2023 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 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 and 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 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, led by President Jeanine ANEZ Chavez, prepared new elections that took place in October 2020; President Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora took office the following month.

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

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 Perunote 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, while southeast Bolivia and northwest Argentina seem to be the original development site for peanuts

Irrigated land

2,972 sq km (2017)

Land boundaries

border countries

Argentina 942 km; Brazil 3,403 km; Chile 942 km; Paraguay 753 km; Peru 1,212 km

total

7,252 km

Land use

agricultural land

34.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)

forest

52.5% (2018 est.)

other

13.2% (2018 est.)

Location

Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Major aquifers

Amazon Basin

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lago Titicaca (shared with Peru) - 8,030 sq km

salt water lake(s)

Lago Poopo - 1,340 sq km

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Paraná (2,582,704 sq km)

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

lithium, 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

29.14% (male 1,813,044/female 1,737,699)

15-64 years

64.03% (male 3,929,462/female 3,872,943)

65 years and over

6.84% (2023 est.) (male 384,356/female 448,575)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

2.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

2.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

men married by age 18

5.2% (2016 est.)

women married by age 15

3.4%

women married by age 18

19.7%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.4% (2016)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

66.5% (2016)

Current health expenditure

7.9% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.1% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 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

12

potential support ratio

8.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

56.3

youth dependency ratio

48.7

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 80.2% of population

improved: total

total: 93.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 19.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 6.5% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.8% of population

Education expenditures

9.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Mestizo (mixed White and Amerindian ancestry) 68%, Indigenous 20%, White 5%, Cholo/Chola 2%, African descent 1%, other 1%, unspecified 3%; 44% of respondents indicated feeling part of some indigenous group, predominantly Quechua or Aymara (2009 est.)

note

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

Gross reproduction rate

1.1 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

20 deaths/1,000 live births

male

24.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

22.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

Spanish (official) 68.1%, Quechua (official) 17.2%, Aymara (official) 10.5%, Guarani (official) 0.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.1%; note - Bolivia's 2009 constitution designates Spanish and all indigenous languages as official; 36 indigenous languages are specified, including a few that are extinct (2012 est.)

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

74 years

male

71 years

total population

72.5 years (2023 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 (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

Major urban areas - population

1.936 million LA PAZ (capital), 1.820 million Santa Cruz, 1.400 million Cochabamba (2022); 278,000 Sucre (constitutional capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

26.6 years

male

25.9 years

total

26.2 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.1 years (2008 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Bolivian

noun

Bolivian(s)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.2% (2016)

Physicians density

1.03 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

12,186,079 (2023 est.)

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

Population growth rate

1.06% (2023 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 19.6% (Evangelical (non-specific) 11.9%, Evangelical Baptist 2.1%, Evangelical Pentecostal 1.8%, Evangelical Methodist 0.7%, Adventist 2.8%, Protestant (non-specific) 0.3%), Believer (not belonging to the church) 0.9%, other 4.8%, atheist 1.7%, agnostic 0.6%, none 6.1%, unspecified 1.3% (2023 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 48.4% of population

improved: total

total: 83.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 51.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 16.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.2% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.86 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

4.8% (2020 est.)

male

20.5% (2020 est.)

total

12.7% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.26 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

71.2% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

La Paz is a shortening of the original name of the city, Nuestra Senora de La Paz (Our Lady of Peace); Sucre is named after Antonio Jose de SUCRE (1795-1830), military hero in the independence struggle from Spain and the second president of Bolivia

geographic coordinates

16 30 S, 68 09 W

name

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

note

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

history

many previous; latest drafted 6 August 2006 to 9 December 2008, approved by referendum 25 January 2009, effective 7 February 2009

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); Chargé d'Affaires Debra HEVIA (since September 2023)

email address and website

ConsularLaPazACS@state.govhttps://bo.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Avenida Arce 2780, La Paz

FAX

[591] (2) 216-8111

mailing address

3220 La Paz Place, Washington DC  20512-3220

note

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 Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Maysa Rossana URENA MENACHO (since 1 September 2022) 

consulate(s) general

Houston, Los Angeles, Maple Grove (MN), Miami, New York, Washington, DC

email address and website

embolivia.wdc@gmail.comhttps://www.boliviawdc.org/en-us/

FAX

[1] (202) 328-3712

telephone

[1] (202) 483-4410

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora (since 8 November 2020); Vice President David CHOQUEHUANCA Cespedes (since 8 November 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

