2023 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. 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 populism under former President Juan Domingo PERÓN - the founder of the Peronist political movement - 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 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

note 1: 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 Brazilnote 2: southeast Bolivia and northwest Argentina seem to be the original development site for peanuts

Irrigated land

23,600 sq km (2012)

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

53.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 13.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 39.6% (2018 est.)

forest

10.7% (2018 est.)

other

35.4% (2018 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 kmnote – [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

23.51% (male 5,645,070/female 5,316,156)

15-64 years

63.83% (male 14,929,084/female 14,827,733)

65 years and over

12.66% (2023 est.) (male 2,511,984/female 3,391,820)

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

15.4 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

2.4%

women married by age 18

15.5% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.7% (2018/19)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

70.1% (2019/20)

Current health expenditure

10% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

48.9% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 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 in the 1990s.  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. Only 24% of Argentinians complete tertiary education.  With wages failing to keep pace with soaring inflation – one of the highest in the world – the poverty rate has climbed to over 4]0% in the first half of 2023. 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 (composing 30% of the total population by 1914), 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 2022, immigrants make up 3.1% of the population, with over half coming from Paraguay and Bolivia.  Despite runaway inflation, hundreds of thousands immigrants arrive each year. 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. 

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

18.2

potential support ratio

5.5 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

54.3

youth dependency ratio

36

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: 99.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: (2020 est.) NA

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.2% of population

Education expenditures

5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

1.05 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

5 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

8.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male

10.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 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

81.8 years

male

75.5 years

total population

78.6 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.1% (2018)

male

98.9%

total population

99%

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

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

Median age

female

34.3 years

male

31.8 years

total

33 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Argentine

noun

Argentine(s)

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28.3% (2016)

Physicians density

4.06 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

46,621,847 (2023 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

0.8% (2023 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: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: (2020 est.) NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

20 years (2020)

male

17 years

total

18 years

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 (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

19.6% (2020 est.)

male

29.4% (2020 est.)

total

24.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.17 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

92.5% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

37.1%

male

25%

total

29.9% (2021 est.)

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

note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Capital

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)

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

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 several times, last significant amendment in 1994

history

several previous; latest effective 11 May 1853

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 Río de la Plata (River of Silver); over time the name shortened to simply Argentina or "silvery"

local long form

República Argentina

local short form

Argentina

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Marc Robert STANLEY (since 24 January 2022)

email address and website

buenosaires-acs@state.govhttps://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 Jorge Martin Arturo ARGUELLO (since 6 February 2020)

consulate(s) general

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

email address and website

eeeuu@mrecic.gov.arhttps://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); Vice President Victoria Eugenia VILLARRUEL (since 10 December 2023); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

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%

elections/appointments

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); election last held on 22 October 2023, with a runoff held 19 November 2023 (next to be held in October 2027)

head of government

President Javier Gerardo MILEI (since 10 December 2023); Vice President Victoria Eugenia VILLARRUEL (since 10 December 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 (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, 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 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 or Senado (72 seats; members directly elected from 24 provincial districts by closed-list proportional representation vote; 2 seats per district awarded to the party with the most votes and 1 seat per district to the party with the second highest votes; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)Chamber of Deputies or Cámara de Diputados (257 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list 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 - UP 12, LLA 8, JxC 2, other 2; composition (as of February 2022) men 41, women 31, percent of women 43.1% Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by bloc or party - NA; seats by bloc or party - UP 58, LLA 35, JxC 31, NHP  4, other 2; composition (as of February 2022) - men 142, women 115, percent of women 44.7%; note - total National Congress percent of women 44.4%

elections

Senate - last held on 22 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2025)Chamber of Deputies - last held on 22 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Vicente LOPEZ y PLANES/Jose Blas PARERA

name

"Himno Nacional Argentino" (Argentine National Anthem)

note

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

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

11 (6 cultural, 5 natural)

