) 34.2%, Sergio MASSA (FR/PJ) 21.4%, other 7.3%; percent of vote in second round - Mauricio MACRI (PRO) 51.4%, Daniel SCIOLI (PJ) 48.6%

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Mauricio MACRI (since 10 December 2015); Vice President Gabriela MICHETTI (since 10 December 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Mauricio MACRI elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Daniel SCIOLI (PJ) 37.1%, Mauricio MACRI (PRO) 34.2%, Sergio MASSA (FR/PJ) 21.4%, other 7.3%; percent of vote in second round - Mauricio MACRI (PRO) 51.4%, Daniel SCIOLI (PJ) 48.6%

elections/appointments

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); election last held in 2 rounds on 25 October and 22 November 2015 (next to be held in October 2019)

head of government

President Mauricio MACRI (since 10 December 2015); Vice President Gabriela MICHETTI (since 10 December 2015)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of sky blue (top), white, and sky blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face (delineated in brown) known as the Sun of May; the colors represent the clear skies and snow of the Andes; the sun symbol commemorates the appearance of the sun through cloudy skies on 25 May 1810 during the first mass demonstration in favor of independence; the sun features are those of Inti, the Inca god of the sun

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

9 July 1816 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of the court president, vice-president, and 5 judges) judges nominated by the president and approved by the Senate; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 75 federal level appellate, district, and territorial courts; provincial level supreme, appellate, and first instance courts

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of the court president, vice-president, and 5 judges)

judge selection and term of office

judges nominated by the president and approved by the Senate; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 75

subordinate courts

federal level appellate, district, and territorial courts; provincial level supreme, appellate, and first instance courts

Legal system

civil law system based on West European legal systems; note - in mid-2015, Argentina adopted a new civil code, replacing the old one in force since 1871

Legislative branch

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership elected every 2 years) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 2 years) Senate - last held on 22 October 2017 (next to be held in October 2019); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 22 October 2017 (next to be held in October 2019) Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - Cambiemos 12, UC 6, PJ 4, FRC 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - Cambiemos 61, UC 28, PJ 18, FR 7, FCS 3, FRC 2, other 8

description

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate (72 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership elected every 2 years) and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 2 years)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - Cambiemos 12, UC 6, PJ 4, FRC 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - Cambiemos 61, UC 28, PJ 18, FR 7, FCS 3, FRC 2, other 8

elections

Senate - last held on 22 October 2017 (next to be held in October 2019); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 22 October 2017 (next to be held in October 2019)

National anthem

"Himno Nacional Argentino" (Argentine National Anthem) Vicente LOPEZ y PLANES/Jose Blas PARERA adopted 1813; Vicente LOPEZ was inspired to write the anthem after watching a play about the 1810 May Revolution against Spain

lyrics/music

Vicente LOPEZ y PLANES/Jose Blas PARERA

name

"Himno Nacional Argentino" (Argentine National Anthem)

note

adopted 1813; Vicente LOPEZ was inspired to write the anthem after watching a play about the 1810 May Revolution against Spain

National holiday

Revolution Day (May Revolution Day), 25 May (1810)

National symbol(s)

Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol); national colors: sky blue, white

Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol); national colors

sky blue, white

Political parties and leaders

Cambiemos [Mauricio MACRI] (coalition of CC-ARI, PRO, and UCR) Citizen's Unity or UC [Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER] Civic Coalition ARI or CC-ARI [ Elisa CARRIO] Civic Front for Santiago or FCS [Gerardo ZAMORA] Dissident Peronists (PJ Disidente) or Federal Peronism (a right-wing faction of PJ which is opposed to the Kirchners) [Eduardo DUHALDE] Front for the Renewal of Concord or FRC Front for Victory or FpV (left-wing faction of PJ) [Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER] Justicialist Party or PJ [Jose Luis GIOJA] Progresistas [Margarita STOLBIZER] Radical Civic Union or UCR [Lilia PUIG DE STUBRIN] Renewal Front (Frente Renovador) or FR [Sergio MASSA] Republican Proposal or PRO [Mauricio MACRI] Socialist Party or PS [Antonio BONFATTI] United for a New Alternative or UNA (includes FR) numerous provincial parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs or CILFA Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association) Argentine Rural Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners' association) Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association) Blue and White CGT (dissident CGT labor confederation) Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a union for employed and unemployed workers) General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization) Roman Catholic Church business organizations; Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro- or anti-government); students

other

business organizations; Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro- or anti-government); students

