Statistical information Bolivia 2018

Bolivia in the World
top of pageBackground: Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of coups and countercoups, with the last coup occurring in 1978. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production.
top of pageLocation: Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S, 65 00 W
Map reference:
South AmericaAreaTotal: 1,098,581 km²
Land: 1,083,301 km²
Water: 15,280 km²
Rank: 29
Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land boundariesTotal: 7,252 km
Border countries: (5) Argentina 942 km;
, Brazil 3,403 km;
, Chile 942 km;
, Paraguay 753 km;
, Peru 1212 kmCoastline: 0 km
Note: (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain: rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
ElevationMean elevation: 1192 m
Elevation extremes: 90 m
Note: lowest point: Rio Paraguay
Natural resources: tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
Land useAgricultural land: 34.3% (2011 est.)
arable land: 3.6% (2011 est.)
permanent crops: 0.2% (2011 est.)
permanent pasture: 30.5% (2011 est.)
Forest: 52.5% (2011 est.)
Other: 13.2% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land: 3,000 km² (2012)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural 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)
GeographyNote: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
top of pagePopulationDistribution: 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: 11,306,341 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 80
Growth rate: 1.48% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 74
Below poverty line:38.6% (2015 est.)
note: based on percent of population living on less than the international standard of $2/day
NationalityNoun: Bolivian(s)
Adjective: Bolivian
Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 68%, indigenous 20%, white 5%, cholo/chola 2%, black 1%, other 1%, unspecified 3% ; 44% of respondents indicated feeling part of some indigenous group, predominantly Quechua or Aymara (2009 est.)
note: results among surveys vary based on the wording of the ethnicity question and the available response choices; the 2001 national census did not provide 'mestizo' as a response choice, resulting in a much higher proportion of respondents identifying themselves as belonging to one of the available indigenous ethnicity choices; the use of 'mestizo' and 'cholo' varies among response choices in surveys, with surveys using the terms interchangeably, providing one or the other as a response choice, or providing the two as separate response choices
Languages:
Spanish (official) 60.7%, Quechua (official) 21.2%, Aymara (official) 14.6%, foreign languages 2.4%, Guarani (official) 0.6%, other native languages 0.4%, none 0.1% (2001 est.)
note: Bolivia's 2009 constitution designates Spanish and all indigenous languages as official; 36 indigenous languages are specified, including a few that are extinct
Religions: Roman Catholic 76.8%, Evangelical and Pentecostal 8.1%, Protestant 7.9%, other 1.7%, none 5.5% (2012 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.
Age structure0-14 years: 31.34% (male 1,805,765 /female 1,737,647)
15-24 years: 19.37% (male 1,109,388 /female 1,080,662)
25-54 years: 37.9% (male 2,098,847 /female 2,185,890)
55-64 years: 5.96% (male 310,250 /female 363,403)
65 years and over: 5.43% (male 270,435 /female 344,054) (2018 est.)
Dependency ratiosTotal dependency ratio: 63.7 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 53.1 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 10.6 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 9.4 (2015 est.)
Median ageTotal: 24.6 years
Male: 23.9 years
Female: 25.4 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 161
Population growth rate: 1.48% (2018 est.)
Rank: 74
Birth rate: 21.6 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 71
Death rate: 6.3 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 149
Net migration rate: -0.5 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 122
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
UrbanizationUrban population: 69.4% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.97% annual rate of change
Major urban areasPopulation: 1.814 million LA PAZ (capital), 1.641 million Santa Cruz, 1.24 million Cochabamba, 278,000 Sucre (constitutional capital) (2018)
EnvironmentCurrent 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birth:
21.2 years (2008 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
Maternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rateTotal: 34.2 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 37.6 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 30.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 51
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 69.8 years (2018 est.)
Male: 67 years (2018 est.)
Female: 72.8 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 161
Total fertility rate: 2.58 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 74
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 66.5% (2016)
Drinking water sourceUrban: 3.3% of population
Rural: 24.4% of population
Total: 10% of population (2015 est.)
Current health expenditurePhysicians density: 0.47 physicians/1000 population (2011)
Hospital bed density: 1.1 beds/1000 population (2014)
Sanitation facility accessUrban: 39.2% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 72.5% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 49.7% of population (2015 est.)
