Factbook dossier
Background
Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830, the others being Ecuador and New Granada (Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, military strongmen ruled Venezuela and promoted the oil industry while allowing some social reforms. Democratically elected governments largely held sway until 1999, but Hugo CHAVEZ, who was president from 1999 to 2013, exercised authoritarian control over other branches of government. This 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 legislative elections in 2020 were also seen as fraudulent, and most opposition parties and many international actors consider the resulting National Assembly illegitimate. In 2021, many opposition parties broke a three-year election boycott and participated 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. MADURO has placed strong restrictions on free speech and the press. Since CHAVEZ, the ruling party has expanded the state's role in the economy through expropriations of major enterprises, strict currency exchange and price controls, and over-dependence on the petroleum industry for revenues. Years of economic mismanagement left Venezuela ill-p…
Location
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Area
total : 912,050 sq km land: 882,050 sq km water: 30,000 sq km
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Natural hazards
subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Population
total: 31,755,435 (2025 est.) male: 15,808,263 female: 15,947,172
Ethnic groups
unspecified Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous
Languages
Spanish (official) 98.2%, indigenous 1.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.4% (2023 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 48.1%, Protestant 31.6% (Evangelical 31.4%, Adventist 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, African American/umbanda 0.7%, other 0.1%, believer 3.5%, agnostic 0.1%, atheist, 0.4%, none 13.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2023 est.)
Environmental 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 mining operations
Government type
federal presidential republic
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 Caracas tribe that originally settled in the area; the origin of their name is unknown
Executive branch
chief of state: Interim President Delcy Elo na RODR GUEZ G mez (since 5 January 2026) head of government: Interim President Delcy Elo na RODR GUEZ G mez (since 5 January 2026) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits) most recent election date: 28 July 2024 election results: 2024: official results disputed; Nicolas MADURO Moros was declared the winner by the MADURO-controlled National Electoral Council; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 52%, Edmundo GONZ LEZ Urrutia (Independent) 43.2%, Luis Eduardo MART NEZ (AD) 1.2%, other 3.6% 2018: Nicolas MADURO Moros reelected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 67.9%, Henri FALCON (AP) 20.9%, Javier BERTUCCI 10.8% expected date of next election: unknown note 1: the president is both chief of state and head of government note 2: in January 2026, the United States removed Nicolas MADURO Moros from his position as leader; Interim President RODR GUEZ has been sworn in and is expected to remain during a transition period note 3: the United States did not recognize Nicolas MADURO Moros as president of Venezuela; the United States recognized that Edmundo GONZ LEZ won the most votes in the 28 July 2024 presidential election because of overwhelming evidence, including more than 80% of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations that indicated GONZ LEZ received the most votes by an insurmountable margin
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 277 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 12/6/2020 percentage of women in chamber: 32.1% expected date of next election: May 2025 note: in 2020, the National Electoral Council increased the number of seats in the National Assembly from 167 to 277 for the December 2020 election
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$110.943 billion (2023 est.) $106.672 billion (2022 est.) $98.768 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$4,900 (2023 est.) $4,600 (2022 est.) $4,000 (2021 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
200.9% (2022 est.) 1,588.5% (2021 est.) 2,355.1% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
USA 50%, China 10%, Spain 9%, Brazil 6%, Turkey 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 35%, USA 24%, Brazil 12%, Colombia 7%, Turkey 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
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), Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB), Presidential Honor Guard Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace: Bolivarian National Police (Polic a Nacional Bolivariana, PNB) (2025) note 1: the Bolivarian Militia and the Presidential Honor Guard are considered special/secondary components of the FANB; the Militia is composed of the Military Reserve and the Territorial Militia and is comprised of armed civilians who receive periodic training in exchange for a small stipend note 2: the National Guard was made part of the FANB in 2007 and 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 note 3: the PNB is a federal force created by Hugo CHAVEZ in 2008 as a preventative police force, separate from state and local ones; the PNB largely focuses on policing Caracas Libertador municipality, patrolling Caracas-area highways, railways, and metro system, and protecting diplomatic missions; the PNB includes the Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES), a paramilitary unit created by President MADURO to bolster internal security after the 2017 anti-government protests note 4: there are also pro-government armed groups known as colectivos operating in Caracas and other cities
Military expenditures
0.6% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)