2019 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. However, a 2017 Supreme Court ruling stating that term limits violate human rights provided the justification for MORALES to be chosen by his party to run again in 2019. MORALES attempted to claim victory in the 20 October 2019 election, but widespread allegations of electoral fraud, rising violence, and pressure from the military ultimately forced him to flee the country. An interim government is preparing new elections for 2020.

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

Highest Point

Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

Lowest Point

Rio Paraguay 90 m

Mean Elevation

1,192 m

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

note 1: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru note 2: the southern regions of Peru and the extreme northwestern part of Bolivia are considered to be the place of origin for the common potato

Irrigated Land

3,000 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

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

Total

7,252 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

34.3% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

3.6% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

0.2% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

30.5% (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

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)

Current Health Expenditure

6.9% (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 Rural

75.6% of population

Improved Total

90% of population

Improved Urban

96.7% of population

Unimproved Rural

24.4% of population

Unimproved Total

10% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

3.3% of population

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.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.3% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<1000 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

22,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

1.1 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

30.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

37.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

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

Languages

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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

72.8 years

Male

67 years

Total Population

69.8 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

88.6% (2015)

Male

96.5%

Total Population

92.5%

Major Infectious Diseases

Degree Of Risk

very high (2019)

Food Or Waterborne Diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A (2019)

Vectorborne Diseases

dengue fever and malaria (2019)

Major Urban Areas Population

278,000 Sucre (constitutional capital) (2018); 1.835 million LA PAZ (capital), 1.677 million Santa Cruz, 1.271 million Cochabamba (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

155 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

25.4 years

Male

23.9 years

Total

24.6 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

21.2 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Bolivian

Noun

Bolivian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

20.2% (2016)

Physicians Density

1.61 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

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 Rural

27.5% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

50.3% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

60.8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

72.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

49.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

39.2% of population (2015 est.)

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.04 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.03 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.96 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.85 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.79 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.98 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.58 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

8.6% (2015 est.)

Male

5.8%

Total

6.9%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

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

Urban Population

69.8% of total population (2019)

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)

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

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

Telephone

[591] (2) 216-8000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

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

Telephone

[1] (202) 483-4410

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

Chief Of State

Interim President Jeanine ANEZ Chavez (since 12 November 2019); Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government note: former President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma resigned from office on 10 November 2019 over alleged election rigging; resignations of all his constitutionally designated successors followed, including the Vice President, President of the Senate, President of the Chamber of Deputies, and First Vice President of the Senate, leaving the Second Vice President of the Senate, Jeanine ANEZ Chavez, the highest-ranking official still in office; her appointment to the presidency was endorsed by Bolivia's Constitutional Court

Election Results

results from the 12 October 2014 election: 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% results from the annulled 20 October 2019 election: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (MAS) 47.1%; Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (CC) 36.5%; CHI Hyun Chung (PDC) 8.8%; Oscar ORTIZ Antelo (MDS) 4.2%, other 3.4%; note - MORALES was reelected without runoff because his margin over the runner-up was more than 10%

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; president and vice president are elected by majority vote to serve a 5-year term; no term limits (changed from two consecutive term limit by Constitutional Court in late 2017); election last held on 20 October 2019 (next to be held NA); note - on 10 November 2019, as a result of an Organization of American States report citing manipulations of the voting system, President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma announced that the October election results would be annulled and called for fresh elections; MORALES resigned from his position later that day

Head Of Government

Interim President Jeanine ANEZ Chavez (since 12 November 2019); Vice President (vacant)

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

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 21, ACC 14, MDS 1 Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 67, ACC 50, PDC 9, MDS 4

Elections

Chamber of Senators - last held on 20 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2024) Chamber of Deputies - last held on 20 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2024)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI

Name

"Cancion Patriotica" (Patriotic Song)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

National Symbol S

llama, Andean condor, two national flowers: the cantuta and the patuju; national colors: red, yellow, green

Political Parties And Leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez] Community Citizen Alliance or ACC [Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert] Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma] National Unity or UN [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana] Social Democrat Movement or MDS [Ruben COSTAS Aguilera]

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

31 December 2016

2.5%

31 December 2017

2.5%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

7.95%

31 December 2017

8.11%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$1.932 billion

2017

-$2.375 billion

Debt External

31 December 2016

$7.268 billion

31 December 2017

$12.81 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

1999

57.9

2016

47

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

2013

6.91

2014

6.91

2015

6.91

2016

6.86

2017

6.86

Currency

bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$7.214 billion

2017

$7.746 billion

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.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$7,200

2016

$7,400

2017

$7,600

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$77.07 billion

2016

$80.35 billion

2017

$83.72 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

4.9%

2016

4.3%

2017

4.2%

Gross National Saving

2015

14.2% of GDP

2016

15.3% of GDP

2017

15.7% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

36.1% (2014 est.)

Lowest 10

0.9%

Imports

2016

$7.888 billion

2017

$8.601 billion

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

2016

3.6%

2017

2.8%

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

31 December 2015

$11.11 billion

31 December 2016

$12.3 billion

31 December 2017

$12.8 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

38.6% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

2016

44.9% of GDP

2017

49% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$10.08 billion

31 December 2017

$10.26 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$9.09 billion

31 December 2017

$9.616 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$0

31 December 2017

$0

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$11.6 billion

31 December 2017

$12.31 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$22.39 billion

31 December 2017

$25.61 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$9.09 billion

31 December 2017

$9.616 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

39.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

4%

2017

4%

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

60,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

211.5 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

79.1% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

93% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

99.3% (2016)

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

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

Internet Country Code

.bo

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

39.7% (July 2016 est.)

Total

4,354,678

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 stands at 91 per 100 persons (2018)

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 fiber 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 (2019)

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 neighboring countries (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

8 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

851,110

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

91 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

10,106,216

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 36, oil tanker 2, other 11 (2018)

Total

49

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

Puerto Aguirre (Paraguay/Parana)

Railways

Narrow Gauge

3,960 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

Total

3,960 km (2019)

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 And Security Forces

Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano, EB), Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB, includes Marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB); Ministry of Interior: National Police (Polic&iacute;a Nacional de Bolivia, PNB; includes Anti-Narcotics Special Forces (Fuerza Especial de Lucha Contra el Narcotr&aacute;fico, FELCN) (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014

1.9% of GDP

2015

1.74% of GDP

2016

1.68% of GDP

2017

1.54% of GDP

2018

1.5% of GDP

Military Service Age And Obligation

16-49 years of age for 12-month voluntary male and female military service; Bolivian citizenship required; minimum age for combat duty 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 products; contraband 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)