Factbook dossier
Background
Bolivia, named after independence fighter Sim n BOL VAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of coups and countercoups, with the last coup occurring in 1980. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES as president -- by the widest margin of any leader since 1982 -- after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the poor and indigenous majority. In 2009 and 2014, MORALES easily won reelection, and his party maintained control of the legislative branch. In 2016, MORALES narrowly lost a referendum to approve a constitutional amendment that would have allowed him to compete in the 2019 presidential election. A subsequent Supreme Court ruling stating that term limits violate human rights provided the justification for MORALES to run despite the referendum, but rising violence, pressure from the military, and widespread allegations of electoral fraud ultimately forced him to flee the country. An interim government, led by President Jeanine A EZ Ch vez, held new elections in 2020, and Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora was elected president.
Location
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Area
total : 1,098,581 sq km land: 1,083,301 sq km water: 15,280 sq km
Natural resources
lithium, tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
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 (5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and the Olca-Paruma volcanic complex (5,762 m to 5,167 m)
Population
total: 12,436,103 (2025 est.) male: 6,257,914 female: 6,178,189
Ethnic groups
Mestizo (mixed White and Indigenous ancestry) 68%, Indigenous 20%, White 5%, Cholo/Chola 2%, African descent 1%, other 1%, unspecified 3%; 44% other Indigenous group, predominantly Quechua or Aymara (2009 est.) 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 interchangeably, providing one or the other as a response choice, or providing the two as separate response choices
Languages
Spanish (official) 68.1%, Quechua (official) 17.2%, Aymara (official) 10.5%, Guarani (official) 0.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.1%; note - Spanish and all Indigenous languages are official (2012 est.) major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 19.6% (Evangelical (non-specific) 11.9%, Evangelical Baptist 2.1%, Evangelical Pentecostal 1.8%, Evangelical Methodist 0.7%, Adventist 2.8%, Protestant (non-specific) 0.3%), Believer (not belonging to the church) 0.9%, other 4.8%, atheist 1.7%, agnostic 0.6%, none 6.1%, unspecified 1.3% (2023 est.)
Environmental issues
deforestation from agricultural clearing and international demand for timber; 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
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: La Paz (administrative capital); Sucre (constitutional [legislative and judicial] capital) geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: La Paz is a shortening of the original name of the city, Pueblo Nuevo de Nuestra Se ora de La Paz (New Town of Our Lady of Peace ); Sucre is named after Antonio Jos de SUCRE (1795-1830), the second president of Bolivia note: at approximately 3,630 m above sea level, La Paz's elevation makes it the highest capital city in the world
Executive branch
chief of state: President Rodrigo PAZ Pereira (since 8 November 2025) head of government: President Rodrigo PAZ Pereira (since 8 November 2025) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot one of 3 ways: candidate wins at least 50% of the vote, or at least 40% of the vote and 10% more than the next highest candidate; otherwise, a second round is held and the winner determined by simple majority vote; president and vice president are elected by majority vote to serve a 5-year term; no term limits most recent election date: 17 August 2025 election results: 2025: Rodrigo PAZ Pereira elected president in second round; percent vote in first round - Rodrigo PAZ Pereira (PDC) 32.1%, Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ram rez (LIBRE) 26.7%, Samuel DORIA MEDINA Auza (UN) 19.7%, Andr nico RODR GUEZ Ledezma (AP) 8.5%, Manfred REYES Villa (APB S mate) 6.8%, Eduardo DEL CASTILLO (MAS) 3.2%, other 3%; percent of vote in second round - Rodrigo PAZ Pereira 55%, Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ram rez 45% 2020: Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora elected president; percent of vote - Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora (MAS) 55.1%; Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (CC) 28.8%; Luis Fernando CAMACHO Vaca (Creemos) 14%; other 2.1% 2019: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (MAS) 61%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana (UN) 24.5%; Jorge QUIROGA Ramirez (POC) 9.1%; other 5.4% expected date of next election: 2030 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Legislative branch
legislature name: Plurinational Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional) legislative structure: bicameral
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$122.2 billion (2024 est.) $120.531 billion (2023 est.) $116.927 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$9,800 (2024 est.) $9,800 (2023 est.) $9,700 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.1% (2024 est.) 2.6% (2023 est.) 1.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Brazil 15%, India 13%, China 11%, Argentina 11%, UAE 8% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 22%, Brazil 18%, Chile 13%, USA 7%, Peru 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Bolivian Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Bolivia or FAB): Bolivian Army (Ejercito de Boliviano), Bolivian Navy (Armada Boliviana), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana) Ministry of Government: National Police (Polic a Nacional de Bolivia, PNB) (2025) note: the PNB is part of the reserves for the Armed Forces; the police and military share responsibility for border enforcement
Military expenditures
1.2% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)