2020: Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora elected president; percent of vote - Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora (MAS) 55.1%; Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (CC) 28.8%; Luis Fernando CAMACHO Vaca (Creemos) 14%; other 2.1%2019: 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%; note - MORALES 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, and she served as interim president until the 8 November 2020 inauguration of Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora, who won the 18 October 2020 presidential election

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 18 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2025)

head of government

President Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora (since 8 November 2020); Vice President David CHOQUEHUANCA Cespedes (since 8 November 2020)

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

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, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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 party-list 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 closed party-list 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 11, Creemos 4; composition as of October 2023 - men 16, women 20, percent of women 55.6%Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 75, ACC 39, Creemos 16; composition as of October 2023 - men 70, women 60, percent of women 46.2%; note - total Plurinational Legislative Assembly percent of women - 48.2%

elections

Chamber of Senators - last held on 18 October 2020 (next to be held in 2025)Chamber of Deputies - last held on 18 October 2020 (next to be held in 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI

name

"Cancion Patriotica" (Patriotic Song)

note

note: adopted 1852

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

City of Potosi (c); El Fuerte de Samaipata (c); Historic Sucre (c); Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos (c); Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (n); Tiahuanacu (c); Qhapaq Ñan/Andean Road System (c)

total World Heritage Sites

7 (6 cultural, 1 natural)

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

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 Auza]Revolutionary Left Front or FRI [Edgar GUZMAN Jauregui]Social Democrat Movement or MDS [Ruben COSTAS Aguilera]We Believe or Creemos [Luis Fernando CAMACHO Vaca]

note

note: We Believe or Creemos [Luis Fernando CAMACHO Vaca] is a coalition comprised of several opposition parties that participated in the 2020 election, which includes the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) and Solidarity Civic Unity (UCS)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

sugar cane, soybeans, potatoes, maize, sorghum, rice, milk, plantains, poultry, bananas

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

2.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

29.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$14.75 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$11.796 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B (2020)

Moody's rating

B2 (2020)

note

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

Standard & Poors rating

B+ (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$1.366 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$269.456 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$802.112 million (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$7.268 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$12.81 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

resource-rich economy benefits during commodity booms; has bestowed juridical rights to Mother Earth, impacting extraction industries; increasing Chinese lithium mining trade relations; hard hit by COVID-19; increased fiscal spending amid poverty increases; rampant banking and finance corruption

Exchange rates

Currency

bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

6.91 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

6.91 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

6.91 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

6.91 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

6.91 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$10.271 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$7.383 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$11.439 billion (2021 est.)

note

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

Exports - commodities

gold, natural gas, zinc, silver, soy products, tin (2021)

note

note: Bolivian cocaine production remains a significant illicit trade commodity

Exports - partners

Argentina 16%, Brazil 15%, United Arab Emirates 12%, India 10%, United States 6%, South Korea 5%, Peru 5%, Colombia 5% (2019)

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)

$40.822 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020

43.6 (2020 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

36.1% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%

0.9%

Imports

Imports 2019

$11.957 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$8.261 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$10.799 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, delivery trucks, iron, buses (2019)

Imports - partners

Brazil 22%, Chile 15%, China 13%, Peru 11%, Argentina 8%, United States 7% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate

9.56% (2021 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.84% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

0.94% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

0.74% (2021 est.)

Labor force

6.322 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

37.2% (2019 est.)

Public debt

note

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

Public debt 2016

44.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

49% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$100.446 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$91.669 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$97.266 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.22% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-8.74% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

6.11% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$8,500 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$7,700 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$8,100 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$6.455 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$5.247 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$4.73 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

39.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment

Unemployment rate 2019

3.82% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

7.9% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

8.51% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

18.4%

male

16.8%

total

17.4% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

5.715 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

12.071 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

17.786 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

1 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

8,756,690,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

3.834 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.227 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

95.1% (2021)

electrification - total population

98.5% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

100% (2021)

population without electricity

2 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

64.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

30.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

2.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

27.094 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2,918,839,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

11,818,215,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

15,328,422,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

302.99 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

240.9 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

87,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

65,400 bbl/day (2021 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

8 (2020 est.)

total

931,918 (2020 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 (2019)

Internet country code

.bo

Internet users

percent of population

66% (2021 est.)

total

7.92 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

4 per 100 fixed-line, mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and teledensity stands at 100 per 100 persons; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and other capital cities (2021)

general assessment

the structure of Bolivia’s fixed telecom market is different from most other countries; local services are primarily provided by 15 telecom cooperatives; these are non-profit-making companies privately owned and controlled by their users; since the market was liberalized, the cooperatives have also provided long-distance telephony, while several also offer broadband and pay TV service; they have invested in network upgrades in a bid to improve services for customers, and to expand their footprints; Bolivia has a multi-carrier system wherein consumers can choose a long-distance carrier for each call by dialing the carrier’s prefix; several operators have also adopted fixed-wireless technologies, and some rent fiber-optic capacity; the fixed broadband services remain expensive, though the cost of bandwidth is only a fraction of what it was only a few years ago; services are still unavailable in many rural and remote areas, and even in some of the major urban areas; being a landlocked country, Bolivia had no direct access to submarine cable networks, and relies on satellite services or terrestrial links across neighboring countries; in September 2020 a new cable running via Peru, has increased capacity and contributed to a dramatic fall in end-user prices; fixed broadband services are fast migrating from DSL to fiber, while there are also cable broadband services available in some major cities; in 2007 the focus was on providing telecom services in rural areas under a project known as ‘Territory with Total Coverage’; this project aims to increase telecom coverage through mobile rather than through fixed networks; Bolivia has almost twenty times as many mobile phone subscribers as fixed line connections, and the trend towards fixed-mobile substitution continues; all the mobile companies offer 3G and LTE services; due to the poor quality, high cost, and poor reach of DSL, mobile networks have become the principal platform for voice services and data access; by early 2021 companies’ networks reached more than 95% of the population; about 92% of all internet accesses are via smartphones (2021)

international

country code - 591; 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; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

539,481 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

100 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

12,033,941 (2021 est.)

Airports

855 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

3

joint use (civil-military) airports

4

military airports

1

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

13

total

21

Airports - with unpaved runways

834

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

CP

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 29, oil tanker 3, other 14

total

46 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

13.73 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

4,122,113 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

39

number of registered air carriers

7 (2020)

Pipelines

5,457 km gas, 51 km liquid petroleum gas, 2,511 km oil, 1,627 km refined products (2013)

Ports and terminals

note

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

3,960 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

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 (2012) (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country)

Military - note

the Bolivian Armed Forces (FAB) are responsible for territorial defense but also have some internal security duties, particularly counternarcotics and border security; the FAB shares responsibility for border enforcement with the National Police (PNB), and it may be called out to assist the PNB with maintaining public order in critical situations; the Army is the largest service and is organized into 6 military regions and 10 divisional headquarters; most of the combat units are light, motorized, or mechanized infantry along with a sizeable contingent of mechanized, motorized, or horse cavalry; the Army also has a special operations command with airborne, ranger, and special forces units; the Air Force does not have any fighter aircraft but rather a small force of reconnaissance and transport aircraft and multirole helicopters Bolivia has a small naval force for patrolling some 5,000 miles of navigable rivers to combat narcotics trafficking and smuggling, provide disaster relief, and deliver supplies to remote rural areas, as well as for maintaining a presence on Lake Titicaca; the Navy also exists in part to cultivate a maritime tradition and as a reminder of Bolivia’s desire to regain the access to the Pacific Ocean that the country lost to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884); every year on 23 March, the Navy participates in parades and government ceremonies commemorating the Día Del Mar (Day of the Sea) holiday that remembers the loss (2023)

Military and security forces

Bolivian Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Bolivia or FAB): Bolivian Army (Ejercito de Boliviano, EB), Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB)Ministry of Government: National Police (Policía Nacional de Bolivia, PNB) (2023)

note

note: the PNB includes two paramilitary forces, the Anti-Narcotics Special Forces (Fuerza Especial de Lucha Contra el Narcotráfico, FELCN) and the Anti-Terrorist Group (GAT); the PNB is part of the reserves for the Armed Forces; the police and military share responsibility for border enforcement

