Identity
Name origin: derives from the river of the same name.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Paraguay
South AmericaRegional Champion
Paraguay tops South America for tourist arrivals. How does it compare to its neighbors?
Paraguay tops South America for tourist arrivals. Neighbors look to it as a regional benchmark. How does it compare to its neighbors?
-23.0, -58.0 - South America
Area
407K km²
Pop.
7.60M
Stats
126
Reality brief
Paraguay is a country in South America with a population of 7.60M and an area of 406,752 km². Life expectancy is 73.8 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Land Area
396.0K km²#60globally
Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
Internet Users (%)
81.58%#112globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Human Development Index
0.76#99globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
73.8 years#112globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
GDP Per Capita
$16,296.28#106globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Paraguay
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Geography
Size snapshot: about three times the size of New York State.
CIA 2026
Culture
Major languages include Spanish (official) and Guarani (official) 46.3%, only Guarani 34%, only Spanish 15.2%, other (includes Portuguese, and more.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Paraguay
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Inequality (Gini)
44.2#12globallyTop stat
A measure of income inequality where 0 means everyone earns the same and 100 means one person has everything.
Lowest Elevation
46 m#33globallyTop stat
Lowest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Renewable Energy (%)
58.8%#38globally
The percentage of energy consumption that comes from renewable sources like solar, wind, and hydro.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #133 in railway length
#13330 kmRailway Length
Total railway length from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #225 in coastline length
#2250 kmCoastline Length
Total coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
Keeps government debt (% gdp) unusually low
#18318.9% of GDPGovernment Debt (% GDP)
Central government debt as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Only ranks #192 in population density
#19217.28 /km²Population Density
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Only ranks #90 in r&d spending (% gdp)
#900.12% of GDPR&D Spending (% GDP)
Research and development spending as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Compared with the region
How Paraguay Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Paraguay
South America avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $18,523.68
- Region avg
- $23,608.58
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Paraguay$18,523.68
South America$23,608.58
World$31,844.55
-42% below worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 73.8 years
- Region avg
- 76.3 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Paraguay73.8 years
South America76.3 years
World73.7 years
+0% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.76
- Region avg
- 0.81
- World avg
- 0.74
Paraguay0.76
South America0.81
World0.74
+2% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 81.58%
- Region avg
- 85.63%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Paraguay81.58%
South America85.63%
World70.29%
+16% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Paraguay
Country briefing
Several Indigenous groups, principally belonging to the Guarani language family, inhabited the area of modern Paraguay before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century, when the territory was incorporated into the Viceroyalty of Peru.
Read the full Factbook note
Several Indigenous groups, principally belonging to the Guarani language family, inhabited the area of modern Paraguay before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century, when the territory was incorporated into the Viceroyalty of Peru. Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811 with the help of neighboring states. In the aftermath of independence, a series of military dictators ruled the country until 1870. During the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1864-70) -- fought against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay -- Paraguay lost two thirds of its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half-century and experienced a tumultuous series of political regimes. 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 Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil
- Climate
- subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west
- Terrain
- 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
- Natural Resources
- hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
- Natural Hazards
- local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
- Size Comparison
- about three times the size of New York State; slightly smaller than California
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Spanish (official) and Guarani (official) 46.3%, only Guarani 34%, only Spanish 15.2%, other (includes Portuguese, German, other Indigenous languages) 4.1%, no response 0.4% (2012 est.)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 80.4%, Protestant 7% (Evangelical (non-specific) 6.7%, Evangelical Pentecostal <0.1%, Adventist <0.1%, Protestant (non-specific) <0.1%), Believer (not belonging to the church) 5.7%, other 0.6%, agnostic <0.1%, none 0.2%, unspecified 6.2% (2023 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Indigenous ancestry) 95%, other 5%
- Major Cities
- 3.511 million ASUNCION (capital) (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- Asunción
- Capital Coordinates
- 25 16 S, 57 40 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-3 (2 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Paraguay
- Name Origin
- derives from the river of the same name; the river's name may come from the Guarani words para (water or river) and guay (born)
- Independence
- 14-15 May 1811 (from Spain)
- National Symbols
- lion
- National Anthem
- "Paraguayos, Republica o muerte!" (Paraguayans, the Republic or Death!)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 1 (cultural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- upper middle-income South American economy; COVID-19 hit while still recovering from 2019 Argentina-driven recession; global hydroelectricity leader; major corruption and money-laundering locale; highly agrarian economy; significant income inequality
- Industries
- sugar processing, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, base metals, electric power
- Agricultural Products
- soybeans, sugarcane, maize, cassava, wheat, rice, milk, beef, oranges, bananas (2023)
- Export Partners
- Argentina 33%, Brazil 25%, Chile 10%, USA 2%, Uruguay 2% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- soybeans, beef, electricity, corn, soybean meal (2023)
- Import Partners
- China 33%, Brazil 24%, USA 8%, Argentina 7%, Germany 2% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, fertilizers, cars, pesticides (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense5 facts
- Military Forces
- Armed Forces of Paraguay (Fuerzas Armadas de Paraguay; aka Armed Forces of the Nation or Fuerzas Armadas de la Nación): Paraguayan Army (Ejército Paraguayo), Paraguayan Navy (Armada Paraguaya; includes marines), Paraguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Paraguaya) Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Police of Paraguay (Policía Nacional del Paraguay, PNP) (2025)
- Military Service
- 18-25 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; all men 18-25 are required to perform military service for at least 12 months (2025)
- Energy Mix
- hydroelectricity: 99.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 6 privately owned TV stations; about 75 commercial and community radio stations; 1 state-owned radio network (2019)
- Space Program
- has a small, recently established space program focused on the acquisition of satellites, satellite data, and the technologies and capabilities to manufacture satellites, as well as promoting domestic expertise and industry; a priority is acquiring remote sensing capabilities to support socio-economic development, including resource mapping, weather, and crop monitoring; has built a cube satellite with foreign assistance; operates satellites; cooperates with foreign space agencies and industries, including those of India, Japan, Taiwan, the US, and member states of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (2025)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Society & Equality2 statsBest: #12
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #33
Doctors (per 1,000)
Obesity Rate
Health Spending (% GDP)
Infant Mortality
Child Mortality
Life Expectancy
Suicide Rate
Smoking Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #33
Lowest Elevation
46 m#33
Land Border Length
4.7K km#39
Highest Elevation
842 m#176
Coastline Length
0 km#225
Environment9 statsBest: #38
Renewable Energy (%)
Forest Area
Forest Coverage (%)
Irrigated Land
1.4K km²#82
Protected Land (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
Electricity Access (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Demographics12 statsBest: #40
Teen Birth Rate
Land Area
Youth Population (%)
Urban Population (%)
Population
Birth Rate
Fertility Rate
Dependency Ratio
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Death Rate
Population Density
Education & Future5 statsBest: #51
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #57
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #59
GDP Growth Rate
High-Tech Exports (%)
Unemployment Rate
Inflation Rate
GDP (Nominal)
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
Youth Unemployment Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Government Debt (% GDP)
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #63
Energy1 statsBest: #68
Electric Generating Capacity
8.93M kW#68
Technology3 statsBest: #73
Keep exploring
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Where Paraguay leads
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Paraguay
#60 in Land Area
Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
Top 25% globally
396.0K km²
Frequently Asked Questions about Paraguay
What is the population of Paraguay?
Paraguay has a population of 7.60M, ranking #104 globally by population.
What continent is Paraguay in?
Paraguay is located in South America. It has an area of 406,752 km².
What is the life expectancy in Paraguay?
Life expectancy in Paraguay is 73.8 years, ranking #112 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Paraguay?
Paraguay's GDP per capita (PPP) is $18,523.68, ranking #107 globally.
What is Paraguay known for in global statistics?
Paraguay ranks particularly high in Land Area (#60), Population (#104), Internet Users (%) (#112).
What is Paraguay's Human Development Index?
Paraguay has an HDI of 0.756, ranking #99 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Paraguay?
Paraguay has a population density of 17.3 people per km², ranking #192 globally.