Hiv/AidsAdult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 78
People living with hivaids: 21,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 81
Deaths note: <1000 (2017 est.)
Major infectious diseasesDegree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever (2016):
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 20.2% (2016)
Rank: 102
Alcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.4% (2016)
Rank: 93
Education expenditures: 7.3% of GDP (2014)
Rank: 16
LiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 92.5% (2015 est.)
Male: 96.5% (2015 est.)
Female: 88.6% (2015 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Plurinational State of Bolivia
Conventional short form: Bolivia
Local long form: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia
Local short form: Bolivia
Etymology: the country is named after Simon BOLIVAR, a 19th-century leader in the South American wars for independence
Government type: presidential republic
CapitalName: La Paz (administrative capital); Sucre (constitutional [legislative and judicial] capital)Geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time):
note: at approximately 3,630 m above sea level, La Paz's elevation makes it the highest capital city in the world
Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
Dependent areasIndependence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
ConstitutionHistory: many previous; latest drafted 6 August 2006 to 9 December 2008, approved by referendum 25 January 2009, effective 7 February 2009; note - in late 2017, the Constitutional Tribunal declared inapplicable provisions of the constitution that prohibit elected officials, including the president, from serving more than 2 consecutive terms (2018)
Amendments: proposed through public petition by at least 20% of voters or by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership of the Assembly and approval in a referendum; amended 2013 (2018)
Legal system: civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and indigenous law
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
CitizenshipCitizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branchChief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot one of 3 ways: candidate wins at least 50% of the vote, or at least 40% of the vote and 10% more than the next highest candidate; otherwise a second round is held and the winner determined by simple majority vote; no term limits (changed from two consecutive term limit by Constitutional Court in late 2017); election last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019)
Election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (MAS) 61%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana (UN) 24.5%; Jorge QUIROGA Ramirez (POC) 9.1%; other 5.4%
Legislative branchDescription:bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of:
Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (36 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; 70 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 53 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote, and 7 - apportioned to non-contiguous, rural areas in 7 of the 9 states - directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections:
Chamber of Senators - last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019)
Election results:
Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 25, UD 9, PDC 2;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 88, UD 32, PDC 10
Judicial branchHighest courts: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (consists of 12 judges or ministros organized into civil, penal, social, and administrative chambers); Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 7 primary and 7 alternate magistrates); Plurinational Electoral Organ (consists of 7 members and 6 alternates); National Agro-Environment Court (consists of 5 primary and 5 alternate judges; Council of the Judiciary (consists of 3 primary and 3 alternate judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court, Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal, National Agro-Environmental Court, and Council of the Judiciary candidates pre-selected by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly and elected by direct popular vote; judges elected for 6-year terms; Plurinational Electoral Organ judges appointed - 6 by the Legislative Assembly and 1 by the president of the republic; members serve single 6-year terms
Subordinate courts: National Electoral Court; District Courts (in each of the 9 administrative departments); agro-environmental lower courts
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]National Unity or UN [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]
International organization participation: CAN, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge dAffaires Rafael Pablo CANEDO Daroca (since July 2017)
In the us chancery: 3,014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 328-4,155
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 328-3,712
In the us consulate: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, DC
In the us: note: in September 2008, the US expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US in reciprocity for Bolivia expelling the US ambassador to Bolivia
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge dAffaires Bruce WILLIAMSON (since December 2017)
From the us embassy: Avenida Arce 2,780, Casilla 425, La Paz
From the us mailing address: 3,220 La Paz Place, Dulles, VA, 20,189-3,220
From the us telephone: [591] (2) 216-8,000
From the us FAX: [591] (2) 216-8,111
From the us: note: in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, Philip GOLDBERG, and both countries have yet to reinstate their ambassadors
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land
note: similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag
National symbols: llama, Andean condor; national colors: red, yellow, green
National anthemName: Cancion Patriotica (Patriotic Song)