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 40,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 40,000 National Police (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military is equipped with a mix of mostly older Brazilian, Chinese, European, and US equipment; in recent years, France has been the leading supplier (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

1.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

compulsory for all men between the ages of 18 and 22; men can volunteer from the age of 16, women from 18; service is for 12 months; Search and Rescue service can be substituted for citizens who have reached the age of compulsory military service; duration of this service is 24 months (2023)

note

note 1: foreign nationals 18-22 residing in Bolivia may join the armed forces; joining speeds the process of acquiring Bolivian citizenship by naturalizationnote 2: as of 2022, women comprised about 8% of the Bolivian military's personnel

Disputes - international

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)Bolivia-Chile: despite tariff-free access to ports in southern Peru and northern Chile, Bolivia persists with its long-standing claims to regain sovereign access to the Pacific OceanBolivia-Peru: despite tariff-free access to ports in southern Peru and northern Chile, Bolivia persists with its long-standing claims to regain sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean; smuggling of archaeological artifacts from Peru to Bolivia, illegal timber and narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, and falsified documents are current issues Bolivia-Brazil: the Roboré Accord of March 29, 1958 placed the long-disputed Isla Suárez/Ilha de Guajará-Mirim, a fluvial island on the Río Mamoré, between the two towns of Guajará-Mirim (Brazil) and Guayaramerin (Bolivia), under Bolivian administration but did not resolve the sovereignty disputeBolivia-Argentina: contraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of the border Bolivia-Paraguay: on April 27, 2009, the president of Argentina hosted the presidents of Bolivia and Paraguay together with representatives of the five other guarantor states -- Brazil, Chile, Peru, the US, and Uruguay -- to the signing for the Final Record of the Boundary Commission in execution of the 1938 Peace Treaty between Bolivia and Paraguay

Illicit drugs

the third-largest source country of cocaine and a major transit country for Peruvian cocaine; coca cultivation in 2021 totaled 39,700 hectares (ha); most  cocaine is exported to other Latin American countries, especially Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, for domestic consumption, or for onward transit from those countries to West Africa and Europe, not the United States.  

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

15,700 (Venezuela) (2022)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Bolivia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government adopted a National Action Plan for the elimination of trafficking and reportedly sentenced three traffickers who had been detained since 2016; however, Bolivia did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period; officials did not report investigating, prosecuting, or convicting traffickers and did not report identifying or referring victims to care; therefore, Bolivia was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2023)

trafficking profile

Human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Bolivia, and victims from Bolivia abroad; Bolivian adults and children are exploited in sex trafficking and forced labor at home and abroad; officials report 63% of the victims identified were female; to a lesser extent, women from neighboring countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Paraguay, and Venezuela, are exploited in sex trafficking in Bolivia; some migrants from Chile, The Gambia, Venezuela, and the Caribbean travelling to or through Bolivia are subject to sex trafficking and forced labor; child sex tourists exploit children within Bolivia; rural, poor, mostly indigenous Bolivians, and LGBTQIA+ youth are particularly at risk for sex and labor trafficking; Bolivian women and girls are exploited in sex trafficking at home and abroad in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, and Peru; within Bolivia, adults and children are exploited in domestic work, mining, ranching, and agriculture; forced criminality continues, including cases of children being forced to commit crimes, such as robbery and drug production, as well as forced begging; traffickers exploit Bolivians in forced labor in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile in sweatshops, agriculture, brickmaking, domestic work, textile factories, and the informal sector; social media is used as the primary recruitment tool, luring vulnerable individuals with fraudulent employment opportunities  (2023)

Space agency/agencies

Bolivian Space Agency (la Agencia Boliviana Espacial, ABE; established 2010) (2023)

Space program overview

has a small space program focused on acquiring and operating satellites; operates a telecommunications satellite and two ground stations; has cooperated with China and India and member states of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) (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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

21.61 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

21.01 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

25.23 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Land use

agricultural land

34.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 30.5% (2018 est.)

forest

52.5% (2018 est.)

other

13.2% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Amazon Basin

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lago Titicaca (shared with Peru) - 8,030 sq km

salt water lake(s)

Lago Poopo - 1,340 sq km

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Paraná (2,582,704 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.33% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

574 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.92 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

71.2% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,219,052 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

268,727 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

12.1% (2015 est.)