Paraguay

Facts

Background: Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since then.
Location: Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil
Area land: 397,302 sq km
Area water: 9,450 sq km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay
Country name conventional short form: Paraguay
Country name former: Republic of Paraguay
Population: 6,459,058 (July 2011 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.5% (male 936,298/female 905,285); 15-64 years: 65.4% (male 2,121,632/female 2,100,740); 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 183,440/female 211,663) (2011 est.);
Population growth rate: 1.284% (2011 est.)
Birth rate: 17.48 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate: 4.57 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female; total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.);
Infant mortality rate: total: 23.02 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 26.94 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 18.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.);
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.19 years; male: 73.59 years; female: 78.93 years (2011 est.);
Total fertility rate: 2.11 children born/woman (2011 est.);
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 13,000 (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.);
Nationality: noun: Paraguayan(s); adjective: Paraguayan;
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%;
Religions: Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census);
Languages: Spanish (official), Guarani (official);
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 94%; male: 94.9%; female: 93% (2003 est.);
GDP (purchasing power parity): $33.27 billion (2010 est.); $29.06 billion (2009 est.); $30.2 billion (2008 est.);

GDP (official exchange rate): $17.17 billion (2010 est.);
GDP - real growth rate: 14.5% (2010 est.); -3.8% (2009 est.); 5.8% (2008 est.);
GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,900 (2010 est.); $4,600 (2009 est.); $4,900 (2008 est.);
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 21.8%; industry: 18.2%; services: 60.1% (2010 est.);
Population below poverty line: 18.8% (2009 est.);
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.1%; highest 10%: 42.3% (2007);
Labor force: 3.038 million (2010 est.);
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 26.5%; industry: 18.5%; services: 55% (2008);
Unemployment rate: 5.7% (2010 est.); 6.4% (2009 est.);
Budget: revenues: $3.238 billion; expenditures: $3.402 billion (2010 est.);
Industries: sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, metallurgic, electric power;
Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2010 est.);
Electricity - production: 53.19 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - consumption: 8.5 billion kWh (2009 est.);
Electricity - exports: 45.14 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.);

Press

Paraguay in the News