2023 Edition

Background

Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by military strongmen who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Although democratically elected governments largely held sway since 1959, the executive branch under Hugo CHAVEZ, president from 1999 to 2013, exercised increasingly authoritarian control over other branches of government.  This undemocratic trend continued in 2018 when Nicolas MADURO claimed the presidency for his second term in an election boycotted by most opposition parties and widely viewed as fraudulent.The last democratically-elected institution is the 2015 National Assembly. In 2020, legislative elections were held for a new National Assembly, which the opposition boycotted, and which were widely condemned as fraudulent. The resulting assembly is viewed by most opposition parties and many international actors as illegitimate. In November 2021, most opposition parties broke a three-year election boycott to participate in mayoral and gubernatorial elections, despite flawed conditions. As a result, the opposition more than doubled its representation at the mayoral level and retained four of 23 governorships. The 2021 regional elections marked the first time since 2006 that the EU was allowed to send an electoral observation mission to Venezuela.The MADURO regime places strong restrictions on freedoms of expression and the press. Since CHAVEZ, the ruling party's economic policies expanded the state's role in the economy through expropriations of major enterprises, strict currency exchange and price controls that discourage private sector investment and production, and overdependence on the petroleum industry for revenues, among others. Years of economic mismanagement left Venezuela ill-prepared to weather the global drop in oil prices in 2014, sparking an economic decline that has resulted in reduced government social spending, shortages of basic goods, and high inflation. Worsened living conditions have prompted over 7 million Venezuelans to migrate, mainly settling in nearby countries. Since 2017, the US has imposed financial and sectoral sanctions on the MADURO regime, and the regime's mismanagement and lack of investment in infrastructure has debilitated the country's oil sector. Caracas has more recently relaxed some economic controls to mitigate the impact of its sustained economic crisis, such as allowing increased currency and liberalizing import flexibility for private citizens and companies. Other concerns include human rights abuses, rampant violent crime, political manipulation of the judicial and electoral systems, and corruption.

Area

land

882,050 sq km

total

912,050 sq km

water

30,000 sq km

Area - comparative

almost six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Coastline

2,800 km

Elevation

highest point

Pico Bolivar 4,978 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

450 m

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 66 00 W

Geography - note

note 1: the country lies on major sea and air routes linking North and South America note 2: Venezuela has some of the most unique geology in the world; tepuis are massive table-top mountains of the western Guiana Highlands that tend to be isolated and thus support unique endemic plant and animal species; their sheer cliffsides account for some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world including Angel Falls, the world's highest (979 m) that drops off Auyan Tepui

Irrigated land

10,550 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Brazil 2,137 km; Colombia 2,341 km; Guyana 789 km

total

5,267 km

Land use

agricultural land

24.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20.6% (2018 est.)

forest

52.1% (2018 est.)

other

23.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

Lago de Maracaibo - 13,010 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rio Negro (shared with Colombia [s] and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco river source and mouth (shared with Colombia) - 2,101 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Orinoco (953,675 sq km)

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

15 nm

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Population distribution

most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas

Terrain

Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Age structure

0-14 years

25.13% (male 3,920,774/female 3,748,241)

15-64 years

65.98% (male 10,029,127/female 10,105,332)

65 years and over

8.9% (2023 est.) (male 1,239,205/female 1,475,581)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

2.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

75% (2010)

Current health expenditure

3.8% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.5% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Demographic profile

Venezuela’s ongoing socio-economic, political, and human rights crises have resulted in widespread poverty and food insecurity and have devastated the country’s healthcare system.  According to a 2018 national hospital survey, many hospitals were unable to provide basic services, and 20% of operating rooms and intensive care units were non-functional.  Hospitals reported shortages in water (79%), medicines (88%), and surgical supplies (79%).  The poor conditions in healthcare facilities have motivated many doctors and other health professionals to emigrate, resulting in shortages of specialists, particularly in emergency care.  The scarcity of medicines, vaccines, medical supplies, and mosquito controls is leading to a rise in infectious diseases.  Tuberculosis cases jumped by 68% between 2014 and 2017, and malaria rates had the largest rise in the world from 2016 to 2017 at 69%.  Diptheria, which had been eradicated in the country in 1999, re-emerged in 2016, and new cases have surfaced in 2023.  Infectious disease outbreaks, such as measles and malaria, have crossed into neighboring countries.  Infant mortality, which had been decreasing since the 1950s, has been on the rise since 2009.  Between 2015 and 2016, infant deaths increased 30%, while maternal mortality increased 65%.   Since 2015, more than 7.32 million Venezuelan migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers have been reported by host governments, with approximately 84% relocatingin Latin America and the Caribbean, as of May 2023.  Colombia has been the largest recipient, accommodating almost 2.5 million as of February 2022, followed by Peru and Ecuador.  As of June 2022, almost 212,000 of the refugees and close to 1.04 million of the fasylum seekers were recognized by national authorities.  An additional 4.3 million Venezuelans have been granted residence permits or other types of regular stay arrangements, as of March 2023.  The initial wave of migrants were highly educated professionals.  These were followed by university-educated young people.  As the economy collapsed in 2017-2018, Venezuelan migrants have been less-educated and from low-income households.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

13.1

potential support ratio

7.6 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.5

youth dependency ratio

44.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 94.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 5.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

1.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Ethnic groups

unspecified Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous

Gross reproduction rate

1.07 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

12.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

15.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

Languages

Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects

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

77.5 years

male

71.2 years

total population

74.3 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.7% (2021)

male

97.4%

total population

97.5%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria

Major urban areas - population

2.972 million CARACAS (capital), 2.368 million Maracaibo, 1.983 million Valencia, 1.254 million Barquisimeto, 1.243 million Maracay, 964,000 Ciudad Guayana (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

31.5 years

male

30.1 years

total

30.8 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Venezuelan

noun

Venezuelan(s)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.6% (2016)

Physicians density

1.73 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

30,518,260 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas

Population growth rate

2.4% (2023 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 95.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 4.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.84 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

2.2 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

88.4% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales (Federal Dependencies)**, Distrito Capital (Capital District)*, Falcon, Guarico, La Guaira, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia

note

note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Capital

etymology

named for the native Caracas tribe that originally settled in the city's valley site near the Caribbean coast

geographic coordinates

10 29 N, 66 52 W

name

Caracas

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

10 years; reduced to five years in the case of applicants from Spain, Portugal, Italy, or a Latin American or Caribbean country

Constitution

amendments

proposed through agreement by at least 39% of the National Assembly membership, by the president of the republic in session with the cabinet of ministers, or by petition of at least 15% of registered voters; passage requires simple majority vote by the Assembly and simple majority approval in a referendum; amended 2009; note - in 2016, President MADURO issued a decree to hold an election to form a constituent assembly to change the constitution; the election in July 2017 approved the formation of a 545-member constituent assembly and elected its delegates, empowering them to change the constitution and dismiss government institutions and officials

history

many previous; latest adopted 15 December 1999, effective 30 December 1999

Country name

conventional long form

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

conventional short form

Venezuela

etymology

native stilt-houses built on Lake Maracaibo reminded early explorers Alonso de OJEDA and Amerigo VESPUCCI in 1499 of buildings in Venice and so they named the region "Venezuola," which in Italian means "Little Venice"

former

State of Venezuela, Republic of Venezuela, United States of Venezuela

local long form

República Bolivariana de Venezuela

local short form

Venezuela

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); as of 19 May 2023, Francisco L. PALMIERI serves as the chief of mission of the Venezuelan Affairs Unit, located at the United States Embassy, Bogota, Colombia

email address and website

ACSBogota@state.govhttps://ve.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Venezuela Affairs Unit, Carrera 45 N. 24B-27, Bogotapreviously - F St. and Suapure St.; Urb. Colinas de Valle Arriba; Caracas 1080

mailing address

3140 Caracas Place, Washington DC  20521-3140

telephone

1-888-407-4747  

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007; note - closed since 5 January 2023

