01
Physical geography
Coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente).
Local timeQuito ·
South America · Card 006
Ecuador
Ecuador is a country in South America. Its capital is Quito.
Find Ecuador
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. The Galápagos Islands are shown west of the mainland. The clock uses Quito time; the Galápagos have a different time zone.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. The Galápagos Islands are shown west of the mainland. The clock uses Quito time; the Galápagos have a different time zone.
At a glance
- Capital
- Quito
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- United States dollar (USD)
- Population
- 18.3 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 276,841 km²106,888.86 square miles
- Independence
- 1822 / 1830Spanish rule ended around Quito in 1822; a separate republic formed in 1830.
Ecuador in context
South America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Quito; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Spanish is official. Kichwa and Shuar are official languages for intercultural relations; other ancestral languages have recognition in the areas where they are spoken.
03
Location
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru.
Flag
Three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red, with the coat of arms at the center of the flag
History & independence
The region was home to Indigenous societies and later formed part of the Inca Empire before Spanish conquest. The Battle of Pichincha in 1822 ended Spanish control around Quito. The territory joined Gran Colombia, then became the separate Republic of Ecuador in 1830. The country adopted the US dollar in 2000 following a banking and currency crisis, and approved a new constitution in 2008.
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The Battle of Pichincha ends Spanish control around Quito
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Ecuador separates from Gran Colombia
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Ecuador adopts the US dollar
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A new constitution is approved
Economy
Main activities
Oil, shrimp, bananas, cocoa and other agricultural products are important exports. Services, commerce and manufacturing also support employment. The use of the US dollar removes a separate national exchange rate but does not eliminate price changes or economic shocks. Oil-price fluctuations, infrastructure needs and security problems affect investment and livelihoods.
Industry and production
Petroleum, shrimp farming and processing, bananas, cocoa, food products and manufacturing.
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people18.32025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,155,387 | 6.155 |
| 1980 | 8,165,877 | 8.166 |
| 1990 | 10,473,673 | 10.474 |
| 2000 | 12,689,206 | 12.689 |
| 2010 | 15,076,695 | 15.077 |
| 2020 | 17,546,065 | 17.546 |
| 2025 | 18,289,896 | 18.290 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars112.72025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 41,053,840,192 | 41.054 |
| 1991 | 42,815,601,070 | 42.816 |
| 1992 | 43,720,855,883 | 43.721 |
| 1993 | 44,583,563,741 | 44.584 |
| 1994 | 46,482,043,534 | 46.482 |
| 1995 | 47,529,074,179 | 47.529 |
| 1996 | 48,352,157,793 | 48.352 |
| 1997 | 50,444,773,790 | 50.445 |
| 1998 | 52,092,567,129 | 52.093 |
| 1999 | 49,623,699,372 | 49.624 |
| 2000 | 50,165,491,739 | 50.165 |
| 2001 | 52,275,588,700 | 52.276 |
| 2002 | 54,851,779,632 | 54.852 |
| 2003 | 56,433,979,416 | 56.434 |
| 2004 | 60,289,773,140 | 60.290 |
| 2005 | 63,544,590,361 | 63.545 |
| 2006 | 66,303,144,899 | 66.303 |
| 2007 | 67,564,514,888 | 67.565 |
| 2008 | 72,000,071,700 | 72.000 |
| 2009 | 72,785,601,820 | 72.786 |
| 2010 | 75,718,234,074 | 75.718 |
| 2011 | 82,140,258,351 | 82.140 |
| 2012 | 86,890,603,905 | 86.891 |
| 2013 | 93,156,490,881 | 93.156 |
| 2014 | 97,093,344,927 | 97.093 |
| 2015 | 97,209,558,000 | 97.210 |
| 2016 | 96,540,800,718 | 96.541 |
| 2017 | 102,304,671,535 | 102.305 |
| 2018 | 103,373,033,702 | 103.373 |
| 2019 | 103,544,017,315 | 103.544 |
| 2020 | 93,971,273,314 | 93.971 |
| 2021 | 102,825,145,845 | 102.825 |
| 2022 | 108,859,360,918 | 108.859 |
| 2023 | 110,854,579,494 | 110.855 |
| 2024 | 108,699,466,450 | 108.699 |
| 2025 | 112,749,552,668 | 112.750 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.777High human developmentRank 88 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.646
20000.683
20100.737
20200.740
20230.777
77.4 yearsLife expectancy at birth
9.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A presidential republic. An elected President leads the executive, and the National Assembly is a single-chamber legislature. The constitution also provides electoral and transparency institutions alongside the executive, legislature and judiciary.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Ecuador.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which island group is part of Ecuador?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.