2018 Edition

Background

Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of coups and countercoups, with the last coup occurring in 1978. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. In December 2009 and October 2014, President MORALES easily won reelection. His party maintained control of the legislative branch of the government, which has allowed him to continue his process of change. In February 2016, MORALES narrowly lost a referendum to approve a constitutional amendment that would have allowed him to compete in the 2019 presidential election. Despite the loss, MORALES has already been chosen by his party to run again in 2019, via a still-undetermined method for him to appear on the ballot.

Area

land

1,083,301 sq km

total

1,098,581 sq km

water

15,280 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Climate

varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

elevation extremes

90 m lowest point: Rio Paraguay

mean elevation

1,192 m

note

6542 highest point: Nevado Sajama

Environment Current Issues

the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation

Environment International Agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic Coordinates

17 00 S, 65 00 W

Geography Note

landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Irrigated Land

3,000 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (5)

Argentina 942 km, Brazil 3403 km, Chile 942 km, Paraguay 753 km, Peru 1212 km

total

7,252 km

Land Use

arable land: 3.6% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.2% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 30.5% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

34.3% (2011 est.)

forest

52.5% (2011 est.)

other

13.2% (2011 est.)

Location

Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Map References

South America

Maritime Claims

note

none (landlocked)

Natural Hazards

flooding in the northeast (March to April)volcanism: volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and the Olca-Paruma volcanic complex (5,762 m to 5,167 m)

Natural Resources

tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Population Distribution

a high altitude plain in the west between two cordillera of the Andes, known as the Altiplano, is the focal area for most of the population; a dense settlement pattern is also found in and around the city of Santa Cruz, located on the eastern side of the Andes

Terrain

rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Age Structure

0-14 years

31.34% (male 1,805,765 /female 1,737,647)

15-24 years

19.37% (male 1,109,388 /female 1,080,662)

25-54 years

37.9% (male 2,098,847 /female 2,185,890)

55-64 years

5.96% (male 310,250 /female 363,403)

65 years and over

5.43% (male 270,435 /female 344,054) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

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

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

3.4% (2016)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

66.5% (2016)

Death Rate

6.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Bolivia ranks at or near the bottom among Latin American countries in several areas of health and development, including poverty, education, fertility, malnutrition, mortality, and life expectancy. On the positive side, more children are being vaccinated and more pregnant women are getting prenatal care and having skilled health practitioners attend their births.Bolivia’s income inequality is the highest in Latin America and one of the highest in the world. Public education is of poor quality, and educational opportunities are among the most unevenly distributed in Latin America, with girls and indigenous and rural children less likely to be literate or to complete primary school. The lack of access to education and family planning services helps to sustain Bolivia’s high fertility rate—approximately three children per woman. Bolivia’s lack of clean water and basic sanitation, especially in rural areas, contributes to health problems.Between 7% and 16% of Bolivia’s population lives abroad (estimates vary in part because of illegal migration). Emigrants primarily seek jobs and better wages in Argentina (the principal destination), the US, and Spain. In recent years, more restrictive immigration policies in Europe and the US have increased the flow of Bolivian emigrants to neighboring countries. Fewer Bolivians migrated to Brazil in 2015 and 2016 because of its recession; increasing numbers have been going to Chile, mainly to work as miners.

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

10.6 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

9.4 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

63.7 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

53.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 96.7% of population

rural: 75.6% of population

total: 90% of population

unimproved: urban: 3.3% of population

rural: 24.4% of population

total: 10% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

7.3% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic Groups

mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 68%, indigenous 20%, white 5%, cholo/chola 2%, black 1%, other 1%, unspecified 3% ; 44% of respondents indicated feeling part of some indigenous group, predominantly Quechua or Aymara (2009 est.)

note

results among surveys vary based on the wording of the ethnicity question and the available response choices; the 2001 national census did not provide "mestizo" as a response choice, resulting in a much higher proportion of respondents identifying themselves as belonging to one of the available indigenous ethnicity choices; the use of "mestizo" and "cholo" varies among response choices in surveys, with surveys using the terms interchangeably, providing one or the other as a response choice, or providing the two as separate response choices

Health Expenditures

6.3% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

0.3% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

<1000 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

21,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

1.1 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

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

male

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

total

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

Languages

Spanish (official) 60.7%, Quechua (official) 21.2%, Aymara (official) 14.6%, foreign languages 2.4%, Guarani (official) 0.6%, other native languages 0.4%, none 0.1% (2001 est.)

note

Bolivia's 2009 constitution designates Spanish and all indigenous languages as official; 36 indigenous languages are specified, including a few that are extinct

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

72.8 years (2018 est.)

male

67 years (2018 est.)

total population

69.8 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

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

female

88.6% (2015 est.)

male

96.5% (2015 est.)

total population

92.5% (2015 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

degree of risk

very high (2016)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A (2016)

note

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

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

1.814 million LA PAZ (capital), 1.641 million Santa Cruz, 1.24 million Cochabamba, 278,000 Sucre (constitutional capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

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

Median Age

female

25.4 years (2018 est.)

male

23.9 years

total

24.6 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

21.2 years (2008 est.)

note

median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Bolivian

noun

Bolivian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

20.2% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Population

11,306,341 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.48% (2018 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 76.8%, Evangelical and Pentecostal 8.1%, Protestant 7.9%, other 1.7%, none 5.5% (2012 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 60.8% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 27.5% of population (2015 est.)

total: 50.3% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 39.2% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 72.5% of population (2015 est.)

total: 49.7% of population (2015 est.)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

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

15-24 years

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

25-54 years

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

55-64 years

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

65 years and over

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

at birth

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

total population

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

Total Fertility Rate

2.58 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

8.6% (2015 est.)

male

5.8% (2015 est.)

total

6.9% (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.97% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

69.4% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

Capital

geographic coordinates

16 30 S, 68 09 W

name

La Paz (administrative capital); Sucre (constitutional [legislative and judicial] capital)

note

at approximately 3,630 m above sea level, La Paz's elevation makes it the highest capital city in the world

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour 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

3 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed through public petition by at least 20% of voters or by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership of the Assembly and approval in a referendum; amended 2013 (2018)

history

many previous; latest drafted 6 August 2006 to 9 December 2008, approved by referendum 25 January 2009, effective 7 February 2009; note - in late 2017, the Constitutional Tribunal declared inapplicable provisions of the constitution that prohibit elected officials, including the president, from serving more than 2 consecutive terms (2018)

Country Name

conventional long form

Plurinational State of Bolivia

conventional short form

Bolivia

etymology

the country is named after Simon BOLIVAR, a 19th-century leader in the South American wars for independence

local long form

Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia

local short form

Bolivia

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Bruce WILLIAMSON (since December 2017)

embassy

Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz

FAX

[591] (2) 216-8111

mailing address

3220 La Paz Place, Dulles, VA, 20189-3220

note

in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, Philip GOLDBERG, and both countries have yet to reinstate their ambassadors

telephone

[591] (2) 216-8000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Rafael Pablo CANEDO Daroca (since July 2017)

consulate(s) general

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

FAX

[1] (202) 328-3712

note

in September 2008, the US expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US in reciprocity for Bolivia expelling the US ambassador to Bolivia

telephone

[1] (202) 328-4155

Executive Branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (MAS) 61%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana (UN) 24.5%; Jorge QUIROGA Ramirez (POC) 9.1%; other 5.4%

elections/appointments

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot one of 3 ways: candidate wins at least 50% of the vote, or at least 40% of the vote and 10% more than the next highest candidate; otherwise a second round is held and the winner determined by simple majority vote; no term limits (changed from two consecutive term limit by Constitutional Court in late 2017); election last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

head of government

President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006)

Flag Description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land

note

similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag

Government Type

presidential republic

Independence

6 August 1825 (from Spain)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

CAN, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (consists of 12 judges or ministros organized into civil, penal, social, and administrative chambers); Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 7 primary and 7 alternate magistrates); Plurinational Electoral Organ (consists of 7 members and 6 alternates); National Agro-Environment Court (consists of 5 primary and 5 alternate judges; Council of the Judiciary (consists of 3 primary and 3 alternate judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court, Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal, National Agro-Environmental Court, and Council of the Judiciary candidates pre-selected by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly and elected by direct popular vote; judges elected for 6-year terms; Plurinational Electoral Organ judges appointed - 6 by the Legislative Assembly and 1 by the president of the republic; members serve single 6-year terms

subordinate courts

National Electoral Court; District Courts (in each of the 9 administrative departments); agro-environmental lower courts