Suffrage

18-70 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16-17 years of age - optional for national elections

Agriculture - products

sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts, tea, wheat; livestock

Budget

$123.2 billion $161.1 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures

$161.1 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

$123.2 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

24.5% (31 December 2017 est.) 31.23% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance

-$22.13 billion (2017 est.) -$14.9 billion (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$208.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $190.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

42.7 (2014) 45.8 (2009)

Economy - overview

Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Although one of the world's wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the 20th century from recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt, and capital flight. In 2016, the World Bank downgraded Argentina from a high-income to upper-middle-income economy, on par with Columbia. A severe depression, growing public and external indebtedness, and an unprecedented bank run culminated in 2001 in the most serious economic, social, and political crisis in the country's turbulent history. Interim President Adolfo RODRIGUEZ SAA declared a default - at the time the largest ever - on the government's foreign debt in December of that year, and abruptly resigned only a few days after taking office. His successor, Eduardo DUHALDE, announced an end to the peso's decade-long 1-to-1 peg to the US dollar in early 2002. The economy bottomed out that year, with real GDP 18% smaller than in 1998 and almost 60% of Argentines below the poverty line. Real GDP rebounded to grow by an average 8.5% annually over the subsequent six years, taking advantage of previously idled industrial capacity and labor, and expansionary monetary and fiscal policies. Inflation also increased, however, during the administration of President Nestor KIRCHNER, which responded with price restraints on businesses, as well as export taxes and restraints, and beginning in 2007, with understating inflation data. Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER succeeded her husband as president in late 2007, and the rapid economic growth of previous years began to slow sharply the following year as government policies held back exports and the world economy fell into recession. The economy in 2010 rebounded strongly from the 2009 recession, but slowed in late 2011 even as the government continued to rely on expansionary fiscal and monetary policies, which kept inflation in the double digits. In order to deal with these problems, the government expanded state intervention in the economy: it nationalized the oil company YPF from Spain's Repsol, expanded measures to restrict imports, and further tightened currency controls in an effort to bolster foreign reserves and stem capital flight. Between 2011 and 2013, Central Bank foreign reserves dropped $21.3 billion from a high of $52.7 billion. In July 2014, Argentina and China agreed on an $11 billion currency swap; the Argentine Central Bank has received the equivalent of $3.2 billion in Chinese yuan, which it counts as international reserves. With the election of President Mauricio MACRI in November 2015, Argentina began a historic political and economic transformation, as his administration took steps to liberalize the Argentine economy, lifting capital controls, floating the peso, removing export controls on some commodities, cutting some energy subsidies, and reforming the country’s official statistics. Argentina negotiated debt payments with holdout bond creditors and returned to international capital markets in April 2016. In September 2016, Argentina completed its first IMF Article IV Consultation since 2006. After years of international isolation, Argentina took on several international leadership roles in 2017, including hosting the World Economic Forum on Latin America and the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference, and is set to assume the presidency of the G-20 in 2018.

In order to deal with these problems, the government expanded state intervention in the economy

it nationalized the oil company YPF from Spain's Repsol, expanded measures to restrict imports, and further tightened currency controls in an effort to bolster foreign reserves and stem capital flight. Between 2011 and 2013, Central Bank foreign reserves dropped $21.3 billion from a high of $52.7 billion. In July 2014, Argentina and China agreed on an $11 billion currency swap; the Argentine Central Bank has received the equivalent of $3.2 billion in Chinese yuan, which it counts as international reserves.

Exchange rates

Argentine pesos (ARS) per US dollar - 16.92 (2017 est.) 14.7582 (2016 est.) 14.7582 (2015 est.) 9.2332 (2014 est.) 8.0753 (2013 est.)