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

Avanza Libertad or AL [José Luis ESPERT]Civic Coalition ARI or CC-ARI [Elisa CARRIÓ, Maximiliano FERRARO]Consenso Federal (Federal Consensus) or CF [Roberto LAVAGNA, Juan Manuel URTUBEY]Frente Cívico por Santiago (Civic Front for Santiago) [Gerardo ZAMORA]Frente de Izquierda y de los Trabajadores – Unidad (Workers' Left Front) or FIT-U [Nicolás DEL CAÑO, Miriam BREGMAN] (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 [Carlos Eduardo ROVIRA]Frente Renovador (Renewal Front) or FR [Sergio MASSA, Pablo MIROLO]Generación por un Encuentro Nacional (Generation for a National Encounter) or GEN [Margarita STOLBIZER]Hacemos por Córdoba (We do for Cordoba) or HC [Juan SCHIARETTI]Hacemos por Nuestro Pais (We Do For Our Country) or NHP [Juan SCHIARETTI]Juntos por el Cambio (Together for Change) or JxC [Patricia BULLRICH, Horacio Rodríguez LARRETA, Mauricio MACRI] (includes CC-ARI, PRO, and UCR); note - primary opposition coalition since 2019Juntos Somos Río Negro (Together We Are Rio Negro) or JSRN [Alberto WERETILNECK]    Partido Justicialista (Justicialist Party) or PJ [Alberto Angel FERNÁNDEZ]La Cámpora [Maximo KIRCHNER]La Libertad Avanza (The Liberty Advances) or LLA [Javier MILEI]Movimiento Popular Neuquino (Neuquén People's Movement) or MPN [Omar GUTIÉRREZ]Movimiento Socialista de los Trabajadores (Workers' Socialist Movement) or MST [Vilma RIPOLL, Alejandro BODART]Partido de los Trabajadores Socialistas (Socialist Workers' Party) or PTS [Nicolás DEL CAÑO]Partido Libertario (Libertarian Party) or PL [Javier MILEI]; note - party is also a founding member of the coalition La Libertad Avanza, which is also led by MILEIPartido Obrero (Workers' Party) or PO [Gabriel SOLANO]Partido Socialista or PS [Mónica Haydée FEIN]Propuesta Republicana (Republican Proposal) or PRO [Mauricio MACRI]Unidad Federal (coalition of provencial parties in the lower house; includes FRCS and JSRN)Unión Cívica Radical (Radical Civic Union) or UCR [Gerardo Rubén MORALES]Unión por la Patria (Union for the Homeland) or UP (formerly Frente de Todos (Everyone's Front) or FdT) [Alberto FERNÁNDEZ, Cristina FERNÁNDEZ DE KIRCHNER] (includes FR, La Cámpora, and PJ); note - ruling coalition since 2019; includes several national and provincial Peronist political partiesVamos con Vos (Let's Go with You) or VcV [Florencio RANDAZZO]

Suffrage

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

Agricultural products

maize, soybeans, wheat, sugar cane, milk, barley, sunflower seed, beef, grapes, potatoes

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.9% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

28.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$170.725 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$150.823 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

CCC (2020)

Moody's rating

Ca (2020)

note

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

Standard & Poors rating

CCC+ (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$3.492 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$3.121 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$6.708 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$261.949 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$278.524 billion (2019 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 2017

16.563 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

28.095 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

48.148 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

70.539 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

94.991 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$79.964 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$64.431 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$87.415 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

corn, soybean products, delivery trucks, wheat, beef, gold (2021)

Exports - partners

Brazil 16%, China 11%, United States 7%, Chile 5% (2019)

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)

$447.467 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020

42.3 (2020 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%

1.8%

Imports

Imports 2019

$66.574 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$52.339 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$72.362 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, vehicle parts, natural gas, soybeans (2019)

Imports - partners

Brazil 21%, China 18%, US 14%, Germany 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

15.26% (2021 est.)

note

note: based on private sector estimates

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

26.5% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

25.7% (2017 est.)

note

note: data are derived from private estimates

Labor force

21.206 million (2021 est.)

note

note: urban areas only

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

5.3%

industry

28.6%

services

66.1% (2017 est.)

