2020 Edition

Background

In 1816, the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. European immigrants heavily shaped the country's population and culture, with Italy and Spain providing the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930. 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, former President Juan Domingo PERÓN -- the founder of the Peronist political movement -- introduced an era of populism, serving three non-consecutive terms in office until his death in 1974. Direct and indirect military interference in government throughout the PERÓN years led to a military junta taking power in 1976. In 1982, the junta failed in its bid to seize the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) by force from the United Kingdom. Democracy was reinstated in 1983 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 Néstor KIRCHNER (2003-07) and his spouse Cristina FERNÁNDEZ DE KIRCHNER (2007-15), who oversaw several years of strong economic growth (2003-11) followed by a gradual deterioration in the government’s fiscal situation and eventual economic stagnation and isolation. Argentina underwent a brief period of economic reform and international reintegration under Mauricio MACRI (2015-19), but a recession in 2018-19 and frustration with MACRI’s economic policies ushered in a new Peronist government in 2019 led by President Alberto FERNÁNDEZ and Vice President Cristina FERNÁNDEZ DE KIRCHNER. Argentina's high public debts, its pandemic-related inflationary pressures, and systemic monetary woes served as the catalyst for the 2023 elections, culminating with President Javier MILEI's electoral success. Argentina has since eliminated half of its government agencies and is seeking shock therapy to amend taxation and monetary policies.

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

highest point

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

lowest point

Laguna del Carbón (located between Puerto San Julián and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa Cruz) -105 m

mean elevation

595 m

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 Carbón is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere; shares Iguazú Falls, the world's largest waterfalls system, with Brazil

Irrigated land

13,910 sq km (2018)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

11,968 km

Land use

agricultural land

42.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 14.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.3% (2023 est.)

forest

17.2% (2023 est.)

other

40.4% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Major aquifers

Guaraní Aquifer System

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lago Buenos Aires (shared with Chile) - 2,240 sq km; Lago Argentino - 1,410 sq km; Lago Viedma - 1,090 sq km; Lago San Martín (shared with Chile) - 1,010 sq km; Lago Colhué Huapi - 800 sq km; Lago Fagnano (shared with Chile) - 590 sq km; Lago Nahuel Huapi - 550 sq km

salt water lake(s)

Laguna Mar Chiquita - 1,850 sq km;

Major rivers (by length in km)

Río de la Plata/Paraná river mouth (shared with Brazil [s], Paraguay, and Uruguay) - 4,880 km; Paraguay (shared with Brazil [s], and Paraguay [m]) - 2,549 km; Uruguay (shared with Brazil [s] and Uruguay [m]) - 1,610 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Paraná (2,582,704 sq km)

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 Tucumán 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 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, Planchón-Peteroa, San José, 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

23.3% (male 5,632,983/female 5,301,778)

15-64 years

63.9% (male 15,071,215/female 14,956,069)

65 years and over

12.8% (2024 est.) (male 2,570,596/female 3,461,743)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

7.95 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

women married by age 15

2.4% (2020)

women married by age 18

15.5% (2020)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2% (2018 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.7% (2020 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

19.6 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

5.1 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

49.9 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

30.3 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: (2020 est.) NA

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

5.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

14% national budget (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.69 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

9.7% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

7.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

9.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

Languages

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

major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

82 years

male

75.8 years

total population

78.8 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

99.2% (2020 est.)

male

99.1% (2020 est.)

total population

99.1% (2020 est.)

Major urban areas - population

15.490 million BUENOS AIRES (capital), 1.612 million Córdoba, 1.594 million Rosario, 1.226 million Mendoza, 1.027 million San Miguel de Tucumán, 914,000 La Plata (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

34.6 years

male

32.1 years

total

34.6 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Argentine

noun

Argentine(s)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28.3% (2016)

Physician density

5.11 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

22,882,118

male

22,535,980

total

45,418,098 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.26% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 62.9%, Evangelical 15.3% (Pentecostal 13%, other Evangelical 2.3%), Jehovah's Witness and Church of Jesus Christ 1.4%, other 1.2% (includes Muslim, Jewish), none 18.9% (includes agnostic and atheist), unspecified 0.3% (2019 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

21 years (2022 est.)

male

17 years (2022 est.)

total

19 years (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.74 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

17.1% (2025 est.)

male

26.9% (2025 est.)

total

21.9% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.43 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

92.5% of total population (2023)

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 Atlántico Sur (Tierra del Fuego - Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands), Tucuman

Capital

etymology

the name translates as "fair winds" in Spanish; the full original name, Nuestra Senora Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires, was given only to the port; the city was founded separately from the port in 1536 and was named Ciudad de la Santissima Trinidad (City of the Most Holy Trinity); the shortened version of the port name eventually became the city name

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

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

2 years

Constitution

amendment process

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

history

several previous; latest effective 11 May 1853

Country name

conventional long form

Argentine Republic

conventional short form

Argentina

etymology

the name is derived from one of the Spanish words for "silver," but the origin is unclear; it may have described the land next to the Rio de la Plata ("Silver River"), a major river that forms the boundary between Argentina and Uruguay; another possible source is the Spanish explorers in the 16th century mistakenly believing that the silver ornaments they bought from inhabitants came from a local source of silver

local long form

República Argentina

local short form

Argentina

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Peter LAMELAS (since 4 November 2025)

email address and website

Buenosairespublicaffairs@state.gov https://ar.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Avenida Colombia 4300, (C1425GMN) Buenos Aires

FAX

[54] (11) 5777-4240

mailing address

3130 Buenos Aires Place, Washington DC 20521-3130

telephone

[54] (11) 5777-4533

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Alejandro (Alec) Carlos Francisco OXENFORD (since 11 June 2025)

consulate(s) general

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

email address and website

eeeuu@mrecic.gov.ar https://eeeuu.cancilleria.gob.ar/en

FAX

[1] (202) 332-3171

telephone

[1] (202) 238-6400

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Javier Gerardo MILEI (since 10 December 2023)

election results

2023: Javier Gerardo MILEI elected president in second round; percent vote in first round - Sergio Tomás MASSA (FR) 36.7%, Javier Gerardo MILEI (PL) 30%, Patricia BULLRICH 23.8% (JxC/PRO), Juan SCHIARETTI (PJ) 6.8%, Myriam BREGMAN (PTS) 2.7%; percent of vote in second round - Javier Gerardo MILEI 55.7%, Sergio Tomás MASSA 44.3% 2019: Alberto Ángel FERNÁNDEZ elected president; percent of vote - Alberto Angel FERNÁNDEZ (TODOS) 48.1%, Mauricio MACRI (PRO) 40.4%, Roberto LAVAGNA (independent) 6.2%, other 5.3%

election/appointment process

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by qualified majority vote (to win, a candidate must receive at least 45% of votes, or 40% of votes and a 10-point lead over the second-place candidate; if neither occurs, a second round is held); the president serves a 4-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term)

expected date of next election

October 2027

head of government

President Javier Gerardo MILEI (since 10 December 2023)

most recent election date

22 October 2023, with a runoff held 19 November 2023

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 that is known as the Sun of May meaning: the colors represent the clear skies and snow of the Andes Mountains; the sun commemorates the first mass demonstration in favor of independence on 25 May 1810, when the sun broke through the clouds; the sun is designed to look like Inti, the Incan 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, CABEI, 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, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNOOSA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of the court president, vice president, 2 judges, 1 vacancy)

judge selection and term of office

judges nominated by the president and approved by the Senate; ministers can serve until mandatory retirement at age 75; extensions beyond 75 require renomination by the president and approval by the Senate

subordinate courts

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

Legal system

civil law system based on Western European legal systems

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

National Congress (Congreso de la nación)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados)

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

October 2025

most recent election date

10/22/2023

number of seats

257 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Union for the Homeland (UP) (48); Freedom Advances (LLA) (28); Together for Change (JxC/Juntos) (27); Other (25)

percentage of women in chamber

42.4%

scope of elections

partial renewal

term in office

4 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate (Senado)

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

October 2025

most recent election date

10/22/2023

number of seats

72 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Union for the Homeland (UP) (9); Freedom Advances (LLA) (6); Together for Change (JxC/Juntos) (2); Front for the Renewal of Social Concord – Federal Innovation (2); Federal Renewal (2); For Santa Cruz (2); Other (1)

percentage of women in chamber

45.8%

scope of elections

partial renewal

term in office

6 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1813; Vicente LOPEZ was inspired to write the anthem after watching a play about the 1810 May Revolution against Spain; a 1900 presidential decree declared that only the first and last verses would be considered official, rather than the original nine verses

lyrics/music

Vicente LOPEZ y PLANES/Jose Blas PARERA

title

"Himno Nacional Argentino" (Argentine National Anthem)

National color(s)

sky blue, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Los Glaciares National Park (n); Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis (c); Iguazú National Park (n); Cueva de las Manos (c); Valdés Península (n); Ischigualasto/Talampaya National Parks (n); Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba (c); Quebrada de Humahuaca (c); Qhapaq Ñan/Andean Road System (c)

total World Heritage Sites

12 (7 cultural, 5 natural)

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

Sun of May (a sun-with-face symbol)

Political parties

Avanza Libertad or AL Civic Coalition ARI or CC-ARI Consenso Federal (Federal Consensus) or CF Frente Cívico por Santiago (Civic Front for Santiago) Frente de Izquierda y de los Trabajadores – Unidad (Workers' Left Front) or FIT-U (coalition of leftist parties in lower house; includes PTS, PO, and MST) Frente de la Concordia Misionero (Front for the Renewal of Social Concord) or FRCS Frente Renovador (Renewal Front) or FR Generación por un Encuentro Nacional (Generation for a National Encounter) or GEN Hacemos por Córdoba (We do for Cordoba) or HC Hacemos por Nuestro Pais (We Do For Our Country) or NHP Juntos por el Cambio (Together for Change) or JxC (includes CC-ARI, PRO, and UCR); note - primary opposition coalition since 2019 Juntos Somos Río Negro (Together We Are Rio Negro) or JSRN  Partido Justicialista (Justicialist Party) or PJ La Cámpora La Libertad Avanza (The Liberty Advances) or LLA Movimiento Popular Neuquino (Neuquén People's Movement) or MPN Movimiento Socialista de los Trabajadores (Workers' Socialist Movement) or MST Partido de los Trabajadores Socialistas (Socialist Workers' Party) or PTS Partido Demócrata (Democratic Party) or PDN Partido Libertario (Libertarian Party) or PL; note - party is also a founding member of the coalition La Libertad Avanza Partido Obrero (Workers' Party) or PO Partido Socialista or PS Propuesta Republicana (Republican Proposal) or PRO Unidad Federal (coalition of provencial parties in the lower house; includes FRCS and JSRN) Unión Cívica Radical (Radical Civic Union) or UCR Unión por la Patria (Union for the Homeland) or UP (formerly Frente de Todos (Everyone's Front) or FdT) (includes FR, La Cámpora, and PJ); note - ruling coalition since 2019; includes several national and provincial Peronist political parties Vamos con Vos (Let's Go with You) or VcV

Suffrage

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

Agricultural products

maize, soybeans, sugarcane, wheat, milk, sunflower seeds, barley, beef, potatoes, chicken (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

23.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$139.037 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$115.69 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$4.055 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$20.956 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$6.285 billion (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$74.362 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

large diversified economy; financial risks from debt obligations, rapid inflation, and reduced investor appetites; resource-rich, export-led growth model; increasing trade relations with China; G20 and OAS leader; tendency to nationalize businesses and under-report inflation

Exchange rates

Currency

Argentine pesos (ARS) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

70.539 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

94.991 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

130.617 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

296.258 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

914.695 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$102.928 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$82.947 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$96.899 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

soybean meal, corn, trucks, soybean oil, crude petroleum (2023)

Exports - partners

Brazil 18%, USA 9%, Chile 8%, China 8%, India 4% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

15.3% (2024 est.)

government consumption

15% (2024 est.)

household consumption

68.1% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-12.8% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

15.8% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

6% (2024 est.)

industry

24% (2024 est.)

services

53.4% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$633.267 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023

42.4 (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31% (2023 est.)

lowest 10%

1.9% (2023 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$97.399 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$92.3 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$79.999 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

soybeans, vehicle parts/accessories, refined petroleum, natural gas, cars (2023)

Imports - partners

Brazil 23%, China 20%, USA 12%, Paraguay 5%, Germany 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-7.2% (2024 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

40.5% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

47.1% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

73.1% (2022 est.)

Labor force

22.286 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

41.7% (2023 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

55% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.255 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.234 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$1.213 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

-1.6% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

-1.7% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$27,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$27,100 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$26,500 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$44.795 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$23.081 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$29.56 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

10% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

6.9% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

6.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

7.9% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

23% (2024 est.)

male

19.8% (2024 est.)

total

21.2% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

2.534 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

300 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

1.936 million metric tons (2023 est.)

production

869,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

799.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

114.667 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

31 million kWh (2023 est.)

imports

11.393 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

47.631 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

27.027 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

61.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

16.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

6.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

2.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

11% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

78.496 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

46.028 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

2.344 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

5.225 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

43.69 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

396.464 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

1.64GW (2025 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction

1 (2025)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

3 (2025)

Percent of total electricity production

6.3% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

2.483 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

749,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

807,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25 (2023 est.)

total

11.5 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

one of South America's biggest media markets; dozens of TV networks, hundreds of radio stations, and more than 150 daily newspapers (2023)

Internet country code

.ar

Internet users

percent of population

89% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

14 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

6.42 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

140 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

64.1 million (2024 est.)

Airports

764 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

LV

Heliports

148 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

container ship 1, bulk carrier 1 general cargo 8, oil tanker 33, other 158

total

201 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Buenos Aires, Campana, Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Puerto Belgrano, Puerto Ingeniero White, Puerto Madryn, Rosario, San Sebastian Bay, Santa Fe, Ushuaia, Zarate

large

1

medium

2

ports with oil terminals

19

small

10

total ports

37 (2024)

very small

24

Railways

total

17,866 km (2018)

Military - note

the Argentine military’s primary responsibilities are territorial defense and protecting the country’s sovereignty; duties also include border security, countering narcotics trafficking, and other internal missions, such as disaster response and infrastructure development; it conducts support operations and has bases in Antarctica to promote an active presence in areas of national territory that are sparsely populated; the military also participates in both bilateral and multinational training exercises and supports UN peacekeeping operations Argentina participates in the Tripartite Command, an interagency security mechanism created by Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay to exchange information and combat transnational threats, such as crime and terrorism, in the Tri-Border Area; in addition, Argentina and Chile have a joint peacekeeping force known as the Combined Southern Cross Peacekeeping Force, designed to be made available to the UN; Argentina has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation the Army and Navy were both created in 1810 during the Argentine War of Independence, while the Air Force was established in 1945; the military conducted coups d'état in 1930, 1943, 1955, 1962, 1966, and 1976; the 1976 coup, aka the "National Reorganization Process," marked the beginning of the so-called "Dirty War," a period of state-sponsored terrorism that saw the deaths or disappearances of thousands of Argentinians; the defeat in the 1982 Falklands War led to the downfall of the military junta (2025)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic (Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina): Argentine Army (Ejercito Argentino, EA), Navy of the Argentine Republic (Armada Republica, ARA; includes naval aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina, FAA) Ministry of Security: Gendarmería Nacional Argentina (National Gendarmerie), Coast Guard (Prefectura Naval) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 75,000 active-duty Armed Forces (45,000 Army; 15,000 Navy, including about 3,500 marines; 15,000 Air Force) (2025)

Military deployments

230 Cyprus (UNFICYP) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of Argentina's armed forces is a mix of domestically produced and imported weapons, largely from Europe and the US; in recent years, France and the US have been the leading suppliers of equipment; Argentina has an indigenous defense industry that produces air, land, and naval systems (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

0.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.6% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription suspended in 1995; citizens can still be drafted in times of crisis, national emergency, or war, or if the Defense Ministry is unable to fill all vacancies to keep the military functional (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

74 (2024 est.)

refugees

9,175 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

34 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1961-1967 - launched first rocket (Alfa Centauro) and was first country in Latin America to send an animal into space 1997 - first domestically built communications satellite (Nahuel-1A) launched on European satellite launch vehicle (SLV) 2007 - launch of first sub-orbital test rocket for domestic SLV (Tronador) project  2018 - first domestically built, synthetic-aperture-radar remote sensing satellite (SAOCOM 1A) launched by US 2020-2021 - worked with Mexico to create the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE)  2023 - signed US-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices for space exploration 2025 - continued development of two-stage Tronador SLV

Space agency/agencies

Argentina National Space Activities Commission (Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, CONAE; formed in 1991) (2025)

Space launch site(s)

Manuel Belgrano Space Center (Buenos Aires province); Punta Indio Space Center (Buenos Aires province); Teofilo Tabanera Space Center (CETT; Cordoba Province; testing/mission control) (2025)

Space program overview

has a national space program and a history in the development of space-related capabilities, including rockets and satellites; develops, builds, and operates communications, remote sensing (RS), and scientific satellites, often in partnership with other countries; developing additional satellites with more advanced payloads; contracts with commercial and other government space agencies for launches, but has a domestic rocket program and is developing space launch vehicle (SLV) capabilities; cooperates with a broad range of space agencies and industries, including those of Brazil, China, the European Space Agency and its member states (particularly France, Italy), and the US; also has a commercial space industry (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Hizballah

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

5.022 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

90.122 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

102.998 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

198.141 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation; soil degradation (erosion, salinization); desertification; air pollution; water pollution

International environmental agreements

party to

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

signed, but not ratified

Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation

Methane emissions

agriculture

3,035.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

1,553.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

89.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

631 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

12 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

876.24 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

27.93 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

5.85 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

17.911 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

9.6% (2022 est.)