Exports

$59.69 billion (2017 est.) $57.78 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities

soybeans and derivatives, petroleum and gas, vehicles, corn, wheat

Exports - partners

Brazil 15.5%, US 7.7%, China 7.6%, Vietnam 4.4% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

66.5% 18% 15.3% 1.5% 12% -13.4% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services

12%

government consumption

18%

household consumption

66.5%

imports of goods and services

-13.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

15.3%

investment in inventories

1.5%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

10.9% 28.2% 60.9% (2017 est.)

agriculture

10.9%

industry

28.2%

services

60.9% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$20,700 (2017 est.) $20,400 (2016 est.) $21,100 (2015 est.) data are in 2017 dollars

note

data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.5% (2017 est.) -2.2% (2016 est.) 2.6% (2015 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$619.9 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$911.5 billion (2017 est.) $889.5 billion (2016 est.) $910 billion (2015 est.) data are in 2017 dollars

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

12.8% of GDP (2017 est.) 13.6% of GDP (2016 est.) 14.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

1.6% 30.8% (2014 est.)

highest 10%

30.8% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%

1.6%

Imports

$60.78 billion (2017 est.) $53.24 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum and natural gas, organic chemicals, plastics

Imports - partners

Brazil 24.3%, China 18.7%, US 12.5%, Germany 5.5% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

2.4% based on private sector estimates (2017 est.)

note

based on private sector estimates (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

26.9% (2017 est.) 26.5% (2015 est.) data are derived from private estimates

note

data are derived from private estimates

Labor force

18 million urban areas only (2017 est.)

note

urban areas only (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

0.5% 24.8% 74.7% (2014 est.)

agriculture

0.5%

industry

24.8%

services

74.7% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$56.13 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $60.14 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $53.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Population below poverty line

32.2% data are based on private estimates (2016 est.)

note

data are based on private estimates (2016 est.)

Public debt

53.7% of GDP (2017 est.) 54.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$52.97 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $38.43 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money

$166.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $146.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$40.94 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $39.74 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$84.14 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $72.11 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$216.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $194 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$62.95 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $59 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

8.1% (2017 est.) 8.5% (2016 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

202 million Mt (2013 est.)

Crude oil - exports

38,600 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - imports

10,180 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - production

510,600 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

2.185 billion bbl (1 January 2017 es)

Electricity - consumption

122.5 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - exports

55 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

66.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

23.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

4.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

2.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - imports

9.018 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

38.19 million kW (2015 est.)

Electricity - production

133.8 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity access

1,500,000 96.4% 99.2% 96% (2013)

electrification - rural areas

96% (2013)

electrification - total population

96.4%

electrification - urban areas

99.2%

population without electricity

1,500,000

Natural gas - consumption

72.03 billion cu m (2015 est.)

Natural gas - exports

80 million cu m (2015 est.)

Natural gas - imports

10.67 billion cu m (2015 est.)

Natural gas - production

36.4 billion cu m (2015 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

316.4 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

803,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

52,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

145,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

687,100 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Broadcast media

government owns a TV station and radio network; more than 2 dozen TV stations and hundreds of privately owned radio stations; high rate of cable TV subscription usage (2009)

Internet country code

.ar

Internet users

30,786,889 70.2% (July 2016 est.)

percent of population

70.2% (July 2016 est.)

total

30,786,889

Telephone system

in 1998 Argentina opened its telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment encouraging the growth of modern telecommunications technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major cities; major networks are entirely digital and the availability of telephone service continues to improve to rural areas microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; fixed-line teledensity is increasing gradually and mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; broadband Internet services are gaining ground country code - 54; landing point for the Atlantis-2, UNISUR, South America-1, and South American Crossing/Latin American Nautilus submarine cable systems that provide links to Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and US; satellite earth stations - 112; 2 international gateways near Buenos Aires (2016)

domestic

microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; fixed-line teledensity is increasing gradually and mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; broadband Internet services are gaining ground

general assessment

in 1998 Argentina opened its telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment encouraging the growth of modern telecommunications technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major cities; major networks are entirely digital and the availability of telephone service continues to improve to rural areas

international

country code - 54; landing point for the Atlantis-2, UNISUR, South America-1, and South American Crossing/Latin American Nautilus submarine cable systems that provide links to Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and US; satellite earth stations - 112; 2 international gateways near Buenos Aires (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

9,938,630 23 (July 2016 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

23 (July 2016 est.)

