2024 Edition Primary

Background

Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simón BOLÍVAR, 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 1980. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES as president -- by the widest margin of any leader since 1982 -- after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the poor and indigenous majority. In 2009 and 2014, MORALES easily won reelection, and his party maintained control of the legislative branch. In 2016, MORALES narrowly lost a referendum to approve a constitutional amendment that would have allowed him to compete in the 2019 presidential election. A subsequent Supreme Court ruling stating that term limits violate human rights provided the justification for MORALES to run despite the referendum, but rising violence, pressure from the military, and widespread allegations of electoral fraud ultimately forced him to flee the country. An interim government, led by President Jeanine AÑEZ Chávez, held new elections in 2020, and Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora was elected president.

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

28.5% (male 1,792,803/female 1,718,081)

15-64 years

64.5% (male 4,002,587/female 3,937,953)

65 years and over

7% (2024 est.) (male 397,384/female 463,166)

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

17.6 births/1,000 population (2024 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

6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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 Indigenous ancestry) 68%, Indigenous 20%, White 5%, Cholo/Chola 2%, African descent 1%, other 1%, unspecified 3%; 44% other 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

1.07 (2024 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 (2024 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 - Spanish and all Indigenous languages are official (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 (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

88.6% (2015)

male

96.5%

total population

92.5%

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

27 years

male

26.2 years

total

26.6 years (2024 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 (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.2% (2016)

Physician density

1.03 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

female

6,119,200 (2024 est.)

male

6,192,774

total

12,311,974

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% (2024 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

1.02 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 (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

4.8% (2020 est.)

male

20.5% (2020 est.)

total

12.7% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.2 children born/woman (2024 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 Señora de La Paz (Our Lady of Peace); Sucre is named after Antonio José 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 Simón BOLÍVAR, 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, Casilla 425, 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); Chargé d'Affaires Henry BALDELOMAR CHÁVEZ (since 11 October 2023)

consulate(s) general

Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

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)

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)

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

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, 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 - men 16, women 20, percentage women 55.6%Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 75, ACC 39, Creemos 16; composition - men 70, women 60, percentage women 46.2%; total Plurinational Legislative Assembly percentage 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

Community Citizen Alliance or ACCFront for Victory or FPVMovement Toward Socialism or MASNational Unity or UNRevolutionary Left Front or FRIRevolutionary Nationalist Movement or MNRSocial Democrat Movement or MDSThird System Movement or MTSWe Believe or Creemos

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

sugarcane, soybeans, potatoes, maize, rice, sorghum, milk, chicken, plantains, wheat (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

2.1% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

29% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$14.75 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$11.796 billion (2019 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 2021

$1.582 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$939.089 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$1.247 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$9.862 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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 2019

6.91 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

6.91 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

6.91 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

6.91 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

6.91 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$11.596 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$14.465 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$11.975 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

natural gas, gold, zinc ore, soybean meal, soybean oil (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

India 16%, Brazil 14%, Argentina 13%, Colombia 8%, Japan 7% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

27.3% (2023 est.)

government consumption

19.3% (2023 est.)

household consumption

67.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-31.6% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

17.5% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.9% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

12.5% (2023 est.)

industry

24.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

51.3% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$45.85 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

40.9 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.3% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

1.8% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$10.187 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$13.462 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$13.13 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, pesticides, plastic products, trucks (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Brazil 20%, China 19%, Chile 13%, Peru 9%, Argentina 6% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

1% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

0.74% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

1.75% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.58% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

6.114 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

39% (2020 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

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 2017

49% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$112.858 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$116.927 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$119.785 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

6.11% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.61% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.44% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$9,300 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$9,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$9,700 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

3.51% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

3.32% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

3.21% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$4.73 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$3.752 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.8 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

39.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

5.09% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.55% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.08% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

6.3% (2023 est.)

male

4.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

5.3% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

24,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

5.981 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

11.768 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

17.773 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

9,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

9,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

1 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

10.565 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

4.104 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

948.628 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

95.6%

electrification - total population

99.9% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

3.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

65% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

24.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

3.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

24.229 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

3.055 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

10.285 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

13.76 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

302.99 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

240.9 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

87,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

58,000 bbl/day (2023 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

5 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

550,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

100 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

12.034 million (2021 est.)

Airports

200 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

CP

Heliports

3 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 30, oil tanker 2, other 18

total

50 (2023)

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)

Railways

narrow gauge

3,960 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

total

3,960 km (2019)

Roadways

paved

9,792 km

total

90,568 km

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 situationsBolivia 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 defeat at the hands of Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), and its desire to regain access to the Pacific Ocean; 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 (2024)

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) (2024)

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 (2024)

Military expenditures

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 Expenditures 2023

1.2% of GDP (2023 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 (2024)

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

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)

16,350 (Venezuela) (2023)

Space agency/agencies

Bolivian Space Agency (la Agencia Boliviana Espacial, ABE; established 2010 as a national public company) (2024)

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) (2024)

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 the Space Programs reference guide

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.)