Legal System

civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and indigenous law

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of:Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (36 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; 70 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 53 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote, and 7 - apportioned to non-contiguous, rural areas in 7 of the 9 states - directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 25, UD 9, PDC 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 88, UD 32, PDC 10

elections

Chamber of Senators - last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019) Chamber of Deputies - last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI

name

"Cancion Patriotica" (Patriotic Song)

note

adopted 1852

National Holiday

Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

National Symbol S

llama, Andean condor; national colors: red, yellow, green

Political Parties And Leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]National Unity or UN [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture Products

soybeans, quinoa, Brazil nuts, sugarcane, coffee, corn, rice, potatoes, chia, coca

Budget

expenditures

18.02 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

15.09 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-7.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

2.5% (31 December 2017 est.)

2.5% (31 December 2016 est.)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

8.11% (31 December 2017 est.)

7.95% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$2.375 billion (2017 est.)

-$1.932 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$12.81 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$7.268 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

47 (2016 est.)

57.9 (1999)

Economy Overview

Bolivia is a resource rich country with strong growth attributed to captive markets for natural gas exports – to Brazil and Argentina. However, the country remains one of the least developed countries in Latin America because of state-oriented policies that deter investment.Following an economic crisis during the early 1980s, reforms in the 1990s spurred private investment, stimulated economic growth, and cut poverty rates. The period 2003-05 was characterized by political instability, racial tensions, and violent protests against plans - subsequently abandoned - to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large Northern Hemisphere markets. In 2005-06, the government passed hydrocarbon laws that imposed significantly higher royalties and required foreign firms then operating under risk-sharing contracts to surrender all production to the state energy company in exchange for a predetermined service fee; the laws engendered much public debate. High commodity prices between 2010 and 2014 sustained rapid growth and large trade surpluses with GDP growing 6.8% in 2013 and 5.4% in 2014. The global decline in oil prices that began in late 2014 exerted downward pressure on the price Bolivia receives for exported gas and resulted in lower GDP growth rates - 4.9% in 2015 and 4.3% in 2016 - and losses in government revenue as well as fiscal and trade deficits.A lack of foreign investment in the key sectors of mining and hydrocarbons, along with conflict among social groups, pose challenges for the Bolivian economy. In 2015, President Evo MORALES expanded efforts to court international investment and boost Bolivia’s energy production capacity. MORALES passed an investment law and promised not to nationalize additional industries in an effort to improve the investment climate. In early 2016, the Government of Bolivia approved the 2016-2020 National Economic and Social Development Plan aimed at maintaining growth of 5% and reducing poverty.

Exchange Rates

bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar -

6.86 (2017 est.)

6.86 (2016 est.)

6.91 (2015 est.)

6.91 (2014 est.)

6.91 (2013 est.)

Exports

$7.746 billion (2017 est.)

$7.214 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

natural gas, silver, zinc, lead, tin, gold, quinoa, soybeans and soy products

Exports Partners

Brazil 17.9%, Argentina 16%, US 7.8%, Japan 7.3%, India 6.6%, South Korea 6.3%, Colombia 5.8%, China 5.1%, UAE 4.7% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

21.7% (2017 est.)

government consumption

17% (2017 est.)

household consumption

67.7% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-31.3% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.3% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

3.8% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

13.8% (2017 est.)

industry

37.8% (2017 est.)

services

48.2% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$37.78 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$7,600 (2017 est.)

$7,400 (2016 est.)

$7,200 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$83.72 billion (2017 est.)

$80.35 billion (2016 est.)

$77.07 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

4.2% (2017 est.)

4.3% (2016 est.)

4.9% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

15.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

15.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

14.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

36.1% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%

36.1% (2014 est.)

Imports

$8.601 billion (2017 est.)

$7.888 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

machinery, petroleum products, vehicles, iron and steel, plastics

Imports Partners

China 21.7%, Brazil 16.8%, Argentina 12.6%, US 8.4%, Peru 6.5% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2.2% (2017 est.)

Industries

mining, smelting, electricity, petroleum, food and beverages, handicrafts, clothing, jewelry

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2.8% (2017 est.)

3.6% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

5.719 million (2016 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

29.4%

industry

22%

services

48.6% (2015 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$12.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$12.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$11.11 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

38.6% (2015 est.)

note

based on percent of population living on less than the international standard of $2/day

Public Debt

49% of GDP (2017 est.)

44.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

note

data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$10.26 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$10.08 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$9.616 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$9.09 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$0 (31 December 2017 est.)

$0 (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$12.31 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$11.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$25.61 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$22.39 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$9.616 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$9.09 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

39.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

4% (2017 est.)

4% (2016 est.)

note

data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

17.66 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

1,274 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

59,330 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

211.5 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

72% (2013)

electrification - total population

90% (2013)

electrification - urban areas

99% (2013)

population without electricity

1.2 million (2013)

Electricity Consumption

7.785 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2017 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

76% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

18% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

2.764 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

8.951 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

3.171 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

15.46 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

18.69 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

295.9 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

83,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

9,686 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

20,620 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

65,960 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2017 est.)

total

358,680 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

large number of radio and TV stations broadcasting with private media outlets dominating; state-owned and private radio and TV stations generally operating freely, although both pro-government and anti-government groups have attacked media outlets in response to their reporting (2010)

Internet Country Code

.bo

Internet Users

percent of population

39.7% (July 2016 est.)

total

4,354,678 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

most telephones are concentrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and other capital cities; 8 per 100 fixed-line, mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and teledensity stood at 91 per 100 persons (2017)

general assessment

state-owned Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Entel) is the country's incumbent long-distance operator, and offers local telephone service, DSL, and satellite TV;  its subsidiary Entel Movil is Bolivia's largest mobile network provider, reliability, and coverage have steadily improved, but some remote areas are still underserved; Entel plans to extend fibre to all 339 municipal capital cities by 2022; MNP (mobile number potability) launched in October 2018; Bolivian Space Agency planning to launch a second telecom satellite after 2020 (2018)

international

country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Bolivia has no direct access to submarine cable networks and must therefore connect to the rest of the world either via satellite or through terrestrial links across neighbouring countries (2017)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

851,110 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

91 (July 2016 est.)

total subscriptions

10,106,216 (July 2016 est.)

Airports

855 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

6 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

4 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m

6 (2017)

over 3,047 m

5 (2017)

total

21 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

47 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

4 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

151 (2013)

over 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

834 (2013)

under 914 m

631 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

CP (2016)

Merchant Marine

by type

general cargo 41, oil tanker 3, other 11 (2017)

total

55 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

9,456,548 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

2,578,959 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

39 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

7 (2015)

Pipelines

5457 km gas, 51 km liquid petroleum gas, 2511 km oil, 1627 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

note

Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

river port(s)

Puerto Aguirre (Paraguay/Parana)

Railways

narrow gauge

3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

total

3,504 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

9,792 km (2017)

total

90,568 km (2017)

unpaved

80,776 km (2017)

Waterways

10,000 km (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country) (2012)

Military Branches

Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano, EB), Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB, includes Marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2017)

Military Expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

1.68% of GDP (2016)

1.74% of GDP (2015)

1.9% of GDP (2014)

1.84% of GDP (2013)

Military Service Age And Obligation

16-49 years of age for 12-month voluntary male and female military service; Bolivian citizenship required; minimum age of combat is 18; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2017)

Disputes International

Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile offers instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian productscontraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of its border regions with all of its neighbors (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru)

Illicit Drugs

world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 37,500 hectares under cultivation in 2016, a 3 percent increase over 2015; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 275 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2016; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine consumption

Trafficking In Persons

current situation

Bolivia is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking domestically and abroad; rural and poor Bolivians, most of whom are indigenous, and LGBT youth are particularly vulnerable; Bolivians perform forced labor domestically in mining, ranching, agriculture, and domestic service, and a significant number are in forced labor abroad in sweatshops, agriculture, domestic service, and the informal sector; women and girls are sex trafficked within Bolivia and in neighboring countries, such as Argentina, Peru, and Chile; a limited number of women from nearby countries are sex trafficked in Bolivia

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Bolivia does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government did not demonstrate overall increasing anti-trafficking efforts, and poor data collection made it difficult to assess the number of investigations, prosecutions, and victim identifications and referrals to care services; authorities did not adequately differentiate between human trafficking and other crimes, such as domestic violence and child abuse; law enforcement failed to implement an early detection protocol for identifying trafficking cases and lacked a formal process for identifying trafficking victims among vulnerable populations; specialized victim services were inadequately funded and virtually non-existent for adult women and male victims (2015)