total subscriptions

9,938,630

Telephones - mobile cellular

64,033,692 146 (July 2016 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

146 (July 2016 est.)

total

64,033,692

Airports

1,138 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

10 (2017)

1,524 to 2,437 m

65

2,438 to 3,047 m

29

914 to 1,523 m

53

over 3,047 m

4

total

161

under 914 m

10 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

448 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

43

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

484

over 3,047 m

1

total

977

under 914 m

448 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

LV (2016)

Heliports

2 (2013)

Merchant marine

container ship 1, general cargo 9, oil tanker 27, other 124 (2017)

by type

container ship 1, general cargo 9, oil tanker 27, other 124 (2017)

total

161

National air transport system

14,245,183 243,772,567 mt-km (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

243,772,567 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

14,245,183

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

107

number of registered air carriers

6

Pipelines

gas 29,930 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 6,248 km; refined products 3,631 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, La Plata, Punta Colorada, Ushuaia Arroyo Seco, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin (Parana) Buenos Aires (1,851,701) Bahia Blanca

container port(s) (TEUs)

Buenos Aires (1,851,701)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Bahia Blanca

major seaport(s)

Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, La Plata, Punta Colorada, Ushuaia

river port(s)

Arroyo Seco, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin (Parana)

Railways

36,917.4 km 26,391 km 1.676-m gauge (149 km electrified) 2,745.1 km 1.435-m gauge (41.1 km electrified) 7,523.3 km 1.000-m gauge; 258 km 0.750-m gauge (2014)

broad gauge

26,391 km 1.676-m gauge (149 km electrified)

narrow gauge

7,523.3 km 1.000-m gauge; 258 km 0.750-m gauge (2014)

standard gauge

2,745.1 km 1.435-m gauge (41.1 km electrified)

total

36,917.4 km

Roadways

231,374 km 69,412 km (includes 734 km of expressways) 161,962 km (2004)

paved

69,412 km (includes 734 km of expressways)

total

231,374 km

unpaved

161,962 km (2004)

Waterways

11,000 km (2012)

Military - note

the Argentine military is a well-organized force constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military is implementing a modernization plan aimed at making the ground forces lighter and more responsive (2008)

Military branches

Argentine Army (Ejercito Argentino), Navy of the Argentine Republic (Armada Republica; includes naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA) (2013)

Military expenditures

0.95% of GDP (2016) 0.86% of GDP (2015) 0.88% of GDP (2014) 0.84% of GDP (2013) 0.78% of GDP (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21 requires parental consent); no conscription; if the number of volunteers fails to meet the quota of recruits for a particular year, Congress can authorize the conscription of citizens turning 18 that year for a period not exceeding one year (2012)

Disputes - international

Argentina continues to assert its claims to the UK-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands in its constitution, forcibly occupying the Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claims; uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; in 2010, the ICJ ruled in favor of Uruguay's operation of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentina; the two countries formed a joint pollution monitoring regime; the joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001 has yet to map and demarcate the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur); contraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of the border with Bolivia

Illicit drugs

a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe, heroin headed for the US, and ephedrine and pseudoephedrine headed for Mexico; some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; law enforcement corruption; a source for precursor chemicals; increasing domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers, especially cocaine base and synthetic drugs

Terrorist groups - foreign based

aim(s): disrupt Israel's security in Argentina and, ultimately, destroy the state of Israel area(s) of operation: maintains a limited presence; on 18 July 1994, an operative drove a bomb-laden car into the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building in Buenos Aires, killing 85 civilians and injuring 300 more; on 17 March 1992, operatives detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in front of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 people and injuring at least 270 others; Hizballah's leadership stated that the bombing was in retaliation for Israel killing its secretary general, Abbas al-MUSAWI on 16 February 1992

aim(s)

disrupt Israel's security in Argentina and, ultimately, destroy the state of Israel

area(s) of operation

maintains a limited presence; on 18 July 1994, an operative drove a bomb-laden car into the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building in Buenos Aires, killing 85 civilians and injuring 300 more; on 17 March 1992, operatives detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in front of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 people and injuring at least 270 others; Hizballah's leadership stated that the bombing was in retaliation for Israel killing its secretary general, Abbas al-MUSAWI on 16 February 1992