Ecuador
Don't underestimate Ecuador. Ranked #116 economically, yet #50 in university enrollment. Think you know the secret?
Ecuador is a country in South America with a population of 18.48M and an area of 276,841 km². Life expectancy is 77.4 years.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
University Enrollment Rate
67.9%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Land Area
248.4KTotal land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
Life Expectancy
77.4 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Life Expectancy
77.4 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Human Development Index
0.78The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🌍Highest Elevation
6.3KHighest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
🤝Inequality (Gini)
45.2A measure of income inequality where 0 means everyone earns the same and 100 means one person has everything.
🔧Airports
317Total airports from CIA World Factbook.
🌱Irrigated Land
12.5KIrrigated land area from CIA World Factbook.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Only ranks #200 in gdp growth rate
GDP Growth Rate: -2.0%
The annual percentage change in the country's GDP.
World Bank 2023Ranks #13 globally in highest elevation
Highest Elevation: 6.3K
Highest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Ranks #8 in inequality (gini) (lower is better)
Inequality (Gini): 45.2
A measure of income inequality where 0 means everyone earns the same and 100 means one person has everything.
World Bank 2023Ranks #22 globally in airports
Airports: 317
Total airports from CIA World Factbook.
Ranks #18 globally in women in parliament (%)
Women in Parliament (%): 43.1%
The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
World Bank 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Ecuador Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Ecuador
What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito -- the traditional name for the area -- became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty -- New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito -- gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew to become an independent republic in 1830, the traditional name was changed to the "Republic of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador has had nearly 50 years of civilian governance, the period has been marked by political instability.
- Location
- Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
- Climate
- tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
- Terrain
- coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower
- Natural Hazards
- frequent earthquakes; landslides; volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts volcanism: volcanic activity concentrated along the Andes Mountains; Sangay (5,230 m) is mainland Ecuador's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes in the Andes include Antisana, Cayambe, Chacana, Cotopaxi, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, Sumaco, and Tungurahua; Fernandina (1,476 m), a shield volcano, is the most active of the many Galapagos volcanoes; other historically active Galapagos volcanoes include Wolf, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Pinta, Marchena, and Santiago
- Size Comparison
- slightly smaller than Nevada
- Languages
- Spanish (Castilian; official) 98.6%, indigenous 3.9% (Quechua 3.2%, other indigenous 0.7%), foreign 2.8%, other 0.6% (includes Ecuadorian sign language) (2022 est.)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 68.2%, Protestant 19% (Evangelical 18.3%, Adventist 0.6%, other Protestant 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other 2.3%, none 8.2% don't know/no response 1% (2023 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 77.5%, Montubio 7.7%, Indigenous 7.7%, White 2.2%, Afroecuadorian 2%, Mulatto 1.4%, Black 1.3%, other 0.1% (2022 est.)
- Major Cities
- 3.142 million Guayaquil, 1.957 million QUITO (capital) (2023)
- Government Type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- Quito
- Capital Coordinates
- 0 13 S, 78 30 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Ecuador
- Name Origin
- the name is the Spanish word for "equator," referring to its geographic position
- Independence
- 24 May 1822 (from Spain)
- National Symbols
- Andean condor
- National Anthem
- "Salve, O Patria!" (We Salute You, Our Homeland)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 5 (3 cultural, 2 natural)
- Overview
- highly informal South American economy; USD currency user; major banana exporter; hard hit by COVID-19; macroeconomic fragility from oil dependency; successful debt restructuring; China funding budget deficits; social unrest hampering economic activity
- Industries
- petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals
- Agricultural Products
- bananas, sugarcane, milk, oil palm fruit, maize, rice, plantains, chicken, pineapples, cocoa beans (2023)
- Export Partners
- USA 22%, China 21%, Panama 12%, Japan 3%, Peru 3% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- crude petroleum, shellfish, bananas, fish, gold (2023)
- Import Partners
- USA 27%, China 20%, Colombia 7%, Brazil 4%, Peru 4% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, coal tar oil, cars, packaged medicine, plastics (2023)
- Military Forces
- Ecuadorian Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador): Ground Force (Fuerza Terrestre), Naval Force (Fuerza Naval; includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast guard), Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana) (2025)
- Military Service
- 18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 12-month service obligation; conscription abolished in 2008 (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 23.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 75.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 956 media outlets, of which 89% are private, 5% are public, and 6% belong to small communities; government controls most of the 44 public media stations, including national media and multiple local radio stations; most media outlets are concentrated in Guayas and Pichincha (2022)
- Space Program
- has a small program focused on acquiring and manufacturing satellites; builds scientific satellites; conducts research and develops some space-related technologies; has relationships with China and Russia's space agencies and industries, as well as the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency and its member states (2025)
Deep Dive
67 of 86 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
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Share something surprising about Ecuador!
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ecuador
Ecuador has a population of 18.48M, ranking #69 globally by population.
Ecuador is located in South America. It has an area of 276,841 km².
Life expectancy in Ecuador is 77.4 years, ranking #78 globally.
Ecuador's GDP per capita (PPP) is 15.8K, ranking #115 globally.
Ecuador ranks particularly high in University Enrollment Rate (#50), Population (#69), Land Area (#77).
Ecuador has an HDI of 0.777, ranking #88 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Ecuador has a population density of 72.4 people per km², ranking #133 globally.
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