2018 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 unrest and conflict 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

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

elevation extremes

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

mean elevation

595 m

note

6962 highest point: Cerro Aconcagua (located in the northwestern corner of the province of Mendoza; highest point in South America)

Environment Current Issues

environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation (erosion, salinization), desertification, air pollution, and water pollution

note

Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets

Environment International Agreements

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

border countries (5)

Bolivia 942 km, Brazil 1263 km, Chile 6691 km, Paraguay 2531 km, Uruguay 541 km

total

11,968 km

Land Use

arable land: 13.9% (2014 est.) / permanent crops: 0.4% (2014 est.) / permanent pasture: 39.6% (2014 est.)

agricultural land

53.9% (2014 est.)

forest

10.7% (2014 est.)

other

35.4% (2014 est.)

Location

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

Map References

South America

Maritime Claims

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 areasvolcanism: 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

0-14 years

24.44% (male 5,629,345 /female 5,293,680)

15-24 years

15.2% (male 3,476,344 /female 3,317,151)

25-54 years

39.46% (male 8,808,591 /female 8,826,379)

55-64 years

9.12% (male 1,977,421 /female 2,096,665)

65 years and over

11.79% (male 2,216,487 /female 3,052,135) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

16.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

81.3% (2013)

Death Rate

7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 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

elderly dependency ratio

17.1 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

5.8 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

56.5 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

39.4 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 99% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 99.1% of population

unimproved: urban: 1% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0.9% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

5.9% of GDP (2015)

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% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

2,000 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

120,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

5 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

8.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

10.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

9.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

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

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

80.8 years (2018 est.)

male

74.4 years (2018 est.)

total population

77.5 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

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

female

98.1% (2015 est.)

male

98% (2015 est.)

total population

98.1% (2015 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

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

Major Urban Areas Population

14.967 million BUENOS AIRES (capital), 1.548 million Cordoba, 1.488 million Rosario, 1.133 million Mendoza, 956,000 San Miguel de Tucuman, 864,000 La Plata (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

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

Median Age

female

33.1 years (2018 est.)

male

30.7 years

total

31.9 years

Nationality

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

3.91 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

44,694,198 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.89% (2018 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 96.2% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 98.3% of population (2015 est.)

total: 96.4% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)

total: 3.6% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

18 years (2014)

male

16 years (2014)

total

17 years (2014)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.71 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.25 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

22.8% (2014 est.)

male

15.6% (2014 est.)

total

18.3% (2014 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.07% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

91.9% of total population (2018)

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 - Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands), Tucuman

note

the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Capital

geographic coordinates

34 36 S, 58 22 W

name

Buenos Aires

note

etymology: the name translates as "fair winds" in Spanish and derives from the original designation of the settlement that would become the present-day city, "Santa Maria del Buen Aire" (Saint Mary of the Fair Winds)

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

2 years

Constitution

amendments

a declaration of proposed amendments requires two-thirds majority vote by both houses of the National Congress followed by approval by an ad hoc, multi-member constitutional convention; amended many times, last significantly in 1994 (2018)

history

several previous; latest effective 11 May 1853 (2018)

Country Name

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Edward Charles PRADO (since 16 May 2018)

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

chancery

1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Fernando ORIS DE ROA (since 24 January 2018)

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

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 on 27 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

highest courts

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

description

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of: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)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; composition - men 42, women 30, percent of women 41.7%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; composition - men 159, women 98, percent of women 38.1%; note - total National Congress percent of women 38.9%

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

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

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]Front for the Renewal of Concord or FRCFront for Victory or FpV [Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER] (left-wing faction of PJ)Generation for a National Encounter or GEN [Margarita STOLBIZER]Justicialist Party or PJ [Jose Luis GIOJA]Radical Civic Union or UCR [Alfredo CORNEJO]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

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

expenditures

158.6 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

120.6 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

note

NA

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

26.58% (31 December 2017 est.)

31.23% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$31.32 billion (2017 est.)

-$14.69 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$214.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$190.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

41.7 (2017 est.)

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.Cristina FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER succeeded her husband as president in late 2007, and in 2008 the rapid economic growth of previous years slowed sharply as government policies held back exports and the world economy fell into recession. In 2010 the economy rebounded strongly, 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, continued working with the IMF to shore up its finances, and returned to international capital markets in April 2016.In 2017, Argentina’s economy emerged from recession with GDP growth of nearly 3.0%. The government passed important pension, tax, and fiscal reforms. And after years of international isolation, Argentina took on several international leadership roles, 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.