Lyricsmusic: Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI:
note: adopted 1852
National heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Bolivia is a resource rich country with strong growth attributed to captive markets for natural gas exports - to Brazil and Argentina. However, the country remains one of the least developed countries in Latin America because of state-oriented policies that deter investment.Following an economic crisis during the early 1980s, reforms in the 1990s spurred private investment, stimulated economic growth, and cut poverty rates. The period 2003-05 was characterized by political instability, racial tensions, and violent protests against plans - subsequently abandoned - to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large Northern Hemisphere markets. In 2005-06, the government passed hydrocarbon laws that imposed significantly higher royalties and required foreign firms then operating under risk-sharing contracts to surrender all production to the state energy company in exchange for a predetermined service fee; the laws engendered much public debate. High commodity prices between 2010 and 2014 sustained rapid growth and large trade surpluses with GDP growing 6.8% in 2013 and 5.4% in 2014. The global decline in oil prices that began in late 2014 exerted downward pressure on the price Bolivia receives for exported gas and resulted in lower GDP growth rates - 4.9% in 2015 and 4.3% in 2016 - and losses in government revenue as well as fiscal and trade deficits.A lack of foreign investment in the key sectors of mining and hydrocarbons, along with conflict among social groups, pose challenges for the Bolivian economy. In 2015, President Evo MORALES expanded efforts to court international investment and boost Bolivia’s energy production capacity. MORALES passed an investment law and promised not to nationalize additional industries in an effort to improve the investment climate. In early 2016, the Government of Bolivia approved the 2016-2020 National Economic and Social Development Plan aimed at maintaining growth of 5% and reducing poverty.
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$83.72 billion (2017 est.)
$80.35 billion (2016 est.)
$77.07 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 94
Real gdp growth rate:
4.2% (2017 est.)
4.3% (2016 est.)
4.9% (2015 est.)
Rank: 70
Real gdp per capita:
$7,600 (2017 est.)
$7,400 (2016 est.)
$7,200 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 154
Gross national saving:
15.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
15.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
14.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 132
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useHousehold consumption: 67.7% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 17% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 3.8% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 21.7% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -31.3% (2017 est.)
Gdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 13.8% (2017 est.)
Industry: 37.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 48.2% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: soybeans, quinoa, Brazil nuts, sugarcane, coffee, corn, rice, potatoes, chia, coca
Industries: mining, smelting, electricity, petroleum, food and beverages, handicrafts, clothing, jewelry
Industrial production growth rate: 2.2% (2017 est.)
Rank: 123
Labor force: 5.719 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 73
By occupation agriculture: 29.4%
By occupation industry: 22%
By occupation services: 48.6% (2015 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4% (2017 est.)
4% (2016 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment
Rank: 49
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty line:
38.6% (2015 est.)
note: based on percent of population living on less than the international standard of $2/day
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareLowest 10: 36.1% (2014 est.)
Highest 10: 36.1% (2014 est.)
Distribution of family income gini index:
47 (2016 est.)
57.9 (1999)
Rank: 28
BudgetRevenues: 15.09 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 18.02 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -7.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 196
Taxes and other revenues: 39.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 39
Public debt:
49% of GDP (2017 est.)
44.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities
Rank: 104
RevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices:
2.8% (2017 est.)
3.6% (2016 est.)
Rank: 127
Central bank discount rate:
2.5% (31 December 2017 est.)
2.5% (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 114
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.11% (31 December 2017 est.)
7.95% (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 106
Stock of narrow money:
$9.616 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$9.09 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 82
Stock of broad money:
$9.616 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$9.09 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 84
Stock of domestic credit:
$25.61 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$22.39 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 85
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$12.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$12.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$11.11 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 70
Current account balance:
-$2.375 billion (2017 est.)
-$1.932 billion (2016 est.)
Rank: 171
Exports:
$7.746 billion (2017 est.)
$7.214 billion (2016 est.)
Rank: 99
Partners: Brazil 17.9%, Argentina 16%, US 7.8%, Japan 7.3%, India 6.6%, South Korea 6.3%, Colombia 5.8%, China 5.1%, UAE 4.7% (2017)
Commodities: natural gas, silver, zinc, lead, tin, gold, quinoa, soybeans and soy products
Imports:
$8.601 billion (2017 est.)
$7.888 billion (2016 est.)
Rank: 108
Commodities: machinery, petroleum products, vehicles, iron and steel, plastics
Partners: China 21.7%, Brazil 16.8%, Argentina 12.6%, US 8.4%, Peru 6.5% (2017)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$10.26 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$10.08 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 74
Debt external:
$12.81 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$7.268 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 106
Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
$12.31 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$11.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 93
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
$0 (31 December 2017 est.)
$0 (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 120
Exchange rates:
6.86 (2017 est.)
6.86 (2016 est.)
6.91 (2015 est.)
6.91 (2014 est.)
6.91 (2013 est.)
top of pageElectricityAccess population without electricity: 1.2 million (2013)
Access electrification total population: 90% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 99% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 72% (2013)
Production: 8.951 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 107
Consumption: 7.785 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 105
Exports: 0 kWh (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 108
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 127
Installed generating capacity: 2.764 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 101
Generation sources fossil fuels: 76% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 93
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 52
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 18% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 92
Generation sources other renewable sources: 7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 92
CoalPetroleumPetroleum total petroleum production: 59,330 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 49
Crude oil exports: 1274 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 72
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 99
Crude oil proven reserves: 211.5 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 54
Crude oilRefined petroleumProducts production: 65,960 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 75
Products consumption: 83,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 86
Products exports: 9,686 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 82
Products imports: 20,620 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 118
Natural gasProduction: 18.69 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 32
Consumption: 3.171 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 71
Exports: 15.46 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 15
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 94
Proven reserves: 295.9 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 37
Carbon dioxide emissionsFrom consumption of energy: 17.66 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 90
Energy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesFixed lines total subscriptions: 851,110 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 78
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 10,106,216 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 91 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 84
Telephone systemGeneral assessment: state-owned Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Entel) is the countrys incumbent long-distance operator, and offers local telephone service, DSL, and satellite TV; its subsidiary Entel Movil is Bolivias largest mobile network provider, reliability, and coverage have steadily improved, but some remote areas are still underserved; Entel plans to extend fibre to all 339 municipal capital cities by 2022; MNP (mobile number potability) launched in October 2018; Bolivian Space Agency planning to launch a second telecom satellite after 2020 (2018)
Domestic: most telephones are concentrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and other capital cities; 8 per 100 fixed-line, mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and teledensity stood at 91 per 100 persons (2017)
International: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Bolivia has no direct access to submarine cable networks and must therefore connect to the rest of the world either via satellite or through terrestrial links across neighbouring countries (2017)
Broadcast media: large number of radio and TV stations broadcasting with private media outlets dominating; state-owned and private radio and TV stations generally operating freely, although both pro-government and anti-government groups have attacked media outlets in response to their reporting (2010)
InternetCountry code: .bo
Users total: 4,354,678 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 39.7% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 83
Broadband fixed subscriptionsTotal: 358,680 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2017 est.)
Rank: 90
top of pageMilitary expenditures:
1.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
1.68% of GDP (2016)
1.74% of GDP (2015)
1.9% of GDP (2014)
1.84% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 75
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligation: 16-49 years of age for 12-month voluntary male and female military service; Bolivian citizenship required; minimum age of combat is 18; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2017)
Space programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemNumber of registered air carriers: 7 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 39 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,578,959 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 9,456,548
Note: mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: CP (2016)
Airports: 855 (2013)
Rank: 7
With paved runways total: 21 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 834 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 47 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 151 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 631 (2013)
HeliportsPipelines: 5,457 km gas, 51 km liquid petroleum gas, 2,511 km oil, 1627 km refined products (2013)
RailwaysTotal: 3,504 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 3,504 km
Note: 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 55
RoadwaysTotal: 90,568 km (2017)
Paved: 9,792 km (2017)
Unpaved: 80,776 km (2017)
Rank: 54
Waterways: 10,000 km
Note: (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country) (2012)
Rank: 13
Merchant marineTotal: 55 (2017)
By type: general cargo 41, oil tanker 3, other 11 (2017)
Rank: 111
Ports and terminalsRiver port: Puerto Aguirre (Paraguay/Parana):
note: Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay
Bolivia - Transnational issues 2018
top of pageDisputes international: Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile offers instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian productscontraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of its border regions with all of its neighbors (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru)
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 37,500 hectares under cultivation in 2016, a 3 percent increase over 2015; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 275 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2016; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine consumption