Statistics Venezuela 
Venezuela in the World
Venezuela - Introduction 2022
top of pageBackground:
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. The president of the 2015 National Assembly, Juan GUAIDO is currently recognized by several countries - including the United States - as the interim president of Venezuela, while MADURO is recognized by most countries. 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 GUAIDO, 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 6 million Venezuelans to migrate, mainly settling in nearby countries. Since 2017, the US has imposed financial and sectoral sanctions on the MADURO regime. Since mid-2020, and despite MADURO regime mismanagement and faltering infrastructure, oil production has begun to rise primarily due to strengthened MADURO regime trade relations with China, Russia, Iran, and the illicit oil trade. 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.
The last democratically-elected institution is the 2015 National Assembly. The president of the 2015 National Assembly, Juan GUAIDO is currently recognized by several countries - including the United States - as the interim president of Venezuela, while MADURO is recognized by most countries. 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 GUAIDO, 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 6 million Venezuelans to migrate, mainly settling in nearby countries. Since 2017, the US has imposed financial and sectoral sanctions on the MADURO regime. Since mid-2020, and despite MADURO regime mismanagement and faltering infrastructure, oil production has begun to rise primarily due to strengthened MADURO regime trade relations with China, Russia, Iran, and the illicit oil trade. 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
Total: 912,050 km²
Land: 882,050 km²
Water: 30,000 km²
Comparative: almost six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries
Total: 5,267 km
Border countries: (3) Brazil 2,137 km; Colombia 2,341 km; Guyana 789 km
Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguouszone: 15 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Land use
Agricultural land: 24.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 20.6% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 20.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 52.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 23.4% (2018 est.)
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 km
Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 5.123 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 793.3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 16.71 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Venezuela - People 2022
top of pagePopulation
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: 29,789,730 (2022 est.)
Growth rate: 2.43% (2022 est.)
Below poverty line: 33.1% (2015 est.)
Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Major language samples:
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)
The Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.
Demographic profile: Social investment in Venezuela during the CHAVEZ administration reduced poverty from nearly 50% in 1999 to about 27% in 2011, increased school enrollment, substantially decreased infant and child mortality, and improved access to potable water and sanitation through social investment. "Missions" dedicated to education, nutrition, healthcare, and sanitation were funded through petroleum revenues. The sustainability of this progress remains questionable, however, as the continuation of these social programs depends on the prosperity of Venezuela's oil industry. In the long-term, education and health care spending may increase economic growth and reduce income inequality, but rising costs and the staffing of new health care jobs with foreigners are slowing development.
Age structure
0-14 years: 25.66% (male 3,759,280/female 3,591,897)
15-24 years: 16.14% (male 2,348,073/female 2,275,912)
25-54 years: 41.26% (male 5,869,736/female 5,949,082)
55-64 years: 8.76% (male 1,203,430/female 1,305,285)
65 years and over: 8.18% (male 1,069,262/female 1,272,646) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 57.5
Youth dependency ratio: 44.4
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.1
Potential support ratio: 7.6 (2021 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
Urbanization
Urban population: 88.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 15.82 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 164.18 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 68.66 megatons (2020 est.)
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate
Total: 17.72 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 19.72 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 15.61 deaths/1000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.29 years
Male: 70.12 years
Female: 76.62 years (2022 est.)
Drinking water source
Improved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 94.2% of population
rural: NA
total: 94.2% of population
Unimproved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 5.8% of population (2020 est.)
rural: NA
total: 5.8% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access
Improved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 95.8% of population
rural: NA
total: 95.8% of population
Unimproved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 4.2% of population (2020 est.)
rural: NA
total: 4.2% of population (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
Vector borne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Note: as of 30 September 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Venezuela; the country is experiencing outbreaks of infectious diseases, and adequate health care is currently not available in most of the country
Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 2.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 1.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.1%
Male: 97%
Female: 97.2% (2016)
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 13.6%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 16.8% NA
Rate ages 15-24 female: 11.7% (2020 est.) NA
Venezuela - Government 2022
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Conventional short form: Venezuela
Local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
Local short form: Venezuela
Former: State of Venezuela, Republic of Venezuela, United States of 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"
Capital
Name: Caracas
Geographic coordinates: 10 29 N, 66 52 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: named for the native Caracas tribe that originally settled in the city's valley site near the Caribbean coast
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: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
Constitution
History: many previous; latest adopted 15 December 1999, effective 30 December 1999
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
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descentonly: 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
Executive branch
Chief of state:
Notification Statement: the United States recognizes Juan GUAIDO as the Interim President of Venezuela
President 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
President 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
Head of government: President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013); Executive Vice President Delcy RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 14 June 2018)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections and 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 election in 2024)
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 marred by serious shortcomings and electoral fraud; voter turnout was approximately 46% due largely to an opposition boycott of the election
2013: Nicolas MADURO Moros elected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 50.6%, Henrique CAPRILES Radonski (PJ) 49.1%, other 0.3%
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
Elections: last held on 6 December 2020 (next to be held in December 2025)
Election results: percent of vote by party - GPP (pro-government) 69.32%, Democratic Alliance (opposition coalition) 17.68%, other 13%; seats by party - GPP 253, Democratic Alliance 18, indigenous peoples 3, other 3; composition - NA
Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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
Political parties and leaders: A New Era or UNT [Manuel ROSALES]
Brave People's Alliance or ABP [Antonio LEDEZMA]
Cambiemos Movimiento Ciudadano or CMC [Timoteo ZAMBRANO]
Christian Democrats or COPEI [
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
National anthem
Name: "Gloria al bravo pueblo" (Glory to the Brave People)
Lyrics and music: Vicente SALIAS/Juan Jose LANDAETA
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
Total world heritage sites: 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales:
Venezuela - Economy 2022
top of pageReal gdp purchasing power parity:
$269.068 billion (2018 est.)
$381.6 billion (2017 est.)
$334.751 billion (2017 est.)
$381.6 billion (2017 est.)
$334.751 billion (2017 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real gdp per capita:
$7,704 (2018 est.)
$12,500 (2017 est.)
$9,417 (2017 est.)
$12,500 (2017 est.)
$9,417 (2017 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68.5% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 19.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 13.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.7% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 7% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -10.7% (2017 est.)
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 40.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 54.9% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: sugar cane, maize, milk, rice, plantains, bananas, pineapples, potatoes, beef, poultry
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
Labor force: 14.21 million (2017 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 7.3%
By occupation industry: 21.8%
By occupation services: 70.9% (4th quarter, 2011 est.)
Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 13.6%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 16.8% NA
Rate ages 15-24 female: 11.7% (2020 est.) NA
Budget
Revenues: $92.8 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $189.7 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $-46.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt:
38.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
31.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
31.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
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
Exports:
$83.401 billion (2018 est.)
$93.485 billion (2017 est.)
$93.485 billion (2017 est.)
Partners: India 34%, China 28%, United States 12%, Spain 6% (2019)
Commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, industrial alcohols, gold, iron (2019)
Imports:
$18.432 billion (2018 est.)
$18.376 billion (2017 est.)
$18.376 billion (2017 est.)
Partners: China 28%, United States 22%, Brazil 8%, Spain 6%, Mexico 6% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, rice, corn, tires, soybean meal, wheat (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$9.661 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$11 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$11 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates:
bolivars (VEB) per US dollar
3,345 (2017 est.)
673.76 (2016 est.)
48.07 (2015 est.)
13.72 (2014 est.)
6.284 (2013 est.)
3,345 (2017 est.)
673.76 (2016 est.)
48.07 (2015 est.)
13.72 (2014 est.)
6.284 (2013 est.)
Venezuela - Energy 2022
top of pageElectricity
Access electrification total population: 99.6% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 99% (2019)
Installed generating capacity: 32.956 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 78,082,020,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 870 million kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission distribution losses: 26.452 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 30.5% 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: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 69.4% 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: 396,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 33,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 685,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 731 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 604,800 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 470,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)
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
Products production: 926,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 325,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 20,640 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas
Production: 22,694,584,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Consumption: 22,694,584,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 5,673,894,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 103.708 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 108,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 57.378 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 46.222 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Venezuela - Communication 2022
top of pageTelephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 5,251,182 (2020 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 13,476,300 (2019)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47.26 (2019)
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
Users total: 20,531,397 (2019 est.)
Users percent of population: 72% (2019 est.)
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 2,561,556 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2020 est.)
Venezuela - Military 2022
top of pageMilitary expenditures:
5.2% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $7.5 billion)
4.4% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $9.9 billion)
2.9% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $8.5 billion)
2.2% of GDP (2016 est.) (approximately $7.7 billion)
1.8% of GDP (2015 est.) (approximately $9.3 billion)
4.4% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $9.9 billion)
2.9% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $8.5 billion)
2.2% of GDP (2016 est.) (approximately $7.7 billion)
1.8% of GDP (2015 est.) (approximately $9.3 billion)
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)
Bolivarian National Police: Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES) (2022)
Bolivarian National Police: Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES) (2022)
Note1: 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 stipend
Note2: the National Guard 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 Peace
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 (2022)
Note: as of 2017, women made up more than 20% of the active duty military
Terrorist groups: National Liberation Army (ELN); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP); Segundo Marquetalia
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.
Venezuela - Transportation 2022
top of pageNational air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 12 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 75
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,137,771 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1.55 million (2018) mt-km
Airports
Total: 444 (2021)
With paved runways total: 127
With paved runways over 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 33
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 62
With paved runways under 914 m: 17 (2021)
With unpaved runways total: 317
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 57
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 127
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 130 (2021)
Waterways: 7,100 km (2011) (Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels)
Merchant marine
Total: 281
By type: bulk carrier 4, container ship 1, general cargo 26, oil tanker 18, other 232 (2021)
Ports and terminals
Major seaport: La Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon
Oil terminals: Jose terminal
Venezuela - Transnational issues 2022
top of pageIllicit drugs: a major drug transit country and trafficking route in the Western Hemisphere largely destined for the Caribbean, Central America, the United States, West Africa, and Europe for illegal drugs, predominately cocaine; government officials reportedly complicit with illegal armed narcotrafficking groups; little international drug control cooperation; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border
🅶🅷🅴🅾🆂.🅲🅾🅼