Bolivia

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)

Internet country code

.bo

Internet users

total: 3.9 million | percent of population: 36.6% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Radio broadcast stations

AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)

Telephone system

general assessment: Bolivian National Telecommunications Company was privatized in 1995 but re-nationalized in 2007; the primary trunk system is being expanded and employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; system operations, reliability, and coverage have steadily improved | domestic: most telephones are concentrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and other capital cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and, in 2011, teledensity reached about 80 per 100 persons | international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 880,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 10.5 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Television broadcast stations

48 (1997)

Agriculture - products

soybeans, quinoa, Brazil nuts, sugarcane, coffee, corn, rice, potatoes, chia, coca

Budget

revenues: $16.59 billion | expenditures: $16.76 billion (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.5% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Central bank discount rate

4.5% (31 December 2013) | 4% (31 december 2012) | country comparison to the world: 81

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.7% (31 December 2014 est.) | 11.05% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Current account balance

$252 million (2014 est.) | $1.173 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47

Debt - external

$8.073 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $7.734 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Distribution of family income - Gini index

46.6 (2012) | 57.9 (1999) | country comparison to the world: 29

Economy - overview

Bolivia is a resource rich country with strong growth attributed to captive markets for natural gas exports – to Brazil and Argentina. Gas accounts for roughly 50% of Bolivia’s total exports and will fund more than half of its 2015 budget. However, the country remains one of the least developed countries in Latin America because of state-oriented policies that deter investment and growth. Following a disastrous economic crisis during the early 1980s, reforms spurred private investment, stimulated economic growth, and cut poverty rates in the 1990s. 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, the government passed a controversial hydrocarbons law 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 global recession slowed growth, but Bolivia recorded the highest growth rate in South America during 2009 and has averaged 5.3% growth each year since 2009. High commodity prices since 2010 sustained rapid growth and large trade surpluses. However, 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. President Evo MORALES passed an investment law and promised not to nationalize additional industries in an effort to improve Bolivia’s investment climate. The global decline in oil prices in late 2014 exerted downward pressure on the price Bolivia receives for exported gas and may result in lower GDP growth rates and losses in government revenue in 2015.

Exchange rates

bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - | 6.958 (2014 est.) | 6.96 (2013 est.) | 6.94 (2012 est.) | 6.9875 (2011 est.) | 7.0167 (2010 est.)

Exports

$12.34 billion (2014 est.) | $11.51 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Exports - commodities

natural gas, mineral ores, gold, soybeans and soy products, tin

Exports - partners

Brazil 33.5%, Argentina 20.3%, US 10.1%, Colombia 5.4%, Peru 5.1% (2013)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$34.43 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$69.96 billion (2014 est.) | $66.38 billion (2013 est.) | $62.17 billion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 94

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 58.8% | government consumption: 13.9% | investment in fixed capital: 20.3% | investment in inventories: 0.7% | exports of goods and services: 46% | imports of goods and services: -39.7% | (2014 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 13.1% | industry: 38.9% | services: 48% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,200 (2014 est.) | $5,900 (2013 est.) | $5,500 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 158

GDP - real growth rate

5.4% (2014 est.) | 6.8% (2013 est.) | 5.2% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39

Gross national saving

22.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | 23.9% of GDP (2013 est.) | 25.7% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 0.8% | highest 10%: 33.6% (2012 est.)

Imports

$9.513 billion (2014 est.) | $9.347 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Imports - commodities

machinery, petroleum products, vehicles, iron and steel, plastics

Imports - partners

Brazil 17.1%, China 13.5%, US 12.6%, Argentina 10.8%, Peru 6.5%, Chile 6.2%, Japan 5% (2013)

Industrial production growth rate

6% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38

Industries

mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing, jewelry

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.8% (2014 est.) | 5.7% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Labor force

4.881 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 32% | industry: 20% | services: 47.9% (2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$9.684 billion (31 December 2013) | $7.689 billion (31 December 2012) | $6.089 billion (31 December 2011) | country comparison to the world: 75

Population below poverty line

45% | note: based on percent of population living on less than the international standard of $2/day (2011 est.)