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); note - the embassy, which had been run by the Venezuelan political opposition, announced on 5 January 2023, that it had ended all embassy functions

email address and website

despacho.embveus@mppre.gob.ve

FAX

[1] (202) 342-6820; note - closed since 5 January 2023

telephone

[1] (202) 342-2214; note - closed since 5 January 2023

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

Notification Statement: the United States does not recognize Nicolas MADURO Moros as president of VenezuelaPresident Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013); Executive Vice President Delcy RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 14 June 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

2018: Nicolas MADURO Moros reelected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 68%, Henri FALCON (AP) 21%, Javier BERTUCCI 11%; note - the election was reportedly marred by serious shortcomings and electoral fraud2013: Nicolas MADURO Moros elected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 50.6%, Henrique CAPRILES Radonski (PJ) 49.1%, other 0.3%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits); election last held on 20 May 2018 (next to be held in the second half of 2024)

head of government

President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013); Executive Vice President Delcy RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 14 June 2018)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band; the flag retains the three equal horizontal bands and three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; yellow is interpreted as standing for the riches of the land, blue for the courage of its people, and red for the blood shed in attaining independence; the seven stars on the original flag represented the seven provinces in Venezuela that united in the war of independence; in 2006, then President Hugo CHAVEZ ordered an eighth star added to the star arc - a decision that sparked much controversy - to conform with the flag proclaimed by Simon Bolivar in 1827 and to represent the historic province of Guayana

Government type

federal presidential republic

Independence

5 July 1811 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Tribunal of Justice (consists of 32 judges organized into constitutional, political-administrative, electoral, civil appeals, criminal appeals, and social divisions)

judge selection and term of office

judges proposed by the Committee of Judicial Postulation (an independent body of organizations dealing with legal issues and of the organs of citizen power) and appointed by the National Assembly; judges serve nonrenewable 12-year terms; note - in July 2017, the National Assembly named 33 judges to the court to replace a series of judges, it argued, had been illegally appointed in late 2015 by the outgoing, socialist-party-led Assembly; the Government of President MADURO and the Socialist Party-appointed judges refused to recognize these appointments, however, and many of the new judges have since been imprisoned or forced into exile

subordinate courts

Superior or Appeals Courts (Tribunales Superiores); District Tribunals (Tribunales de Distrito); Courts of First Instance (Tribunales de Primera Instancia); Parish Courts (Tribunales de Parroquia); Justices of the Peace (Justicia de Paz) Network

Legal system

civil law system based on the Spanish civil code

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (277 seats; 3 seats reserved for indigenous peoples of Venezuela; members serve 5-year terms); note - in 2020, the National Electoral Council increased the number of seats in the National Assembly from 167 to 277 for the 6 December 2020 election

election results

percent of vote by party - GPP (pro-government) 69.3%, Democratic Alliance (opposition coalition) 17.7%, other 13%; seats by party - GPP 253, Democratic Alliance 18, indigenous peoples 3, other 3; composition - NA

elections

last held on 6 December 2020 (next to be held in December 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Vicente SALIAS/Juan Jose LANDAETA

name

"Gloria al bravo pueblo" (Glory to the Brave People)

note

note: adopted 1881; lyrics written in 1810, the music some years later; both SALIAS and LANDAETA were executed in 1814 during Venezuela's struggle for independence

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Coro and its Port (c); Canaima National Park (n); Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas (c)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

National symbol(s)

troupial (bird); national colors: yellow, blue, red

Political parties and leaders

A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo) or UNT [Omar Enrique BARBOZA Gutierrez]Brave People's Alliance or ABP [Antonio LEDEZMA]Cambiemos Movimiento Ciudadano or CMC [Timoteo ZAMBRANO]Christian Democrats or COPEI [Juan Carlos ALVARADO Prato, Roberto ENRIQUEZ]Citizens Encounter or EC [Delsa SOLORZANO]Clear Accounts or CC [Enzo SCARANO]Coalition of parties loyal to Nicolas MADURO - Great Patriotic Pole or GPP [Nicolas MADURO]Coalition of opposition parties - Democratic Alliance (Alianza Democratica) (includes AD, EL CAMBIO, COPEI, CMC, and AP)Come Venezuela (Vente Venezuela) or VV [Maria Corina MACHADO]Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Oscar FIGUERA]Consenso en la Zona or Conenzo [Enzo SCARANO and Leon JURADO]Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]Democratic Action or AD [Jose Bernabe GUTIERREZ Parra]Fatherland for All (Patria para Todos) or PPT [Ilenia MEDINA] Fuerza Vecinal or FV [leaders include mayors Gustavo DUQUE, Darwin GONZALEZ, Elias SAYEGH, Manuel FERREIRA, Josy FERNANDEZ, and Morel David RODRIGUEZ]; note - national spokesman David UZCATEGUIHope for Change (Esperanza por el Cambio) or EL CAMBIO [Javier Alejandro BERTUCCI Carrero]Justice First (Primero Justicia) or PJ [Tomas GUANIPA]LAPIZ [Antonio Domingo ECARRI Angola]Movement to Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo) or MAS [Segundo MELENDEZ] Popular Will (Voluntad Popular) or VP [Leopoldo LOPEZ]Progressive Advance (Avanzada Progresista) or AP [Henri FALCON]The Radical Cause or La Causa R [Andres VELAZQUEZ]United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Nicolas MADURO]Venezuela First (Primero Venezuela) or PV [Luis PARRA] Venezuelan Progressive Movement or MPV [Simon CALZADILLA]Venezuela Project or PV [Carlos BERRIZBEITIA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugar cane, maize, milk, rice, plantains, bananas, pineapples, potatoes, beef, poultry

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.8% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

19.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$76 million (2017 est.)

revenues

$30 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-46.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

RD (2017)

Moody's rating

WR (2019)

note

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

Standard & Poors rating

SD (2017)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$3.87 billion (2016 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$109.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$100.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

South American economy; ongoing hyperinflation since mid-2010s; chaotic economy due to political corruption, infrastructure cuts, and human rights abuses; in debt default; oil exporter; hydropower consumer; rising Chinese relations

Exchange rates

Currency

bolivars (VEB) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

6.048 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

6.284 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

6.284 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

9.257 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

9.975 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2017

$93.485 billion (2017 est.)

Exports 2018

$83.401 billion (2018 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, industrial alcohols, gold, iron (2019)

Exports - partners

India 34%, China 28%, United States 12%, Spain 6% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

7% (2017 est.)

government consumption

19.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

68.5% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-10.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

13.9% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.7% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

4.7% (2017 est.)

industry

40.4% (2017 est.)

services

54.9% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$210.1 billion (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2011

39 (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

32.7% (2006)

lowest 10%

1.7%

Imports

Imports 2017

$18.376 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2018

$18.432 billion (2018 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, rice, corn, tires, soybean meal, wheat (2019)

Imports - partners

China 28%, United States 22%, Brazil 8%, Spain 6%, Mexico 6%  (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-2% (2017 est.)

Industries

agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products, crude oil and petroleum products

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

416.8% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

45,518.1% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

146,101.7% (2019 est.)

Labor force

10.245 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

33.1% (2015 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data cover central government debt, as well as the debt of state-owned oil company PDVSA; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include some debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; some debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions

Public debt 2016

31.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

38.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$334.751 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$269.068 billion (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

-15.76% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

-19.67% (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2017

$9,417 (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2018

$7,704 (2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$11 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$9.794 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

44.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

5.1% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

6.63% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

6.41% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

19.3% NA

male

13.4% NA

total

14.9% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

108,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

46.222 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

57.378 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

103.708 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

33,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

685,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

396,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

731 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

78,082,020,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

870 million kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

32.956 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

26.452 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99.8% (2021)

electrification - total population

99.9% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

100% (2021)

population without electricity

(2020) less than 1 million

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

30.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

69.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

85.829 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

22,694,584,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2020 est.)

production

22,694,584,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

5,673,894,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

1,002,700 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

303.806 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

470,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

604,800 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

325,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

20,640 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

926,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

9 (2020 est.)

total

2,561,556 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

Venezuela has a mixture of state-run and private broadcast media that are subject to high levels of regime control, including the shuttering of opposition-leaning media outlets; 13 public service networks, 61 privately owned TV networks, a privately owned news channel with limited national coverage, and a regime-backed Pan-American channel; 3 regime-run radio networks officially control roughly 65 news stations and another 30 stations targeted at specific audiences; regime-sponsored community broadcasters include 235 radio stations and 44 TV stations; the number of private broadcast radio stations has been declining, but many still remain in operation (2021)

Internet country code

.ve

Internet users

percent of population

78.7% (2022 est.)

total

22,734,162 (2022 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 11 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is 60 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Venezuela’s fixed-line teledensity was relatively high for the region before the steady growth in the number of lines came to an end in 2015; since then, the number of lines has plummeted, and by late 2021 teledensity had fallen to about 17.3%; the cause is largely linked to the country’s ongoing economic troubles, which have compelled many people to terminate fixed-line telecom services and others still to flee the country; these pressures have also distorted sector revenue and have placed into disarray operators’ investment plans aimed at improving networks and expanding the reach and capabilities of new technologies and services; the fixed broadband penetration rate is lower than the regional average, while data speeds are also relatively low; there is no effective competition in the provision of DSL, and as a result the state-owned incumbent CANTV has had little incentive to improve services from its meager revenue streams; mobile penetration in Venezuela is also below the regional average; the number of mobile subscribers fell by an estimated 2.4% in 2020, year-on-year, as subscribers terminated services in a bid to reduce discretionary spending, this decline is expected to continue into 2022, with subscriber growth not returning until 2023 (2021)

international

country code - 58; landing points for the Venezuela Festoon, ARCOS, PAN-AM, SAC, GlobeNet, ALBA-1 and Americas II submarine cable system providing connectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

11 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

3.2 million (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

60 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

17 million (2021 est.)

Airports

444 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

127

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.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

317

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

YV

Heliports

3 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 3, container ship 1, general cargo 25, oil tanker 17, other 226

total

272 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1.55 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

2,137,771 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

75

number of registered air carriers

12 (2020)

Pipelines

981 km extra heavy crude, 5941 km gas, 7,588 km oil, 1,778 km refined products (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon

oil terminal(s)

Jose terminal

Railways

standard gauge

447 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (41.4 km electrified)

total

447 km (2014)

Roadways

total

96,189 km (2014)

Waterways

7,100 km (2011) (Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels)

Military - note

the armed forces (FANB) are responsible for ensuring Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity but also have a domestic role, including assisting with maintaining internal order and law enforcement, contributing to national socio-economic development, and providing disaster/humanitarian assistance; the military conducts security operations in large parts of the country and has been deployed against illegal armed groups operating in the Colombian border region and other areas of the country to combat organized crime gangs involved in narcotics trafficking and illegal miningthe military has a large role in the country’s economy and political sectors; between 2013 and 2017, Venezuela established at least a dozen military-led firms in economic areas, such as agriculture, banking, construction, insurance, the media, mining, oil, and tourism; military officers reportedly lead as many as 60 state-owned companies; as of 2023, 14 of 32 government ministries were controlled by the military, including the ministries of agriculture, food, petroleum, and waterthe FANB is deployed throughout the country in one maritime and seven geographical regional commands known as Integral Strategic Defense Regions (Regiones Estrategicas de Defensa Integral or REDI) that are mandated to provide for the defense, security, social, and economic needs of their respective areas of responsibility; the REDIs are further broken down into zones and state commands; the Army has six divisional headquarters and approximately 21 combat brigades spread amongst the seven geographical REDIs; the brigades are a mix of armored, artillery, infantry, military police, motorized cavalry, and special operations forces; some infantry brigades are mechanized or are specialized for airborne, jungle, mountain, or security operations; the Army also has an aviation brigade; the Navy is a coastal defense force and includes commands for operations, aviation, and the coast guard; the operational readiness of the Navy’s ship inventory has been affected by Venezuela’s economic problems; its principal operational warships include two frigates and approximately four ocean-going patrol ships; it also has two attack submarines although they are not assessed to be operational; the Navy has a marine infantry force that includes several amphibious or riverine brigades and a special operations brigade; the Air Force has less than 50 US- and Russian-made fighters and multirole fighter aircraft; the National Guard is organized into nine regional commands which control battalion and regimental size units; the Bolivarian Militia is reportedly divided into a reserve service, a territorial guard component comprised of local battalions and detachments, and a coastal guard forcemembers of the terrorist organizations National Liberation Army (ELN) and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia dissidents (FARC-People's Army and Segundo Marquetalia - see Appendix T) operate in Venezuela, mostly in the states of Amazonas, Apure, Bolivar, Guarico, Tachira, and Zulia; the ELN is assessed to be present in 12 of Venezuela’s 23 states; the groups are particularly active in Apure state; the Venezuelan military has been deployed to the border region to patrol border crossings and has clashed with both the ELN and the FARC dissident groups (2023)

Military and security forces

Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes marines, Coast Guard), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB; includes a joint-service Aerospace Defense Command (Comando de Defensa Aeroespacial Integral, CODAI), Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB)Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace: Bolivarian National Police (Policía Nacional Bolivariana, PNB) (2023)

note

note 1: the Bolivarian Militia was added as a "special component" to the FANB in 2020; it is comprised of armed civilians who receive periodic training in exchange for a small stipendnote 2: the National Guard, established in 1937 and made a component of the FANB in 2007, is responsible for maintaining public order, guarding the exterior of key government installations and prisons, conducting counter-narcotics operations, monitoring borders, and providing law enforcement in remote areas; it reports to both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peacenote 3: the PNB is a federal force created by Hugo CHAVEZ in 2008 as a “preventative police force,” separate from state and local ones; the PNB largely focuses on policing Caracas’ Libertador municipality, patrolling Caracas-area highways, railways, and metro system, and protecting diplomatic missions; the PNB includes the Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES), a paramilitary unit created by President MADURO to bolster internal security after the 2017 anti-government protests; it has been accused of multiple human rights abuses    

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 125-150,000 active military personnel, including about 25-30,000 National Guard; approximately 200-225,000 Bolivarian Militia; approximately 45,000 National Police (2022)

note

note: in December 2022, President Nicolas MADURO announced that the National Police would be increased to 100,000 in 2024

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FANB inventory is mainly of Chinese and Russian origin with a smaller mix of mostly older equipment from Western countries, including the US; in recent years, suppliers have included China, the Netherlands, and Spain (2023)

note

note: the US prohibited the sale or transfer of military arms or technology to Venezuela in 2006

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2015

1.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

Military Expenditures 2016

2.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military Expenditures 2017

2.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

4.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

5.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 (25 for women) for voluntary service; the minimum service obligation is 24-30 months; all citizens of military service age (18-50) are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training, although “forcible recruitment” is forbidden (2023)

Disputes - international

Venezuela-Brazil: none identified Venezuela-Colombia: dispute with Colombia over maritime boundary and Venezuelan administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared border region; the border between the two countries was closed from March 2020 to October 2021 due to COVID, but goods and people fleeing poverty and violence continued to be smuggled from Venezuela into Colombia, and illegal narcotics and armed men flowed into Venezuela from Colombia; since the FARC disarmed in 2016, some former members have formed armed dissident groups that operate along the border Venezuela-Guyana: claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; in 2018, Guyana initiated proceedings against Venezuela with the International Court of Justice (ICJ); Venezuela requested a direct dialogue to settle the dispute; the ICJ ruled that it had jurisdiction to hear the case in December 2020; in September 2021, Venezuelan officials issued a statement reasserting dominion over three-quarters of Guyana, which Guyana stated was a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity; in December 2023, the Venezuelan Government conducted a public referendum asking its citizens to support establishing a state in the disputed territory, granting citizenship to current and future area residents, and rejecting the jurisdiction of the ICJ Venezuela-various:  Venezuela claims Aves Island and thereby an economic exclusion Zone/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea; Venezuela’s claim to Aves Island is disputed by Dominica and several other countries because the island has rich guano deposits useful in producing fertilizer and gunpowder, as well as large fish stocks and natural gas reserves; contraband smuggling (narcotics and arms), illegal migration, trafficking in animals, plants, lumber, illegal exploitation of mineral resources

Illicit drugs

a major drug-transit country and trafficking route in the Western Hemisphere for illegal drugs mainly cocaine;  government depends on rents from narco-trafficking, along with other illicit activities, to maintain power;  evidence of coca cultivation and cocaine production in domestic drug laboratories suggests the country is now also an illicit drug-producing country;  a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics  

Refugees and internally displaced persons

note

note: As of May 2023, approximately 7.32 Venezuelan refugees and migrants reside worldwide with 83.9% in Latin America and the Caribbean

refugees (country of origin)

39,185 (Colombia) (mid-year 2022)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 3 — Venezuela does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making any efforts to do so, therefore Venezuela remained on Tier 3; the Maduro regime (which is not recognized by the United States) took some steps to address trafficking, arresting some complicit individuals and issuing a decree to develop a national action plan; however, the regime did not report assisting victims or prosecuting or convicting traffickers; the regime continued to provide support and a permissive environment to non-state armed groups that recruited and used child soldiers and engaged in sex trafficking and forced labor with impunity; representatives did not make sufficient efforts to curb forced recruitment of children by non-state armed groups (2022)

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Venezuela, as well as Venezuelans abroad; more than six million Venezuelans, facing deteriorating economic conditions at home, have fled to neighboring countries are at risk of human trafficking; traffickers exploit Venezuelans in Aruba, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Guyana, Haiti, Iceland, Macau, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago; Venezuelan women and girls are at risk of sex trafficking in Colombia, Ecuador, and Trinidad and Tobago; women, including transgender women, have been lured to Spain and Germany with fraudulent employment offers and exploited in commercial sex; men are exploited in forced labor in other countries, including Aruba and Curacao; Venezuelan women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking and child sex tourism; children are exploited in sex trafficking and forced labor, including in farming, domestic service, construction, mining, and criminal groups; non-state armed groups—including illegal Colombian groups near border regions—force some Venezuelans into criminal acts, forced labor, sex trafficking, and use as child soldiers, which is reportedly tolerated by the Maduro regime; sex and labor trafficking victims from South America, Caribbean, Asian, and African countries have been reported in Venezuela; the Cuban government may be exploiting Cuban workers in medical missions in Venezuela (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales, ABAE; formed 2007); ABAE was originally known as the Venezuelan Space Center (CEV; created 2005); the ABAE is under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (2023)

Space program overview

has a small program primarily focused on the acquisition of satellites and developing the country’s space engineering and sciences capabilities; operates satellites and maintains two satellite ground control stations; has received technical assistance from China (2023)

note

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

Terrorist group(s)

National Liberation Army (ELN); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP); Segundo Marquetalia

note

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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

164.18 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

68.66 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

16.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Environment - current issues

sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Food insecurity

widespread lack of access

due to severe economic crisis -despite a resumption of economic growth since 2021, outflows of refugees and migrants have continued in the first five months of 2023; the number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants (in-destination) in need of food assistance is projected at 3.62 million in 2023 (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

24.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 20.6% (2018 est.)

forest

52.1% (2018 est.)

other

23.4% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

Lago de Maracaibo - 13,010 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rio Negro (shared with Colombia [s] and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco river source and mouth (shared with Colombia) - 2,101 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Orinoco (953,675 sq km)

Total renewable water resources

1.33 trillion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

16.71 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

790 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

5.12 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

88.4% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

9,779,093 tons (2010 est.)