Exchange Rates

Argentine pesos (ARS) per US dollar -

16.92 (2017 est.)

14.76 (2016 est.)

14.76 (2015 est.)

9.23 (2014 est.)

8.08 (2013 est.)

Exports

$58.45 billion (2017 est.)

$57.78 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

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

Exports Partners

Brazil 16.1%, US 7.9%, China 7.5%, Chile 4.4% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

11.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption

18.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

65.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-13.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

14.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

3.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

10.8% (2017 est.)

industry

28.1% (2017 est.)

services

61.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$637.6 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$20,900 (2017 est.)

$20,600 (2016 est.)

$21,200 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$922.1 billion (2017 est.)

$896.5 billion (2016 est.)

$913.2 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

2.9% (2017 est.)

-1.8% (2016 est.)

2.7% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

17.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

16.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

15.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

31% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%

31% (2017 est.)

Imports

$63.97 billion (2017 est.)

$53.5 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

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

Imports Partners

Brazil 26.9%, China 18.5%, US 11.3%, Germany 4.9% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2.7% (2017 est.)

note

based on private sector estimates

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

25.7% (2017 est.)

26.5% (2016 est.)

note

data are derived from private estimates

Labor Force

18 million (2017 est.)

note

urban areas only

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

5.3%

industry

28.6%

services

66.1% (2017 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

25.7% (2017 est.)

note

data are based on private estimates

Public Debt

57.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

55% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$55.33 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$38.43 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$62.61 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$59 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

$76.58 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$72.11 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$219.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$194 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$62.61 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$59 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

18.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

8.4% (2017 est.)

8.5% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

203.7 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

36,630 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

16,740 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

479,400 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

2.162 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

96% (2013)

electrification - total population

96.4% (2013)

electrification - urban areas

99.2% (2013)

population without electricity

1.5 million (2013)

Electricity Consumption

121 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

55 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

69% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

24% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

4% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

9.851 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

38.35 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

131.9 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

49.04 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

76.45 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

9.826 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

40.92 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

336.6 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

806,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

58,360 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

121,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

669,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2017 est.)

total

7,870,222 (2017 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

percent of population

70.2% (July 2016 est.)

total

30,786,889 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; 22 per 100 fixed-line, 144 per 100 mobile-cellular (2017)

general assessment

Argentina opened its telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment encouraging the growth of modern telecommunications technology in 1998; major networks are entirely digital and the availability of telephone service continues to improve to rural areas; even with numerous providers there is a lack of competition; still Argentina is the 3rd largest in the region after Brazil and Mexico (2017)

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; building started on the ARBR submarine cable between Argentina and Brazil (2017)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

22 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

9,530,349 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

140 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

61,897,379 (2017 est.)

Airports

1,138 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

65 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

29 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m

53 (2017)

over 3,047 m

4 (2017)

total

161 (2017)

under 914 m

10 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

43 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

1 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

484 (2013)

over 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

977 (2013)

under 914 m

448 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

LV (2016)

Heliports

2 (2013)

Merchant Marine

by type

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

total

161 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

243,772,567 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

14,245,183 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

107 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

6 (2015)

Pipelines

29930 km gas, 41 km liquid petroleum gas, 6248 km oil, 3631 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

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

broad gauge

26,391 km 1.676-m gauge (149 km electrified) (2014)

narrow gauge

7,523.3 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

note

258 0.750-m gauge

standard gauge

2,745.1 km 1.435-m gauge (41.1 km electrified) (2014)

total

36,917 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

69,412 km (includes 734 km of expressways) (2004)

total

231,374 km (2004)

unpaved

161,962 km (2004)

Waterways

11,000 km (2012)

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 Note

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

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 forceUK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talksterritorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and Chilean claimsuncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in questionin 2010, the ICJ ruled in favor of Uruguay's operation of two paper mills on the Uruguay River, which forms the border with Argentinathe two countries formed a joint pollution monitoring regimethe 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

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

refugees (country of origin)

94,632 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2018)

Terrorist Groups Foreign Based

Hizballah

aim(s): largely limited to generating political and financial support from the Lebanese diasporaarea(s) of operation: conducted operations in the 1990s; maintains a limited presence (April 2018)