Public debt

35.3% of GDP (2014 est.) | 35.6% of GDP (2013 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 | country comparison to the world: 111

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$15.38 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $14.43 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Stock of broad money

$20.19 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | $17.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$0 (31 December 2013 est.) | $0 (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$10.56 billion (31 December 2013) | $8.809 billion (31 December 2012) | country comparison to the world: 88

Stock of domestic credit

$15.51 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $11.82 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Stock of narrow money

$8.362 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $7.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Taxes and other revenues

48.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Unemployment rate

4% (2014 est.) | 7.4% (2013 est.) | note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment | country comparison to the world: 81

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

17.28 million Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Crude oil - exports

60.71 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Crude oil - production

63,110 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55

Crude oil - proved reserves

209.8 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Electricity - consumption

6.944 billion kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Electricity - from fossil fuels

63.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

34.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.365 million kW (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Electricity - production

7.375 billion kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Natural gas - consumption

9.432 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 48

Natural gas - exports

44.94 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Natural gas - production

54.37 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 18

Natural gas - proved reserves

281.5 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Refined petroleum products - consumption

68,000 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 154

Refined petroleum products - imports

15,560 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Refined petroleum products - production

40,000 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Area

total: 1,098,581 sq km | land: 1,083,301 sq km | water: 15,280 sq km | country comparison to the world: 28

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Climate

varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m | highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

Environment - current 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

Environment - 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 | signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 2.64 cu km/yr (25%/14%/61%) | per capita: 305.8 cu m/yr (2005)

Geographic coordinates

17 00 S, 65 00 W

Geography - note

landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Irrigated land

1,282 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 7,252 km | border countries (5): Argentina 942 km, Brazil 3,403 km, Chile 942 km, Paraguay 753 km, Peru 1,212 km

Land use

agricultural land: 34.3% | arable land 3.6%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 30.5% | forest: 52.5% | other: 13.2% (2011 est.)

Location

Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural 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 (elev. 5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and Olca-Paruma

Natural resources

tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Terrain

rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Total renewable water resources

622.5 cu km (2011)

Administrative divisions

9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

Capital

name: La Paz (administrative capital); Sucre (constitutional capital) | geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W | time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

many previous; latest drafted 6 August 2006 - 9 December 2008, approved by referendum 25 January 2009, effective 7 February 2009; amended 2013 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form: Plurinational State of Bolivia | conventional short form: Bolivia | local long form: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia | local short form: Bolivia

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Peter Brennan (since June 2014 | embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz | mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032 | telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000 | FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111 | note: in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, and the countries have yet to reinstate ambassadors

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Freddy BERSATTI Tudela | chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 328-4155 | FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712 | consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington,DC | note: as of September 2008, the US expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US

Executive branch

chief 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 | elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - a presidential candidate wins an election one of 3 ways | election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 61%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 24.5%; Jorge QUIROGA 9.1%; other 5.4%

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

Government type

republic; note - the new constitution defines Bolivia as a "Social Unitarian State"

Independence

6 August 1825 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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, UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (consists of 12 judges); Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 7 primary and 7 alternate magistrates); Plurinational Electoral Organ (consists of 7 members) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Plurinational Legislative Assembly for 6-year terms); Plurinational Electoral Organ members - 6 judges elected by the Assembly and 1 appointed by the president; judges and members serve 6-year terms; note - the 2009 constitution reformed the procedure for selecting judicial officials for the Supreme Court, Constitutional Tribunal, and the Plurinational Electoral Organ by direct national vote, which occurred in October 2011 | subordinate courts: Agro-Environmental Court; Council of the Judiciary; District Courts (in each of the 9 administrative departments)

Legal system

civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and indigenous law

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of the 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) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; 70 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 53 indirectly 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 and 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

National anthem

name: "Cancion Patriotica" (Patriotic Song) | lyrics/music: Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI | note: adopted 1852

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

National symbol(s)

llama, Andean condor; national colors: red, yellow, green

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez] | Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma] | United Democrats or UD [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Bolivian Workers Central or COB | Federation of Neighborhood Councils of El Alto or FEJUVE | Landless Movement or MST | National Coordinator for Change or CONALCAM | Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB | other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations (including Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Eastern Bolivia or CIDOB and National Council of Ayullus and Markas of Quollasuyu or CONAMAQ); Interculturales union or CSCIB; labor unions (including the Central Bolivian Workers' Union or COB and Cooperative Miners Federation or FENCOMIN)

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal and compulsory

Background

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 nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. | In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. In December 2009 and October 2014, President MORALES easily won reelection. His party maintained control of the legislative branch of the government, which has allowed him to continue his process of change. In October 2011, the country held its first judicial elections to select judges for the four highest courts. MORALES has publicly described the elected judiciary as a failed experiment that has not resolved judicial backlogs or extended pre-trial detention. He has called for a public referendum on the judicial system.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 2,472,490 | females age 16-49: 2,535,768 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,762,260 | females age 16-49: 2,013,281 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 108,334 | female: 104,945 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano, EB), Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB; includes Marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2013)

Military expenditures

1.47% of GDP (2012) | 1.47% of GDP (2011) | 1.47% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 64

Military service age and obligation

18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory male and female military service; Bolivian citizenship required; 17 years of age for voluntary service; 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 (2013)

Age structure

0-14 years: 32.85% (male 1,807,779/female 1,740,188) | 15-24 years: 19.65% (male 1,074,697/female 1,047,575) | 25-54 years: 36.69% (male 1,932,183/female 2,030,485) | 55-64 years: 5.75% (male 288,621/female 332,824) | 65 years and over: 5.06% (male 241,447/female 305,083) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

22.76 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 757,352 | percentage: 26.4% | note: data represents children ages 5-17 (2008 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.5% (2008) | country comparison to the world: 95

Contraceptive prevalence rate

60.5% (2008)

Death rate

6.52 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

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. | Almost 7% of Bolivia's population lives abroad, primarily to work in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and the United States. In recent years, more restrictive immigration policies in Europe and the United States have increased the flow of Bolivian emigrants to neighboring Argentina and Brazil.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 63.7% | youth dependency ratio: 53.1% | elderly dependency ratio: 10.6% | potential support ratio: 9.4% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 96.7% of population | rural: 75.6% of population | total: 90% of population | urban: 3.3% of population | rural: 24.4% of population | total: 10% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6.4% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 24

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 | 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 interchanageably, providing one or the other as a response choice, or providing the two as separate response choices (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.25% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,200 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

15,500 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Health expenditures

6.1% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 122

Hospital bed density

1.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 37.49 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 41.06 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 33.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57

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% | note: Bolivia's 2009 constitution designates Spanish and all indigenous languages as official; 36 indigenous languages are specified, including some that are extinct (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.86 years | male: 66.08 years | female: 71.78 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 95.7% | male: 97.8% | female: 93.6% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever (2013)

Major urban areas - population

Santa Cruz 2.107 million; LA PAZ (capital) 1.816 million; Cochabamba 1.24 million; Sucre (constitutional capital) 372,000 (2015)

Median age

total: 23.4 years | male: 22.6 years | female: 24.1 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

noun: Bolivian(s) | adjective: Bolivian

Net migration rate

-0.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

15.8% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 109

Physicians density

0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Population

10,800,882 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Population growth rate

1.56% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Religions

Roman Catholic 76.8%, Evangelical and Pentecostal 8.1%, Protestant 7.9%, other 1.7%, none 5.5% (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 60.8% of population | rural: 27.5% of population | total: 50.3% of population | urban: 39.2% of population | rural: 72.5% of population | total: 49.7% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years | male: 13 years | female: 13 years (2007)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female | total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.73 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 6.2% | male: 4.8% | female: 7.8% (2009 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Urbanization

urban population: 68.5% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 2.26% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - 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 natural gas; contraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of the border with Argentina

Illicit drugs

world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 30,000 hectares under cultivation in 2011, a decrease of 13 percent over 2010; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 265 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2011, a 29 percent increase over 2010; 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 (2013)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Bolivia is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking domestically and abroad; indigenous children are particularly vulnerable; Bolivian adults and children perform forced labor in domestic service, mining, ranching, agriculture, and food processing; Bolivian women and girls are sex trafficked in neighboring countries, while other Bolivians are found in forced labor in neighboring countries, Spain, and the US; a limited number of women from nearby countries are forced into prostitution in Bolivia | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Bolivia does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government did not demonstrate increasing anti-trafficking efforts during the reporting period; investigations decreased and convictions remained very low compared to the number of potential trafficking victims identified; the government did not offer adequate protective services for trafficking victims, leaving civil society organizations to provide most of the care without government support; trafficking prevention efforts were limited (2014)

Airports

855 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 7

Airports - with paved runways

total: 21 | over 3,047 m: 5 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 | 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 834 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 47 | 914 to 1,523 m: 151 | 631 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 18 | by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 14, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 | foreign-owned: 5 (Syria 4, UK 1, (2010) | country comparison to the world: 98

Pipelines

gas 5,457 km; liquid petroleum gas 51 km; oil 2,511 km; refined products 1,627 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

river port(s): Puerto Aguirre (Paraguay/Parana) | note: Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Railways

total: 3,504 km | narrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 48

Roadways

total: 80,488 km | paved: 11,993 km | unpaved: 68,495 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 59

Waterways

10,000 km (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country) (2012) | country comparison to the world: 13