01
Physical geography
Rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin.
Local timeSucre ·
South America · Card 002
Bolivia
Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America. Sucre is its constitutional capital; La Paz is the seat of government.
Find Bolivia
● 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. Both Sucre and La Paz are labelled to distinguish the constitutional capital from the seat of government.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. Both Sucre and La Paz are labelled to distinguish the constitutional capital from the seat of government.
At a glance
- Capital
- SucreSucre is the constitutional capital. La Paz is the seat of the executive and legislature.
- Languages
- Spanish & Indigenous languages
- Currency
- Bolivian boliviano (BOB)
- Population
- 12.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 1,098,581 km²424,164.32 square miles
- Independence
- 1825from Spain
Bolivia in context
South America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Sucre; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
The constitution recognizes Spanish and 36 Indigenous languages as official, including Quechua, Aymara and Guaraní. Actual use varies greatly by region.
03
Location
Central South America, southwest of Brazil. Sucre is the constitutional capital. La Paz is the seat of the executive and legislature.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band
History & independence
Andean societies, including Tiwanaku and the Inca state, shaped the region before Spanish conquest. Upper Peru became independent as Bolivia in 1825 after prolonged wars against Spanish rule. Bolivia lost its Pacific coast during the War of the Pacific and remains landlocked. Civilian democracy returned in 1982, and the 2009 constitution established the Plurinational State, recognizing the country’s Indigenous peoples and languages.
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Bolivia becomes independent
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The War of the Pacific begins
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Civilian democratic government returns
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The constitution establishes the Plurinational State
Economy
Main activities
Mining, natural gas, agriculture and services are important economic activities. Zinc, silver, tin and gold contribute to mineral production, while soybeans and other crops support farming and exports. Bolivia has large lithium resources, but the existence of a resource does not mean it already generates large-scale production or export income. Commodity earnings, fuel imports and infrastructure constraints influence the economy.
Industry and production
Mineral extraction, natural gas, food processing, agriculture 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 people12.62025 · 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 | 4,590,010 | 4.590 |
| 1980 | 5,758,900 | 5.759 |
| 1990 | 7,130,142 | 7.130 |
| 2000 | 8,606,326 | 8.606 |
| 2010 | 10,182,345 | 10.182 |
| 2020 | 11,816,299 | 11.816 |
| 2025 | 12,581,843 | 12.582 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars37.22025 · 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 | 11,974,420,934 | 11.974 |
| 1991 | 12,605,057,002 | 12.605 |
| 1992 | 12,812,599,041 | 12.813 |
| 1993 | 13,359,606,839 | 13.360 |
| 1994 | 13,983,135,103 | 13.983 |
| 1995 | 14,637,304,840 | 14.637 |
| 1996 | 15,275,687,760 | 15.276 |
| 1997 | 16,032,477,217 | 16.032 |
| 1998 | 16,838,807,372 | 16.839 |
| 1999 | 16,910,689,779 | 16.911 |
| 2000 | 17,334,777,886 | 17.335 |
| 2001 | 17,626,660,728 | 17.627 |
| 2002 | 18,064,782,973 | 18.065 |
| 2003 | 18,554,580,624 | 18.555 |
| 2004 | 19,328,918,119 | 19.329 |
| 2005 | 20,183,533,310 | 20.184 |
| 2006 | 21,151,739,181 | 21.152 |
| 2007 | 22,117,185,833 | 22.117 |
| 2008 | 23,477,060,535 | 23.477 |
| 2009 | 24,265,185,359 | 24.265 |
| 2010 | 25,266,542,245 | 25.267 |
| 2011 | 26,581,436,463 | 26.581 |
| 2012 | 27,943,010,897 | 27.943 |
| 2013 | 29,842,021,107 | 29.842 |
| 2014 | 31,471,565,407 | 31.472 |
| 2015 | 33,000,198,249 | 33.000 |
| 2016 | 34,407,300,589 | 34.407 |
| 2017 | 35,850,757,843 | 35.851 |
| 2018 | 36,878,987,710 | 36.879 |
| 2019 | 37,434,651,172 | 37.435 |
| 2020 | 32,673,162,317 | 32.673 |
| 2021 | 35,949,969,738 | 35.950 |
| 2022 | 37,297,165,307 | 37.297 |
| 2023 | 38,235,698,457 | 38.236 |
| 2024 | 37,806,175,462 | 37.806 |
| 2025 | 37,207,939,738 | 37.208 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.733High human developmentRank 108 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.552
20000.630
20100.677
20200.697
20230.733
68.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
10.0 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 unitary presidential republic organized as a Plurinational State. An elected President leads the executive. The Plurinational Legislative Assembly has a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate. The constitution recognizes Indigenous peoples and forms of territorial autonomy.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Bolivia.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
In which year did this event occur in Bolivia: The constitution establishes the Plurinational State?
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.