Population below poverty line

35.5% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

55% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

57.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$991.876 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$893.251 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$986.134 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

-2% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-9.94% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

10.4% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$22,100 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$19,700 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$21,500 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$44.881 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$39.404 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$39.653 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

10.87% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

9.84% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

11.46% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

10.9% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

37.1%

male

25%

total

29.9% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

2.122 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

96.875 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

94.208 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

193.205 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

1.55 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

4,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

990,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

829,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

500 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

121,563,940,000 kWh (2020 est.)

exports

261 million kWh (2020 est.)

imports

7.802 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

44.731 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

20.74 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

65.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

17.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

7.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

6.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

79.083 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

49,476,585,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

691.241 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

6,865,323,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

41,194,148,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves

396.464 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

1.64GW (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction

1

Number of operational nuclear reactors

3 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

7.2% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

3.6% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

59,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

11,400 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

2,482,700,000 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

680,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

690,200 bbl/day (2021 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

21 (2020 est.)

total

9,571,562 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

government owns a TV station and radio network; more than two dozen TV stations and hundreds of privately owned radio stations; high rate of cable TV subscription usage (2022)

Internet country code

.ar

Internet users

percent of population

87% (2021 est.)

total

39.15 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

roughly 15 per 100 fixed-line and 130 per 100 mobile-cellular; microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network (2021)

general assessment

Argentina’s ongoing problem with hyperinflation continues to distort the telecom market’s performance, which shows strong growth in revenue but only modest gains in subscriber numbers each year; the fixed broadband segment has penetration levels only slightly higher than the fixed-line teledensity; nearly a quarter of the country’s broadband connections are via DSL, although fiber is starting claim an increasing share of that market as networks expand across most of the main cities; mobile broadband continues to be the preferred platform for internet access, supported by high mobile penetration levels and nationwide LTE coverage; the first 5G service was launched in February 2021 using refarmed LTE frequencies; the anticipated 5G spectrum auctions should drive even stronger uptake in mobile broadband services; while the various fixed, mobile, and cable operators push to expand and enhance their services, the government is also making an active contribution towards boosting broadband connectivity around the country; its national connectivity plan ‘Plan Conectar’, launched in September 2020, provides funding for a range of programs to increase coverage; in August 2021, the telecom regulator announced the release funding to help operators accelerate the rollout of their broadband infrastructure and services (2021)

international

country code - 54; landing points for the UNISUR, Bicentenario, Atlantis-2, SAm-1, and SAC, Tannat, Malbec and ARBR submarine cable systems that provide links to Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and US; satellite earth stations - 112 (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

15 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

6,903,068 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

130 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

59,065,827 (2021 est.)

Airports

916 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

15

joint use (civil-military) airports

16

military airports

5

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

125

total

161

Airports - with unpaved runways

977

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

LV

Heliports

2 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

container ship 1, bulk carrier 1 general cargo 8, oil tanker 33, other 160

total

203 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

311.57 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

18,081,937 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

107

number of registered air carriers

6 (2020)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Buenos Aires (1,446,452) (2021)

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

total

17,866 km (2018)

Roadways

paved

117,616 km (2017)

total

281,290 km (2017)

unpaved

163,674 km (2017)

Transportation - note

Argentina operates one PC 5 or 6 class light icebreakernote - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)

Waterways

11,000 km (2012)

