Map of Paraguay | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


Background: Several Indigenous groups, principally belonging to the Guarani language family, inhabited the area of modern Paraguay before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16^th century, when the territory was incorporated into the Viceroyalty of Peru. Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811 with the help of neighboring states. In the aftermath of independence, a series of military dictators ruled the country until 1870. During the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1864-70) - fought against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two thirds of its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century and experienced a tumultuous series of political regimes. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.


top of page


Location: Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates: 23 00 S, 58 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 406,752 km²
Land: 397,302 km²
Water: 9,450 km²
Comparative: about three times the size of New York state; slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries
Total: 4,655 km
Border countries: (3) Argentina 2,531 km; Bolivia 753 km; Brazil 1,371 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west

Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere

Elevation
Highest point: Cerro Pero 842 m
Lowest point: junction of Río Paraguay and Río Paraná 46 m
Mean elevation: 178 m

Natural resources: hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone

Land use
Agricultural land: 53.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 10.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 42.8% (2018 est.)
Forest: 43.8% (2018 est.)
Other: 2.4% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,362 km² (2012)

Major rivers
By length in km:

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Paraná (2,582,704 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 360 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 150 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 1.9 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 387.77 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)

Geography
Note note 1: landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in eastern and southern part of country
Note note 2: pineapples are probably indigenous to the southern Brazil-Paraguay region 


top of page


Population
Distribution: most of the population resides in the eastern half of the country; to the west lies the Gran Chaco (a semi-arid lowland plain), which accounts for 60% of the land territory, but only 2% of the overall population: 7,439,863 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 1.12% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 23.5% (2019 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Paraguayan(s)
Adjective: Paraguayan

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian ancestry) 95%, other 5%

Languages: Spanish (official) and Guarani (official) 46.3%, only Guarani 34%, only Spanish 15.2%, other (includes Portuguese, German, other Indigenous languages) 4.1%, no response 0.4%; note - data represent predominant household language (2012 est.)
Major-language samples:

Religions: Roman Catholic 80.4%, Protestant 7% (Evangelical (non-specific) 6.7%, Evangelical Pentecostal <0.1%, Adventist <0.1%, Protestant (non-specific) <0.1%), Believer (not belonging to the church) 5.7%, other 0.6%, agnostic <0.1%, none 0.2%, unspecified 6.2% (2023 est.)

Demographic profile: Paraguay falls below the Latin American average in several socioeconomic categories, including immunization rates, potable water, sanitation, and secondary school enrollment, and has greater rates of income inequality and child and maternal mortality. Paraguay's poverty rate has declined in recent years but remains high, especially in rural areas, with more than a third of the population below the poverty line. However, the well-being of the poor in many regions has improved in terms of housing quality and access to clean water, telephone service, and electricity. The fertility rate continues to drop, declining sharply from an average 4.3 births per woman in the late 1990s to about 2 in 2013, as a result of the greater educational attainment of women, increased use of contraception, and a desire for smaller families among young women.

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 847,721/female 818,983)
15-64 years: 68.54% (male 2,560,031/female 2,539,378)
65 years and over: 9.06% (2023 est.) (male 320,958/female 352,792)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 54.4
Youth dependency ratio: 44.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 9.6
Potential support ratio: 10.4 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 31.3 years (2023 est.)
Male: 31.1 years
Female: 31.5 years

Population growth rate: 1.12% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 16.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: most of the population resides in the eastern half of the country; to the west lies the Gran Chaco (a semi-arid lowland plain), which accounts for 60% of the land territory, but only 2% of the overall population

Urbanization
Urban population: 63.1% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 3.511 million ASUNCION (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; water pollution; rivers suffer from toxic dumping; tanneries release mercury and chromium into rivers and streams; loss of wetlands; inadequate means for waste disposal pose health risks for many urban residents
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, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 2006

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 12.31 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 7.41 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 27.65 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 22.9 years (2008 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio: 71 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 22.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 26.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 18.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.6 years (2023 est.)
Male: 76 years
Female: 81.4 years

Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 68.4% (2016)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 100% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 7.6% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 1.05 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density: 0.8 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 20.3% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 5.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 3.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 1.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 11.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 18.6% (2020 est.)
Female: 4.4% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.3% (2016)

Education expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 94.5%
Male: 94.9%
Female: 94.2% (2020)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 16.3% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 12.7%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 21.9%


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay
Conventional short form: Paraguay
Local long form: República del Paraguay
Local short form: Paraguay
Etymology: the precise meaning of the name Paraguay is unclear, but it seems to derive from the river of the same name; one explanation has the name meaning "water of the Payagua" (an indigenous tribe that lived along the river)

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Asuncion
Geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March
Etymology: the name means "assumption" and derives from the original name given to the city at its founding in 1537, Nuestra Senora Santa Maria de la Asuncion (Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption)

Administrative divisions: 17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro

Dependent areas

Independence: 14-15 May 1811 (from Spain); note - the uprising against Spanish authorities took place during the night of 14-15 May 1811 and both days are celebrated in Paraguay

National holiday: Independence Day, 14-15 May (1811) (observed 15 May); 14 May is celebrated as Flag Day

Constitution
History: several previous; latest approved and promulgated 20 June 1992
Amendments: proposed at the initiative of at least one quarter of either chamber of the National Congress, by the president of the republic, or by petition of at least 30,000 voters; passage requires a two-thirds majority vote by both chambers and approval in a referendum; amended 2011

Legal system: civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French civil law models; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Paraguay
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 75

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Santiago PEÑA Palacios (since 15 August 2023); Vice President Pedro Lorenzo ALLIANA Rodríguez (since 15 August 2023); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Santiago PEÑA Palacios (since 15 August 2023); Vice President Pedro Lorenzo ALLIANA Rodríguez (since 15 August 2023)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a single 5-year term; election last held on 30 April 2023 (next to be held in April 2,028)
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 justices divided 3 each into the Constitutional Court, Civil and Commercial Chamber, and Criminal Division)
Judge selection and term of office: justices proposed by the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura, a 6-member independent body, and appointed by the Chamber of Senators with presidential concurrence; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 75
Subordinate courts: appellate courts; first instance courts; minor courts, including justices of the peace

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, 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, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PROSUR, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Marc OSTFIELD (since 9 March 2022)
From the us embassy: 1776 Mariscal Lopez Avenue, Asuncion
From the us mailing address: 3,020 Asuncion Place, Washington DC 20,521-3,020
From the us telephone: [595] (21) 248-3,000
From the us FAX: [595] (21) 213-728
From the us email address and website:

Flag description: three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears a circular seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words PAZ Y JUSTICIA (Peace and Justice)); red symbolizes bravery and patriotism, white represents integrity and peace, and blue denotes liberty and generosity
Note: the three color bands resemble those on the flag of the Netherlands; one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Moldova and Saudi Arabia

National symbols: lion; national colors: red, white, blue

National anthem
Name: "Paraguayos, Republica o muerte!" (Paraguayans, The Republic or Death!)
Lyrics/music: Francisco Esteban ACUNA de Figueroa/disputed
Note: adopted 1934, in use since 1846; officially adopted following its re-arrangement in 1934

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:


top of page


Economy overview: upper middle-income South American economy; COVID-19 hit while still recovering from 2019 Argentina-driven recession; global hydroelectricity leader; major corruption and money-laundering locale; highly agrarian economy; significant income inequality

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 66.7% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 11.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 17.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 46.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -42.2% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 17.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 27.7% (2017 est.)
Services: 54.5% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: soybeans, sugar cane, maize, cassava, wheat, rice, beef, milk, oranges, oil palm fruit

Industries: sugar processing, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, base metals, electric power

Industrial production growth rate: 4.69% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 3.43 million (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 16.3% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 12.7%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 21.9%

Population below poverty line: 23.5% (2019 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 43.5 (2020 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 1.5%
Highest 10%: 37.6% (2013 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $7.272 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $8.714 billion (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 9.51% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 1.21% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: Brazil 32%, Argentina 22%, Chile 8%, Russia 8% (2019)
Commodities: soybeans and soybean products, electricity, beef, corn, insulated wiring (2019)

Imports:
Partners: Brazil 24%, United States 22%, China 17%, Argentina 10%, Chile 5% (2019)
Commodities: broadcasting equipment, cars, pesticides, refined petroleum, tires (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 8.831 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 12,718,590,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 31.748 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 4.47 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 2,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 56,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 40,760 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 7.896 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 3,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 7.893 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 62.775 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 168,517 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 7,975,074 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 6 privately owned TV stations; about 75 commercial and community radio stations; 1 state-owned radio network (2019)

Internet
Country code: .py
Users total: 5.159 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 77% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 562,369 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2020 est.)


top of page


Military expenditures:

Military and security forces:
Note: Paraguay also has a National Counterdrug Bureau (Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas or SENAD) that operates under the presidency

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory (men) and voluntary (men and women) military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy; conscripts also serve in the National Police; volunteers for the Air Force must be younger than 22 years of age with a secondary school diploma (2023)
Note: as of 2021, women made up about 6% of the active military

Space program
Overview: has a small, recently established space program focused on the acquisition of satellites, satellite data, and the technologies and capabilities to manufacture satellites, as well as promoting in-country expertise building and space industry; a priority is acquiring remote sensing (RS) capabilities to support socio-economic develop, including resource mapping, weather, and crop monitoring; has built a cube satellite with foreign assistance; operates satellites; cooperates with foreign space agencies and industries, including those of India, Japan, Taiwan, the US, and member states of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) (2023)
Overview 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 space programs

Terrorist groups
Terrorist groups: Hizballah (2022)
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 terrorist organizations


top of page


National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 560,631 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1.97 million (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: ZP

Airports: 799 (2021)
With paved runways: 15
With paved runways 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.)
With unpaved runways: 784
With unpaved runways 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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 30 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 30 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Roadways
Total: 78,811 km (2020)
Paved: 8,573 km (2020)
Unpaved: 70,238 km (2020)

Waterways: 3,100 km (2012) (primarily on the Paraguay and Paraná River systems)

Merchant marine
Total: 105 (2022)
By type: container ship 2, general cargo 24, oil tanker 5, other 74
Note: as of 2017, Paraguay registered 2,012 fluvial vessels of which 1,741 were commercial barges

Ports and terminals
River ports: Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion (Parana)


top of page


Disputes international: Paraguay-Argentina-Brazil: unruly region at convergence of Paraguay-Argentina-Brazil borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for violent extremist organizations

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 5,900 (Venezuela) (2022)

Illicit drugs: