arable land: 10.8%
permanent crops: 0.2%
permanent pasture: 42.8%

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.
Paraguay is a country of emigration; it has not attracted large numbers of immigrants because of political instability civil wars years of dictatorship and the greater appeal of neighboring countries. Paraguay first tried to encourage immigration in 1870 in order to rebound from the heavy death toll it suffered during the War of the Triple Alliance but it received few European and Middle Eastern immigrants. In the 20th century limited numbers of immigrants arrived from Lebanon Japan South Korea and China as well as Mennonites from Canada Russia and Mexico. Large flows of Brazilian immigrants have been arriving since the 1960s mainly to work in agriculture. Paraguayans continue to emigrate to Argentina Brazil Uruguay the United States Italy Spain and France.

urban: 100% of population
rural: 94.9% of population
total: 98% of population
urban: 0% of population
rural: 5.1% of population
total: 2% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 95.5% of population
rural: 78.4% of population
total: 88.6% of population
urban: 4.5% of population
rural: 21.6% of population
total: 11.4% of population (2015 est.)

Partido Pais Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares]
Partido Popular Tekojoja or PPT [Sixto PEREIRA Galeano]
Patria Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PPQ [Miguel CARRIZOSA]

Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy distinguished by a large informal sector featuring re-export of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. A large percentage of the population especially in rural areas derives its living from agricultural activity often on a subsistence basis. Because of the importance of the informal sector accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain.
On a per capita basis real income has grown steadily over the past decade. The economy grew rapidly between 2003 and 2008 as strong world demand for commodities combined with high prices and favorable weather supported Paraguay's commodity-based export expansion. Paraguay is the sixth largest soy producer in the world. Drought hit in 2008 reducing agricultural exports and slowing the economy even before the onset of the global recession. The economy fell 3.8% in 2009 as lower world demand and commodity prices caused exports to contract. Severe drought and outbreaks of hoof-and-mouth disease in 2012 led to a brief drop in beef and other agricultural exports. Since 2014 however Paraguay’s economy has grown at a 4% average annual rate due to strong production and high global prices at a time when other countries in the region have contracted.
The Paraguayan Government recognizes the need to diversify its economy and has taken steps in recent years to do so. In addition to looking for new commodity markets in the Middle East and Europe Paraguayan officials have promoted the country’s low labor costs cheap energy from its massive Itaipu Hydroelectric Dam and single-digit tax rate on foreign firms. As a result the number of factories operating in the country – mostly transplants from Brazil - has tripled since 2014.
Political uncertainty corruption limited progress on structural reform and deficient infrastructure are the main obstacles to long-term growth. Paraguay has been adverse to public debt throughout its history but has recently changed its anti-debt policies to finance infrastructure improvements to attract foreign investment. Judicial corruption is endemic and is seen as the greatest barrier to attracting more foreign investment.

$64.39 billion (2016 est.)
$61.08 billion (2015 est.)
$58.68 billion (2014 est.)

4.1% (2016 est.)
3% (2015 est.)
4.7% (2014 est.)

$9,400 (2016 est.)
$9,200 (2015 est.)
$9,000 (2014 est.)

19.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
15.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
15.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

6% (2016 est.)
5.8% (2015 est.)

51.7 (2014)
53.2 (2009)

22.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
21.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

4.1% (2016 est.)
3.1% (2015 est.)

5.5% (31 December 2012)
6% (31 December 2011)

18.08% (31 December 2016 est.)
19.74% (31 December 2015 est.)

$4.293 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$3.974 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$8.557 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$7.708 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$12.14 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$11.99 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$962.3 million (31 December 2012 est.)
$958.1 million (31 December 2011 est.)
$42 million (31 December 2010 est.)

$460 million (2016 est.)
$-462 million (2015 est.)

$10.86 billion (2016 est.)
$10.67 billion (2015 est.)

$9.617 billion (2016 est.)
$10.15 billion (2015 est.)

$6.881 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$5.939 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$16.48 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$16.16 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$5.276 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$6.054 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$591.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$303.8 million (31 December 2015 est.)

guarani (PYG) per US dollar -
5,681 (2016 est.)
5,681 (2015 est.)
5,160 (2014 est.)
4,462 (2013 est.)
4,425 (2012 est.)

1.25% of GDP (2016)
1.42% of GDP (2015)
1.29% of GDP (2014)
1.28% of GDP (2013)
1.3% of GDP (2012)