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South America
Page last updated: July 24, 2024
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-prepared to weather the global drop in oil prices in 2014, sparking an economic decline that has resulted in reduced government social spending, shortages of basic goods, and high inflation. Worsened living conditions have prompted nearly 8 million Venezuelans to emigrate, mainly settling in nearby countries. The US imposed financial sanctions on MADURO and his representatives in 2017 and on sectors of the Venezuelan economy in 2018. Limited sanctions relief followed when the MADURO administration began making democratic and electoral concessions.
The government's mismanagement and lack of investment in infrastructure has also weakened the country's energy sector. Caracas has relaxed some controls to mitigate the impact of its sustained economic crisis, such as allowing increased import flexibility for the private sector and the informal use of US dollars and other international currencies. Ongoing concerns include human rights abuses, rampant violent crime, political manipulation of the judicial and electoral systems, and corruption.
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
8 00 N, 66 00 W
South America
Total : 912,050 km²
Land: 882,050 km²
Water: 30,000 km²
Almost six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California
Area comparison map:
Total: 5,267 km
Border countries (3): Brazil 2,137 km; Colombia 2,341 km; Guyana 789 km
2,800 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 15 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Highest point: Pico Bolivar 4,978 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 450 m
Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Agricultural land: 24.5% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 20.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 52.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 23.4% (2018 est.)
10,550 km² (2012)
Salt water lake(s): Lago de Maracaibo - 13,010 km²
Rio Negro (shared with Colombia [s] and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco river source and mouth (shared with Colombia) - 2,101 km
Note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 km²), Orinoco (953,675 km²)
Most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas
Subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Note 1: the country lies on major sea and air routes linking North and South America
Note 2: Venezuela has some of the most unique geology in the world; tepuis are massive table-top mountains of the western Guiana Highlands that tend to be isolated and thus support unique endemic plant and animal species; their sheer cliffsides account for some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world including Angel Falls, the world's highest (979 m) that drops off Auyan Tepui
Total: 31,250,306
Male: 15,555,451
Female: 15,694,855 (2024 est.)
Comparison rankings: female 50; male 49; total 49
Noun: Venezuelan(s)
Adjective: Venezuelan
Unspecified Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous
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 información básica. (Spanish)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
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.)
Venezuela’s ongoing socio-economic, political, and human rights crises have resulted in widespread poverty and food insecurity and have devastated the country’s healthcare system. According to a 2018 national hospital survey, many hospitals were unable to provide basic services, and 20% of operating rooms and intensive care units were non-functional. Hospitals reported shortages in water (79%), medicines (88%), and surgical supplies (79%). The poor conditions in healthcare facilities have motivated many doctors and other health professionals to emigrate, resulting in shortages of specialists, particularly in emergency care. The scarcity of medicines, vaccines, medical supplies, and mosquito controls is leading to a rise in infectious diseases. Tuberculosis cases jumped by 68% between 2014 and 2017, and malaria rates had the largest rise in the world from 2016 to 2017 at 69%. Diptheria, which had been eradicated in the country in 1999, re-emerged in 2016, and new cases have surfaced in 2023. Infectious disease outbreaks, such as measles and malaria, have crossed into neighboring countries. Infant mortality, which had been decreasing since the 1950s, has been on the rise since 2009. Between 2015 and 2016, infant deaths increased 30%, while maternal mortality increased 65%.
As of November 2023, more than 7.7 million Venezuelan migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers had been reported by host governments, with approximately 85% relocating in Latin America and the Caribbean. Colombia has been the largest recipient, accommodating almost 2.5 million as of February 2022, followed by Peru and Ecuador. As of June 2022, almost 212,000 of the refugees and close to 1.04 million of the asylum seekers were recognized by national authorities. An additional 4.3 million Venezuelans have been granted residence permits or other types of regular stay arrangements, as of March 2023. The initial wave of migrants were highly educated professionals. These were followed by university-educated young people. As the economy collapsed in 2017-2018, Venezuelan migrants have been less-educated and from low-income households.
0-14 years: 25% (male 3,987,361/female 3,811,307)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 10,264,353/female 10,330,376)
65 years and over: 9.1% (2024 est.) (male 1,303,737/female 1,553,172)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 57.5
Youth dependency ratio: 44.4
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.1
Potential support ratio: 7.6 (2021 est.)
Total: 31 years (2024 est.)
Male: 30.3 years
Female: 31.7 years
2.34% (2024 est.)
16.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
13.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas
Urban population: 88.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
2.972 million CARACAS (capital), 2.368 million Maracaibo, 1.983 million Valencia, 1.254 million Barquisimeto, 1.243 million Maracay, 964,000 Ciudad Guayana (2023)
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
259 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Total: 13.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Total population: 74.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 71.5 years
Female: 77.7 years
2.18 children born/woman (2024 est.)
1.06 (2024 est.)
75% (2010)
Improved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 94.2% of population
Unimproved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 5.8% of population (2020 est.)
3.8% of GDP (2020)
1.73 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Improved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 95.8% of population
Unimproved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 4.2% of population (2020 est.)
Degree of risk: high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
25.6% (2016)
Total: 2.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 1.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
NA
51.5% (2023 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.5%
Male: 97.4%
Female: 97.7% (2021)
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 irresponsible mining operations
Party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Agricultural land: 24.5% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 3.1% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 20.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 52.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 23.4% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 88.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Widespread lack of access: due to severe economic crisis - the national economy, highly dependent on oil production and exports, was forecast to contract in 2021 for the eighth consecutive year; with the persistent negative effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic that have compounded the already severe macro‑economic crisis, the access to food of the most vulnerable households is expected to deteriorate throughout 2021 and into 2022 due to widespread losses of income‑generating activities and soaring food prices (2022)
Particulate matter emissions: 16.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 164.18 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 68.66 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 9,779,093 tons (2010 est.)
Salt water lake(s): Lago de Maracaibo - 13,010 km²
Rio Negro (shared with Colombia [s] and Brazil [m]) - 2,250 km; Orinoco river source and mouth (shared with Colombia) - 2,101 km
Note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 km²), Orinoco (953,675 km²)
Municipal: 5.12 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 790 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 16.71 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
1.33 trillion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Conventional short form: Venezuela
Local long form: RepĂşblica Bolivariana de Venezuela
Local short form: Venezuela
Former: State of Venezuela, Republic of Venezuela, United States of Venezuela
Etymology: native stilt-houses built on Lake Maracaibo reminded early explorers Alonso de OJEDA and Amerigo VESPUCCI in 1499 of buildings in Venice and so they named the region "Venezuola," which in Italian means "Little Venice"
Federal presidential republic
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 native Caracas tribe that originally settled in the city's valley site near the Caribbean coast
23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales (Federal Dependencies)**, Distrito Capital (Capital District)*, Falcon, Guarico, La Guaira, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia
Note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
5 July 1811 (from Spain)
Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
History: many previous; latest adopted 15 December 1999, effective 30 December 1999
Amendments: proposed through agreement by at least 39% of the National Assembly membership, by the president of the republic in session with the cabinet of ministers, or by petition of at least 15% of registered voters; passage requires simple majority vote by the Assembly and simple majority approval in a referendum; amended 2009; note - in 2016, President MADURO issued a decree to hold an election to form a constituent assembly to change the constitution; the election in July 2017 approved the formation of a 545-member constituent assembly and elected its delegates, empowering them to change the constitution and dismiss government institutions and officials
Civil law system based on the Spanish civil code
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years; reduced to five years in the case of applicants from Spain, Portugal, Italy, or a Latin American or Caribbean country
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: Notification Statement: the United States does not recognize Nicolas MADURO Moros as president of Venezuela
President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013)
Head of government: President Nicolas MADURO Moros (since 19 April 2013)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits); election last held on 20 May 2018 (next to be held on 28 July 2024)
Election results:
2018: Nicolas MADURO Moros reelected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 67.9%, Henri FALCON (AP) 20.9%, Javier BERTUCCI 10.8%; note - the election was reportedly marred by serious shortcomings and electoral fraud
2013: Nicolas MADURO Moros elected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 50.6%, Henrique CAPRILES Radonski (PJ) 49.1%, other 0.3%
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (277 seats; 3 seats reserved for indigenous peoples of Venezuela; members serve 5-year terms); note - in 2020, the National Electoral Council increased the number of seats in the National Assembly from 167 to 277 for the 6 December 2020 election
Elections: last held on 6 December 2020 (next expected to be held in December 2025)
Election results: percent of vote by party - GPP (pro-government) 69.3%, Democratic Alliance (opposition coalition) 17.7%, other 13%; seats by party - GPP 253, Democratic Alliance 18, indigenous peoples 3, other 3; composition - NA
Highest court(s): Supreme Tribunal of Justice (consists of 32 judges organized into constitutional, political-administrative, electoral, civil appeals, criminal appeals, and social divisions)
Judge selection and term of office: judges proposed by the Committee of Judicial Postulation (an independent body of organizations dealing with legal issues and of the organs of citizen power) and appointed by the National Assembly; judges serve nonrenewable 12-year terms; note - in July 2017, the National Assembly named 33 judges to the court to replace a series of judges, it argued, had been illegally appointed in late 2015 by the outgoing, socialist-party-led Assembly; MADURO and the Socialist Party-appointed judges refused to recognize these appointments, however, and many of the new judges have since been imprisoned or forced into exile
Subordinate courts: Superior or Appeals Courts (Tribunales Superiores); District Tribunals (Tribunales de Distrito); Courts of First Instance (Tribunales de Primera Instancia); Parish Courts (Tribunales de Parroquia); Justices of the Peace (Justicia de Paz) Network
A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo) or UNT [Omar Enrique BARBOZA Gutierrez]
Cambiemos Movimiento Ciudadano or CMC [Timoteo ZAMBRANO]
Christian Democrats or COPEI (also known as the Social Christian Party) [Juan Carlos ALVARADO Prato, Roberto ENRIQUEZ]
Citizens Encounter or EC [Delsa SOLORZANO]
Clear Accounts or CC [Enzo SCARANO]
Coalition of parties loyal to Nicolas MADURO - Great Patriotic Pole or GPP [Nicolas MADURO]
Coalition of opposition parties - Democratic Alliance (Alianza Democratica) (includes AD, EL CAMBIO, COPEI, CMC, and AP)
Come Venezuela (Vente Venezuela) or VV [Maria Corina MACHADO]
Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Oscar FIGUERA]
Consenso en la Zona or Conenzo [Enzo SCARANO and Leon JURADO]
Convergencia [Juan Jose CALDERA]
Democratic Action or AD [Jose Bernabe GUTIERREZ Parra]
Fatherland for All (Patria para Todos) or PPT [Ilenia MEDINA]
Fearless People's Alliance or ABP [Antonio LEDEZMA]
Fuerza Vecinal or FV [leaders include mayors Gustavo DUQUE, Darwin GONZALEZ, Elias SAYEGH, Manuel FERREIRA, Josy FERNANDEZ, Raziel RODRIGUEZ, Leon JURADO, Oswaldo ZERPA, Daniel QUINONEZ, Gregorio PENA, Jose Antonio GONZALEZ, Heriberto MATERAN, Francisco AGUILAR, Yohanti DOMINGUEZ, Pedro CAMPOS and Morel David RODRIGUEZ]; note - national spokesman David UZCATEGUI
Hope for Change (Esperanza por el Cambio) or EL CAMBIO [Javier Alejandro BERTUCCI Carrero]
Justice First (Primero Justicia) or PJ [Tomas GUANIPA]
LAPIZ [Antonio Domingo ECARRI Angola]
Movement to Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo) or MAS [Segundo MELENDEZ]
Popular Will (Voluntad Popular) or VP [Leopoldo LOPEZ]
Progressive Advance (Avanzada Progresista) or AP [Henri FALCON]
The Radical Cause or La Causa R [Andres VELAZQUEZ]
United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Nicolas MADURO]
Venezuela First (Primero Venezuela) or PV [Luis PARRA]
Venezuelan Progressive Movement or MPV [Simon CALZADILLA]
Venezuela Project or PV [Carlos BERRIZBEITIA]
ACS, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band; the flag retains the three equal horizontal bands and three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; yellow is interpreted as standing for the riches of the land, blue for the courage of its people, and red for the blood shed in attaining independence; the seven stars on the original flag represented the seven provinces in Venezuela that united in the war of independence; in 2006, then President Hugo CHAVEZ ordered an eighth star added to the star arc - a decision that sparked much controversy - to conform with the flag proclaimed by Simon Bolivar in 1827 and to represent the historic province of Guayana
Troupial (bird); national colors: yellow, blue, red
Name: "Gloria al bravo pueblo" (Glory to the Brave People)
Lyrics/music: Vicente SALIAS/Juan Jose LANDAETA
Note: adopted 1881; lyrics written in 1810, the music some years later; both SALIAS and LANDAETA were executed in 1814 during Venezuela's struggle for independence
Total World Heritage Sites: 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Coro and its Port (c); Canaima National Park (n); Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas (c)
South American economy; ongoing hyperinflation since mid-2010s; chaotic economy due to political corruption, infrastructure cuts, and human rights abuses; in debt default; oil exporter; hydropower consumer; rising Chinese relations
$269.068 billion (2018 est.)
$381.6 billion (2017 est.)
$334.751 billion (2017 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
-19.67% (2018 est.)
-14% (2017 est.)
-15.76% (2017 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$7,704 (2018 est.)
$12,500 (2017 est.)
$9,417 (2017 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
$482.359 billion (2014 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
146,101.7% (2019 est.)
45,518.1% (2018 est.)
416.8% (2017 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Fitch rating: RD (2017)
Moody's rating: WR (2019)
Standard & Poors rating: SD (2017)
Note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agriculture: 4.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 40.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 54.9% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 156; industry 29; agriculture 129
Household consumption: 68.5% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 19.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 13.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.7% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 7% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -10.7% (2017 est.)
Milk, sugarcane, maize, plantains, oil palm fruit, bananas, rice, potatoes, pineapples, chicken (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products, crude oil and petroleum products
-5.84% (2014 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
11.548 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
5.53% (2023 est.)
5.75% (2022 est.)
7.03% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 14.9% (2021 est.)
Male: 13.4%
Female: 19.3%
33.1% (2015 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line
39 (2011 est.)
On food: 18.6% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 3.8% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
Lowest 10%: 1.7%
Highest 10%: 32.7% (2006)
0.03% of GDP (2014 est.)
0.03% of GDP (2013 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $30 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $76 million (2017 est.)
-46.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
38.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
31.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
Note: data cover central government debt, as well as the debt of state-owned oil company PDVSA; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include some debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; some debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions
44.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
-$3.87 billion (2016 est.)
-$3.87 billion (2016 est.)
-$16.051 billion (2015 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$83.401 billion (2018 est.)
$93.485 billion (2017 est.)
$28.684 billion (2016 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
China 16%, Turkey 14%, Spain 12%, US 10%, Brazil 8% (2022)
Note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Scrap iron, petroleum coke, crude petroleum, acyclic alcohols, aluminum (2022)
Note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$18.432 billion (2018 est.)
$18.376 billion (2017 est.)
$25.81 billion (2016 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
China 31%, US 23%, Brazil 14%, Colombia 7%, Turkey 4% (2022)
Note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Soybean oil, wheat, soybean meal, corn, plastic products (2022)
Note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
$9.794 billion (2017 est.)
$10.15 billion (2016 est.)
$15.625 billion (2015 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
$100.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$109.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Bolivars (VEB) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
9.975 (2017 est.)
9.257 (2016 est.)
6.284 (2015 est.)
6.284 (2014 est.)
6.048 (2013 est.)
Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 34.742 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 56.768 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 652 million kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 27.882 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 196; consumption 50; installed generating capacity 35; exports 72
Fossil fuels: 22.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 77.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Production: 197,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Consumption: 82,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Exports: 124,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 300 metric tons (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 730.999 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Total petroleum production: 761,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 367,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 303.806 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Production: 17.696 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Consumption: 17.696 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 5.674 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
80.769 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 188,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 44.539 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 36.042 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
57.282 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 3.147 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 17.949 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 63 (2022 est.)
General assessment: Venezuela’s fixed-line penetration was relatively high for the region at 7.8 million lines in 2014 but the steady growth in the number of lines came to an end in 2015; since then, the number of fixed lines has plummeted to 2.7 million (2022) or a teledensity of about 9.5%; the cause is largely linked to the country’s ongoing economic troubles, which have compelled many people to terminate fixed-line telecom services and others still to flee the country; these pressures have also distorted sector revenue and have placed into disarray operators’ investment plans aimed at improving networks and expanding the reach and capabilities of new technologies and services; the fixed broadband penetration rate is lower than the regional average, while data speeds are also relatively low; there is no effective competition in the provision of DSL, and as a result the state-owned incumbent CANTV has had little incentive to improve services from its meager revenue streams; mobile penetration in Venezuela is 67% (2022), below the regional average and ahead of only Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Haiti; the number of mobile subscribers decline gradually from 2012 to 2020 as subscribers terminated services in a bid to reduce discretionary spending or left the country; after years of decline, mobile phone lines grew 15% from 2021 to the end of 2022 to reach 18.7 million, as subscribers replaced fixed lines with mobile service and mobile connectivity improved; an estimated 78% of mobile subscribers have smartphones with mobile access to the internet (2021)
Domestic: fixed-line is 10 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is 67 per 100 persons (2021)
International: country code - 58; landing points for the Venezuela Festoon, ARCOS, PAN-AM, SAC, GlobeNet, ALBA-1 and Americas II submarine cable system providing connectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat (2020)
Venezuela has a mixture of state-run and private broadcast media that are subject to high levels of control, including the shuttering of opposition-leaning media outlets; 13 public service networks, 61 privately owned TV networks, a privately owned news channel with limited national coverage, and a Maduro-backed Pan-American channel; 3 Maduro-aligned radio networks officially control roughly 65 news stations and another 30 stations targeted at specific audiences; Maduro-sponsored community broadcasters include 235 radio stations and 44 TV stations; the number of private broadcast radio stations has been declining, but many still remain in operation (2021)
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Total: 22,734,162 (2022 est.)
Percent of population: 78.7% (2022 est.)
Total: 2,561,556 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2020 est.)
Number of registered air carriers: 12 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 75
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,137,771 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1.55 million (2018) mt-km
YV
502 (2024)
88 (2024)
981 km extra heavy crude, 5941 km gas, 7,588 km oil, 1,778 km refined products (2013)
Total: 447 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 447 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (41.4 km electrified)
Total: 96,189 km (2014)
7,100 km (2011) (Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels)
Total: 272 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 3, container ship 1, general cargo 26, oil tanker 17, other 225
Total ports: 31 (2024)
Large: 1
Medium: 2
Small: 11
Very small: 17
Ports with oil terminals: 21
Key ports: Amuay (Bahia de Amuay), Bahia de Pertigalete, Ciudad Bolivar, Guanta, La Guaira, La Salina, Las Piedras, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Puerto de Hierro, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Miranda, Puerto Ordaz, Punta Cardon
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; includes a joint-service Aerospace Defense Command (Comando de Defensa Aeroespacial Integral, CODAI), Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB)
Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace: Bolivarian National Police (PolicĂa Nacional Bolivariana, PNB) (2024)
Note 1: the Bolivarian Militia was added as a "special component" to the FANB in 2020; it is comprised of armed civilians who receive periodic training in exchange for a small stipend
Note 2: the National Guard, established in 1937 and made a component of the FANB in 2007, 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; it has been accused of multiple human rights abuses
5.2% of GDP (2019 est.)
4.4% of GDP (2018 est.)
2.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
2.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
Information varies; approximately 125-150,000 active military personnel, including about 25-30,000 National Guard; approximately 200-225,000 Bolivarian Militia; approximately 45,000 National Police (2023)
Note: in December 2022, President Nicolas MADURO announced that the National Police would be increased to 100,000 in 2024
The FANB inventory is mainly of Chinese and Russian origin with a smaller mix of mostly older equipment from Western countries, including the US; in recent years, suppliers have included China, the Netherlands, and Spain (2023)
Note: the US prohibited the sale or transfer of military arms or technology to Venezuela in 2006
18-30 (25 for women) for voluntary service; the minimum service obligation is 24-30 months; all citizens of military service age (18-50) are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training, although “forcible recruitment” is forbidden (2023)
The armed forces (FANB) are responsible for ensuring Venezuela’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity but also have a domestic role, including assisting with maintaining internal security, conducting counter-narcotics missions, contributing to national socio-economic development, and providing disaster/humanitarian assistance; the military conducts internal security operations in large parts of the country and has been deployed against illegal armed groups operating in the Colombian border region and other areas to combat organized crime gangs involved in narcotics trafficking and illegal mining; it has close ties to China and Russia, including weapons acquisitions and technical support
The military has a large role in the country’s economy and political sectors; between 2013 and 2017, Venezuela established at least a dozen military-led firms in economic areas such as agriculture, banking, construction, insurance, the media, mining, oil, and tourism; military officers reportedly lead as many as 60 state-owned companies; as of 2023, 14 of 32 government ministries were controlled by the military, including the ministries of agriculture, food, petroleum, and water
The FANB is deployed throughout the country in one maritime and seven geographical regional commands known as Integral Strategic Defense Regions (Regiones Estrategicas de Defensa Integral or REDI) that are mandated to provide for the defense, security, social, and economic needs of their respective areas of responsibility; the REDIs are further broken down into zones and state commands; the National Guard is also organized into regional commands, while the Bolivarian Militia is reportedly divided into a reserve service, a territorial guard component comprised of local battalions and detachments, and a coastal guard force
Members of the terrorist organizations National Liberation Army (ELN) and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia dissidents (FARC-People's Army and Segundo Marquetalia - see Appendix T) operate in Venezuela, mostly in the states of Amazonas, Apure, Bolivar, Guarico, Tachira, and Zulia, although the ELN is assessed to be present in 12 of Venezuela’s 23 states; the groups are particularly active in Apure state; the Venezuelan military has been deployed to the border region to patrol border crossings and has clashed with both the ELN and the FARC dissident groups (2023)
Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales, ABAE; formed 2007); ABAE was originally known as the Venezuelan Space Center (CEV; created 2005); the ABAE is under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (2024)
Has a small program primarily focused on the acquisition of satellites and developing the country’s space engineering and sciences capabilities; operates satellites and maintains two satellite ground control stations; has relations with the space programs of China and Russia (2024)
Note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide
Terrorist group(s): National Liberation Army (ELN); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP); Segundo Marquetalia
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
Refugees (country of origin): 39,185 (Colombia) (mid-year 2022)
Note: As of November 2023, approximately 7.7 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants were residing worldwide with 84.7% in Latin America and the Caribbean
Tier rating: Tier 3 — Venezuela does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making any efforts to do so, therefore, Venezuela remained on Tier 3; the Maduro regime (which is not recognized by the US) took some steps to address trafficking, arresting some traffickers and identifying some victims; however, the regime did not report assisting victims or prosecuting or convicting traffickers; the Maduro regime continued to provide support and a permissive environment for non-state armed groups and other armed groups that forcibly recruited and used children for armed conflict or forced criminality; the armed groups also engaged in sex trafficking and forced labor while operating with impunity; the regime did not make sufficient efforts to curb the armed groups’ forced recruitment and exploitation of children (2023)
A major drug-transit country and trafficking route in the Western Hemisphere for illegal drugs mainly cocaine; government depends on rents from narco-trafficking, along with other illicit activities, to maintain power; evidence of coca cultivation and cocaine production in domestic drug laboratories suggests the country is now also an illicit drug-producing country; a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics