Background: What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito -- the traditional name for the area -- became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty -- New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito -- gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew to become an independent republic in 1830, the traditional name was changed to the 'Republic of the Equator.' Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador has had nearly 50 years of civilian governance, the period has been marked by political instability.

Geographic coordinates: 2 00 S, 77 30 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 283,561 km²
Land: 276,841 km²
Water: 6,720 km²
Note: includes Galapagos Islands
Comparative: slightly smaller than Nevada
Country comparison total: 2,237 km
Country comparison border countries: (2) Colombia 708 km; Peru 1529 km

Land boundaries
Total: 2,237 km
Border countries: (2) Colombia 708 km; Peru 1529 km

Coastline: 2,237 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Note: Ecuador has declared its right to extend its continental shelf to 350 nm measured from the baselines of the Galapagos Archipelago

Climate: tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Terrain: coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Elevation
Highest point: Chimborazo 6,267
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 1,117 m
Note: because the earth is not a perfect sphere and has an equatorial bulge, the highest point on the planet farthest from its center is Mount Chimborazo not Mount Everest, which is merely the highest peak above sea level

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 29.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 4.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 5.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 19.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 38.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 31.4% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 10,000 km² (2020)

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 1.29 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 8.8 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 442.4 billion m³ (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes; landslides; volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts
Volcanism: volcanic activity concentrated along the Andes Mountains; Sangay (5,230 m), which erupted in 2010, is mainland Ecuador's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes in the Andes include Antisana, Cayambe, Chacana, Cotopaxi, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, Sumaco, and Tungurahua; Fernandina (1,476 m), a shield volcano that last erupted in 2009, is the most active of the many Galapagos volcanoes; other historically active Galapagos volcanoes include Wolf, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Pinta, Marchena, and Santiago

Geography
Note 1: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world
Note 2: genetic research indicates that the cherry-sized tomato originated in Ecuador without any human domestication; later domestication in Mexico transformed the plant into the large modern tomato; archeological research indicates that the cacao tree, whose seeds are used to make chocolate and which was long thought to have originated in Mesoamerica, was first domesticated in the upper Amazon region of northwest South America -- present-day Ecuador -- about 3,300 B.C.

Population
Distribution: nearly half of the population is concentrated in the interior in the Andean intermontane basins and valleys, with large concentrations also found along the western coastal strip; the rainforests of the east remain sparsely populated
Total: 18,309,984
Male: 9,023,170
Female: 9,286,814 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 0.94% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 25.2% (2022 est.)
Below poverty line note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Nationality
Noun: Ecuadorian(s)
Adjective: Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 77.5%, Montubio 7.7%, Indigenous 7.7%, White 2.2%, Afroecuadorian 2%, Mulatto 1.4%, Black 1.3%, other 0.1% (2022 est.)

Languages: Spanish (Castilian; official) 98.6%, indigenous 3.9% (Quechua 3.2%, other indigenous 0.7%), foreign 2.8%, other 0.6% (includes Ecuadorian sign language) (2022 est.)
Major-language samples: La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish); Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.
Note 1: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census
Note 2: Quechua and Shuar are official languages of intercultural relations; other indigenous languages are in official use by indigenous peoples in the areas they inhabit

Religions: Roman Catholic 68.2%, Protestant 19% (Evangelical 18.3%, Adventist 0.6%, other Protestant 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other 2.3%, none 8.2% don't know/no response 1% (2023 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.8% (male 2,505,729/female 2,395,198)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 5,771,234/female 5,972,938)
65 years and over: 9.1% (2024 est.) (male 746,207/female 918,678)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 50.9
Youth dependency ratio: 39.4
Elderly dependency ratio: 11.5
Potential support ratio: 8.7 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 28 years (2024 est.)
Male: 27 years
Female: 28.9 years

Population growth rate: 0.94% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 17.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: nearly half of the population is concentrated in the interior in the Andean intermontane basins and valleys, with large concentrations also found along the western coastal strip; the rainforests of the east remain sparsely populated

Urbanization
Urban population: 64.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.62% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 3.142 million Guayaquil, 1.957 million QUITO (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands
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, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 16.55 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 41.15 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 23.51 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 66 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 69.7 years
Female: 80.4 years

Total fertility rate: 2.21 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 77.9% (2018/19)
Note: percent of women aged 15-50

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Unimproved rural: 12.9% of population
Unimproved total: 4.6% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: 0% of population

Hospital bed density: 1.4 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 96.9% of population
Improved total: 98.9% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 3.1% of population
Unimproved total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 19.9% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 3.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 2.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 11.3% (2020 est.)
Male: 18.4% (2020 est.)
Female: 4.2% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 5.2% (2018/19)

Education expenditures: 3.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93.9%
Male: 94.9%
Female: 93.1% (2022)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 15 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 7.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 5.9% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 9.4% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
Conventional short form: Ecuador
Local long form: República del Ecuador
Local short form: Ecuador
Etymology: the country's position on the globe, straddling the Equator, accounts for its Spanish name

