01
Physical geography
Grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere.
Local timeAsunción ·
South America · Card 010
Paraguay
Paraguay is a country in South America. Its capital is Asunción.
Find Paraguay
● 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.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Asunción
- Languages
- Guaraní & Spanish
- Currency
- Paraguayan guaraní (PYG)
- Population
- 7.0 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 406,752 km²157,047.76 square miles
- Independence
- 1811from Spain
Paraguay in context
South America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Asunción; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Spanish and Guaraní are official languages. Guaraní is widely used across the population, including by many people who do not identify as Indigenous.
03
Location
Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue, with an emblem centered on the white band; the emblem on one side of the flag is the national coat of arms, which has a five-pointed yellow star in a green wreath with the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY around it, all inside two circles; the other side of the flag has a circular treasury seal (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words PAZ Y JUSTICIA)
History & independence
Guaraní-speaking peoples inhabited the region before Spanish colonisation, and Guaraní remains central to national life. Paraguay gained independence in 1811. The War of the Triple Alliance from 1864 to 1870 devastated the country. The Chaco War with Bolivia followed in the 1930s. Alfredo Stroessner’s long dictatorship ended in 1989, and a new constitution was adopted in 1992.
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Paraguay gains independence
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The War of the Triple Alliance begins
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The Stroessner dictatorship ends
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A new constitution is adopted
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture, livestock, hydroelectricity, manufacturing and services support the economy. Soybeans and beef are important exports. Large shared hydroelectric projects, including Itaipu with Brazil and Yacyretá with Argentina, generate electricity for domestic use and export. As a landlocked country, Paraguay depends on river transport and routes through neighbouring states.
Industry and production
Soybeans, beef, food processing, hydroelectricity and light manufacturing.
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people7.02025 · 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 | 2,388,028 | 2.388 |
| 1980 | 3,053,235 | 3.053 |
| 1990 | 4,035,747 | 4.036 |
| 2000 | 5,100,868 | 5.101 |
| 2010 | 5,737,971 | 5.738 |
| 2020 | 6,603,739 | 6.604 |
| 2025 | 7,013,078 | 7.013 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars49.32025 · 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 | 16,384,218,445 | 16.384 |
| 1991 | 16,956,625,718 | 16.957 |
| 1992 | 17,244,282,667 | 17.244 |
| 1993 | 18,095,522,438 | 18.096 |
| 1994 | 19,057,827,421 | 19.058 |
| 1995 | 20,358,106,834 | 20.358 |
| 1996 | 20,678,499,693 | 20.678 |
| 1997 | 21,555,788,372 | 21.556 |
| 1998 | 21,570,454,447 | 21.570 |
| 1999 | 21,275,784,845 | 21.276 |
| 2000 | 20,783,433,276 | 20.783 |
| 2001 | 20,610,088,071 | 20.610 |
| 2002 | 20,605,676,606 | 20.606 |
| 2003 | 21,495,995,448 | 21.496 |
| 2004 | 22,368,177,915 | 22.368 |
| 2005 | 22,845,400,902 | 22.845 |
| 2006 | 23,943,606,097 | 23.944 |
| 2007 | 25,241,738,121 | 25.242 |
| 2008 | 26,881,515,166 | 26.882 |
| 2009 | 26,811,317,495 | 26.811 |
| 2010 | 29,786,095,177 | 29.786 |
| 2011 | 31,062,837,785 | 31.063 |
| 2012 | 30,842,899,501 | 30.843 |
| 2013 | 33,400,724,749 | 33.401 |
| 2014 | 35,171,376,877 | 35.171 |
| 2015 | 36,211,447,840 | 36.211 |
| 2016 | 37,756,961,788 | 37.757 |
| 2017 | 39,573,101,424 | 39.573 |
| 2018 | 40,841,122,661 | 40.841 |
| 2019 | 40,677,000,527 | 40.677 |
| 2020 | 40,343,536,419 | 40.344 |
| 2021 | 41,955,105,419 | 41.955 |
| 2022 | 41,943,325,612 | 41.943 |
| 2023 | 44,160,385,148 | 44.160 |
| 2024 | 46,222,297,908 | 46.222 |
| 2025 | 49,292,671,876 | 49.293 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.756High human developmentRank 99 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.607
20000.664
20100.709
20200.742
20230.756
73.8 yearsLife expectancy at birth
8.9 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 heads the executive. The National Congress has a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate, and departments and municipalities have elected authorities.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Paraguay.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which two languages are official in Paraguay?
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.