Military - note

the Argentine military’s primary responsibilities are territorial defense and protecting the country’s sovereignty, but its duties also include border security, countering narcotics trafficking, and other internal missions, such as disaster response and infrastructure development; it also conducts support operations in Antarctica to promote an active presence in areas of national territory that are sparsely populated; the military participates in both bilateral and multinational training exercises and supports UN peacekeeping operations; the Army’s primary combat units include a rapid deployment division with airborne, mechanized infantry, and special forces brigades, a combined armored and jungle warfare division, a mountain infantry division, and a mechanized division; the Navy’s principal warships are approximately 15 frigates, corvettes, and ocean-going patrol ships, as well as 2 attack submarines, although they are not operational; both the Army and Navy have helicopter aviation components; the Air Force has a few dozen combat aircraft, as well as multipurpose helicopters and support aircraft, such as tankers and transportsArgentina participates in the Tripartite Command, an interagency security mechanism created by Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay to exchange information and combat transnational threats, including terrorism, in the Tri-Border Area; in addition, Argentina and Chile have a joint peacekeeping force known as the Combined Southern Cross Peacekeeping Force (FPC), designed to be made available to the UN; the FPC is made up of two battalions, one from each country, a command and service company, an air component (a squadron of Argentine and Chilean helicopters), a naval component, and a combined logistics support unit; 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 cooperationthe 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 1983 Falklands War led to the downfall of the military junta (2023)

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) (2023)

note

note: all federal police forces are under the Ministry of Security

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 80,000 active-duty personnel (50,000 Army; 17,000 Navy, including about 3,500 marines); 13,000 Air Force); estimated 20,000 Gendarmerie (2023)

Military deployments

225 Cyprus (UNFICYP) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of Argentina's armed forces is a mix of domestically-produced and mostly older 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 (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

0.8% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.7% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.8% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.8% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.6% of GDP (2022 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 (2023)

note

note: as of 2022, women comprised about 20% of the active duty military

Disputes - international

Argentina-Bolivia: contraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of the border with BoliviaArgentina-Brazil: uncontested dispute between Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera/Brasiliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in questionArgentina-Chile: the joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001 has yet to map and demarcate the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Southern Patagonian Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur); Chile in 2021 renewed a claim to 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles) of continental shelf in the Drake Sea between Chile's Cape Horn, its mainland and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica; the piece of undersea territory is known as Medialuna, and the claim includes the water above it; the two countries came close to war in the late 1970s in a dispute--known as the Beagle Conflict--over the possession of Picton, Lennox and Nueva islands and the scope of the maritime jurisdiction associated with those islands, which are strategically located off the south edge of Tierra del Fuego and at the east end of the Beagle Channel; the Beagle Channel, the Straits of Magellan, and the Drake Passage are the only three waterways between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean in the southern hemisphereArgentina-Paraguay: none identifiedArgentina-Uruguay: 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. Isla de Martín Garcia situated in the Rio de la Plata estuary is wholly within Uruguayan territorial waters but up to its low tide mark, the island is Argentinian territory; the island is accorded unrestricted access rightsArgentina-United Kingdom: 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

Illicit drugs

counterfeiting, drug trafficking, and other smuggling offenses in the Tri-Border area; some money laundering organizations in the TBA have may have links to the terrorist organization Hizballah; a large producer of chemical precursors

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

220,495 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Argentina National Space Activities Commission (Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, CONAE; formed in 1991); CONAE’s predecessor was the National Commission for Space Research (Comisión Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales, CNIE; formed in 1960) (2023)

Space launch site(s)

Manuel Belgrano Space Center (Buenos Aires province); La Capetina test and launch area (Buenos Aires province) (2023)

Space program overview

has a long history of involvement 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, which includes efforts to design, build, and launch reusable small SLVs (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Terrorist group(s)

Hizballah

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

201.35 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

120.66 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

12.04 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest

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

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

53.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 13.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 39.6% (2018 est.)

forest

10.7% (2018 est.)

other

35.4% (2018 est.)

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 kmnote – [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)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.09% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

876.24 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

27.93 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

5.85 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

92.5% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

17,910,550 tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

1,074,633 tons (2010 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

6% (2010 est.)