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Quito
Geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W
Time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Note: Ecuador has two time zones, including the Galapagos Islands (UTC-6)
Etymology: named after the Quitu, a Pre-Columbian indigenous people credited with founding the city; the name is also a combination of two Tsafiki words: quitso (meaning 'center' or 'half') + to or tu ('the world'); the combination roughly translates as 'center of the world' and reflects the fact that native peoples recognized that at the two annual equinoxes, the overhead sun in that area (only about 20 km (12 mi) north of the equator) did not display any shade and thus must be in the middle of the world

Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora Chinchipe

Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)

Constitution
History: many previous; latest approved 20 October 2008
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic through a referendum, by public petition of at least 1% of registered voters, or by agreement of at least one-third membership of the National Assembly; passage requires two separate readings a year apart and approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, and approval by absolute majority in a referendum; amendments such as changes to the structure of the state, constraints on personal rights and guarantees, or constitutional amendment procedures are not allowed; amended 2011, 2015, 2018, 2024

Legal system: civil law based on the Chilean civil code with modifications; traditional law in indigenous communities

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years

Suffrage: 18-65 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16-18, over 65, and other eligible voters, voluntary

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023)
Head of government: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 August 2023 with a runoff on 15 October 2023 (next to be held on 28 February 2025)
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Election results: 2023: Daniel NOBOA Azin elected president; percent of vote in the second round - Luisa GONZÁLEZ Alcivar (MRC) 33.6%, Daniel NOBOA Azin (ADN) 23.5%, Christian Gustavo ZURITA Ron (Construye) 16.4%, Jan Tomislav TOPIĆ Feraud (Por Un País Sin Miedo) 14.7%, Otto Ramón SONNENHOLZNER Sper (Avanza) 7.1% other 4.7%; percent of vote in the second round - Daniel NOBOA Azin 51.8%, Luisa GONZÁLEZ Alcivar 48.2%; 2021: Guillermo LASSO Mendoza elected president; percent of vote in the first round - Andres ARAUZ (UNES) 32.7%, Guillermo LASSO Mendoza (CREO) 19.7%, Yaku PEREZ Guartambel (MUPP) 19.4%, Xavier HERVAS Mora (ID) 15.7%, other 12.5%; percent of vote in the second round - Guillermo LASSO Mendoza (CREO) 52.5%, Andres ARAUZ (UNES) 47.5%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (137 seats; 116 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 15 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by open-list proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies for Ecuadorians living abroad by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 20 August 2023 (next to be held on 28 February 2025)
Elections results: percent of vote by party - RC5 38%, Construye 20.4%, ADN 10.2%, PSC 10.2%, Actuemos 5.8%, MUPP 2.9%, other 12.4%; seats by party - RC5 52, Construye 28, ADN 14, PSC 14, Actuemos 8, MUPP 4, other 17; composition - men 78, women 59, percentage women 43.1%
Note 1: all Assembly members have alternates from the same party who cast votes when a primary member is absent, resigns, or is removed from office
Note 2: on 18 May 2023, Ecuador’s National Electoral Council announced that the legislative and presidential elections - originally scheduled for February 2025 - would be held on 20 August 2023 after President Guillermo LASSO dissolved the National Assembly by decree on 17 May 2023; a return to a regular election cycle will occur in February 2025

Judicial branch
Highest courts: National Court of Justice or Corte Nacional de Justicia (consists of 21 judges, including the chief justice and organized into 5 specialized chambers); Constitutional Court or Corte Constitucional (consists of the court president and 8 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: candidates for the National Court of Justice evaluated and appointed justices by the Judicial Council, a 9-member independent body of law professionals; justices elected for 9-year, non-renewable terms, with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; candidates for the Constitutional Court evaluated and appointed judges by a 6-member independent body of law professionals; judges appointed for 4-year renewable terms
Subordinate courts: provincial courts (one for each province except Galapagos); fiscal, criminal, and administrative tribunals; Election Dispute Settlement Courts; cantonal courts

Political parties and leaders: Actuemos Ecuador or Actuemos, AMIGO movement, Independent Mobilizing Action Generating Opportunities (Movimiento AMIGO (Acción Movilizadora Independiente Generando Oportunidades)) or AM16O, Avanza Party or AVANZA, Central Democratic Movement or CD, Citizen Revolution Movement or MRC or RC5, Creating Opportunities Movement or CREO, Democratic Left or ID, Democracy Yes Movement (Movimiento Democracia Si), For A Country Without Fear (Por Un País Sin Miedo) (an alliance including PSC, CD, and PSP), Green Movement (Movimiento Verde), Movimiento Construye or Construye, National Democratic Action (Acción Democrática Nacional) or ADN, Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement or MUPP, Patriotic Society Party or PSP, People, Equality, and Democracy Party (Partido Pueblo, Igualdad y Democracia) or PID, Popular Unity Party (Partido Unidad Popular) or UP, Revolutionary and Democratic Ethical Green Movement (Movimiento Verde Ético Revolucionario y Democrático) or MOVER, Social Christian Party or PSC, Socialist Party, Society United for More Action or SUMA, Total Renovation Movement (Movimiento Renovacion Total) or RETO

International organization participation: CAN, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: chief of mission: Ambassador Cristian ESPINOSA Cañizares (since 18 September 2024)
In the us chancery: 2,535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-7,200
In the us fax: [1] (202) 333-2,893
In the us email address and website: eecuusanotifications@mmrree.gob.ec, Contact – Washington (cancilleria.gob.ec)
In the us consulates general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis (MN), New Haven (CT), New York, Newark (NJ), Phoenix, San Juan (PR)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Arthur W. BROWN (since 26 June 2024)
From the us embassy: E12-170 Avenida Avigiras y Avenida Eloy Alfaro, Quito
From the us mailing address: 3,420 Quito Place, Washington DC 20,521-3,420
From the us telephone: [593] (2) 398-5,000
From the us email address and website: ACSQuito@state.gov; [link]
From the us consulates general: Guayaquil

Flag description: three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; the flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; the yellow color represents sunshine, grain, and mineral wealth, blue the sky, sea, and rivers, and red the blood of patriots spilled in the struggle for freedom and justice
Note: similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms

National symbols: Andean condor; national colors: yellow, blue, red

National anthem
Name: 'Salve, Oh Patria!' (We Salute You, Our Homeland)
Lyrics/music: Juan Leon MERA/Antonio NEUMANE
Note: adopted 1948; Juan Leon MERA wrote the lyrics in 1865; only the chorus and second verse are sung

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 5 (3 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales:

Economy overview: highly informal South American economy; USD currency user; major banana exporter; hard hit by COVID-19; macroeconomic fragility from oil dependency; successful debt restructuring; China funding budget deficits; social unrest hampering economic activity

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $260.213 billion (2023 est.); $254.226 billion (2022 est.); $239.415 billion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 2.36% (2023 est.); 6.19% (2022 est.); 9.82% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $14,300 (2023 est.); $14,100 (2022 est.); $13,500 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 64.3% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 13.9% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.7% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.8% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 29.1% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -28.8% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.7% (2023 est.)
Industry: 26.9% (2023 est.)
Services: 59.7% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: sugarcane, bananas, oil palm fruit, milk, maize, rice, plantains, chicken, cocoa beans, pineapples (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate: -0.75% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 8.893 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 3.37% (2023 est.); 3.76% (2022 est.); 4.55% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 7.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 5.9% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 9.4% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 25.2% (2022 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Budget
Revenues: $35.962 billion (2022 est.)
Expenditures: $35.347 billion (2022 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 13.04% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 45.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.27% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.22% (2023 est.); 3.47% (2022 est.); 0.13% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Current account balance: $2.291 billion (2023 est.); $2.133 billion (2022 est.); $3.098 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $34.64 billion (2023 est.); $35.943 billion (2022 est.); $29.037 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: US 27%, China 17%, Panama 14%, Chile 4%, Colombia 3% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: crude petroleum, shellfish, bananas, fish, refined petroleum (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $34.447 billion (2023 est.); $36.051 billion (2022 est.); $28.128 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: US 26%, China 23%, Colombia 6%, Peru 4%, Brazil 4% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, coal tar oil, cars, natural gas, soybean meal (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $4.442 billion (2023 est.); $8.459 billion (2022 est.); $7.912 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external: $39.129 billion (2022 est.)
Note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Exchange rates: the US dollar became Ecuador's currency in 2001

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 8.377 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 27.702 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 524 million kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 363.8 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 4.783 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 19% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 79.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 21,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Exports: 100 metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 21,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 24 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 480,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 225,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 8.273 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 309.778 million m³ (2022 est.)
Consumption: 309.778 million m³ (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 10.902 billion m³ (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 31.306 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 56,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 30.637 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 613,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 30.111 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1.644 million (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 17.491 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 97 (2022 est.)

Military expenditures: 2% of GDP (2023 est.); 2% of GDP (2022 est.); 2% of GDP (2021 est.); 2.3% of GDP (2020 est.); 2.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military and security forces: Ecuadorian Armed Forces: the Ecuadorian Army (Ejército Ecuatoriano), Ecuadorian Navy (Armada del Ecuador, Fuerza Naval del Ecuador, FNE; includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast guard), Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE) (2024)
Note: the National Police of Ecuador (Policía Nacional del Ecuador) is under the Ministry of Government/Interior

Military service age and obligation: 18-22 years of age for selective conscript military service for men, although conscription was suspended in 2008; 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 12-month service obligation (2023)
Note: in 2022, women made up an estimated 3-4% of the military

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 7 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 35
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 5,365,261 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 64.2 million (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HC

Airports: 310 (2024)

Heliports: 28 (2024)

Pipelines: 485 km extra heavy crude, 123 km gas, 2,131 km oil, 1,526 km refined products (2017)

Roadways
Total: 43,950 km
Paved: 8,895 km
Unpaved: 35,055 km (2022)

Waterways: 1,500 km (2012) (most inaccessible)

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 65,854 (Colombia) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2021); 474,945 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2023)

Illicit drugs: Ecuador is a major transit country for cocaine destined for the United States and other international destinations; criminal groups traffic cocaine precursor chemicals for drug gangs; not a major drug producing country; a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics