Peru
Peru⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peru declared its independence in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980 but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, an economic slump and the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his resignation in 2000.
A caretaker government oversaw a new election in 2001 that installed Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of indigenous ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA Perez who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, presided over a robust economic rebound. Former army officer Ollanta HUMALA Tasso was elected president in 2011 and carried on the market-oriented economic policies of the three preceding administrations. Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI Godard won a very narrow runoff in the 2016 presidential election. Facing impeachment after evidence surfaced of his involvement in a vote-buying scandal, KUCZYNSKI offered his resignation in 2018, and First Vice President Martin Alberto VIZCARRA Cornejo was sworn in as president. In 2019, VIZCARRA invoked his constitutional authority to dissolve Peru's Congress after months of battling with the body over anticorruption reforms. New congressional elections in 2020 resulted in an opposition-led legislature. The Congress impeached VIZCARRA for a second time and removed him from office after accusations of corruption and mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of vacancies in the vice-presidential positions, the President of the Peruvian Congress, Manuel MERINO, became the next president. His ascension to office was not well received, and large protests forced his resignation later in 2020. Francisco SAGASTI assumed the position of President of Peru after being appointed President of the Congress the previous day. Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones won presidential election in 2021 but was impeached and ousted the following year; his vice president, Dina BOLUARTE, assumed the presidency by constitutional succession in 2022.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 1,279,996 sq km
- Water
- 5,220 sq km
- Total
- 1,285,216 sq km
- Climate
- varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes
- Terrain
- western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Land Use
- Other
- 28% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 52.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 19.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 3.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 14.2% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
- Coastline
- 2,414 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m
- Highest point
- Nevado Huascaran 6,746 m
- Mean elevation
- 1,555 m
- Irrigated land
- 25,800 sq km (2012)
- Major aquifers
- Amazon Basin
- Map references
- South America
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 7,062 km
- Border countries
- Bolivia 1,212 km; Brazil 2,659 km; Chile 168 km; Colombia 1,494 km; Ecuador 1,529 km
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim
- Continental shelf
- 200 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity
volcanism: volcanic activity in the Andes Mountains; Ubinas (5,672 m) is the country's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes include El Misti, Huaynaputina, Sabancaya, and Yucamane; see note 2 under "Geography - note" - Geography note
- note 1: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316-m (17,441-ft) peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River
note 2: Peru is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes
note 3: on 19 February 1600, Mount Huaynaputina in the southern Peruvian Andes erupted in the largest volcanic explosion in South America in historical times; intermittent eruptions lasted until 5 March 1600 and pumped an estimated 16 to 32 million metric tons of particulates into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the earth's surface and affecting weather worldwide; over the next two-and-a-half years, millions died around the globe in famines from bitterly cold winters, cool summers, and the loss of crops and animals - Natural resources
- copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas
- Area comparative
- almost twice the size of Texas; slightly smaller than Alaska
- Geographic coordinates
- 10 00 S, 76 00 W
- Population distribution
- approximately one third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, contain roughly half of the population; the eastern slopes of the Andes and adjoining rainforest are sparsely populated
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Fresh water lake(s)
- Lago Titicaca (shared with Bolivia) - 8,030 sq km
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Atlantic ocean drainage
- Amazon (6,145,186 sq km)
- Major rivers (BY length in km)
- Amazon river source (shared with Brazil [m]) - 6,400 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 97% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 90.7% (2024 est.)
- Total population
- 93.7% (2024 est.)
Languages
- Languages
- Spanish (official) 82.9%, Quechua (official) 13.6%, Aymara (official) 1.6%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes many minor Amazonian languages) 0.8%, other 0.2%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.7% (2017 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.
- Religions
- Catholic 76%, Evangelical Christian 15.7%, no religion 5.1%, other religions 3.2% (2017 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.75 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 16.43 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 9.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 29.1 years
- Total
- 30.4 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 31.3 years
Population
- Male
- 16,016,448
- Total
- 32,768,614 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 16,752,166
Nationality
- Noun
- Peruvian(s)
- Adjective
- Peruvian
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 9.5% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 5.7% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 2.1% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 78.9% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 25.8% (male 4,293,229/female 4,119,269)
- 15 64 years
- 66.2% (male 10,546,502/female 11,041,106)
- 65 years and over
- 8% (2024 est.) (male 1,112,825/female 1,487,318)
- Ethnic groups
- Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 60.2%, Indigenous 25.8%, White 5.9%, African descent 3.6%, other (includes Chinese and Japanese descent) 1.2%, unspecified 3.3% (2017 est.)
Child Marriage
- Women married BY age 15
- 2% (2020)
- Women married BY age 18
- 14.1% (2020)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 50.4 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 38.4 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 8.3 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 12 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 1.69 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 6.2% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 16.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -1.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 1.6 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 2.12 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 84.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 94.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 97.5% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 15.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 5.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 2.5% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 4.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 19.2% national budget (2024 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 10.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.55% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.04 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- approximately one third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, contain roughly half of the population; the eastern slopes of the Andes and adjoining rainforest are sparsely populated
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 65.4 years
- Female
- 72.7 years
- Total population
- 68.9 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 51 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 65.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 88.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 94.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 34.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 11.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 5.9% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 3.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.46 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 5.74 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 2.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 11.204 million LIMA (capital), 959,000 Arequipa, 904,000 Trujillo (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 19.7% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 21.9 years (2013 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 52.7% (2022 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 2.7% (2023 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 15 years (2017 est.)
- Total
- 15 years (2017 est.)
- Female
- 15 years (2017 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three equal vertical bands of red (left side), white, and red, with the coat of arms centered on the white band; the coat of arms has a shield with a vicuna, a cinchona tree, and a yellow cornucopia spilling out coins
meaning: the vicuna represents fauna, the cinchona tree is the source of quinine, and the cornucopia symbolizes mineral wealth; red stands for blood shed for independence, and white for peace
Capital
- Name
- Lima
- Etymology
- the name is an early Spanish mispronunciation of the Quechua name Rimak, referring to a god and deriving from the word rima (to speak); Quechua priests used to speak to worshippers from inside statues of their gods
- Time difference
- UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 12 03 S, 77 03 W
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- yes
- Citizenship BY descent only
- yes
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 2 years
Constitution
- History
- several previous; latest promulgated 29 December 1993, enacted 31 December 1993
- Amendment process
- proposed by Congress, by the president of the republic with the approval of the Council of Ministers or by petition of at least 0.3% of voters; passage requires absolute majority approval by the Congress membership, followed by approval in a referendum; a referendum is not required if Congress approves the amendment by greater than two-thirds majority vote in each of two successive sessions
Country Name
- Etymology
- the name may derive from the Guarani word biru, meaning "river"
- Local long form
- República del Perú
- Local short form
- Perú
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Peru
- Conventional short form
- Peru
- Independence
- 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
- Legal system
- civil law system
- Government type
- presidential republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of 16 judges and divided into civil, criminal, and constitutional-social sectors)
- Subordinate courts
- Court of Constitutional Guarantees; Superior Courts or Cortes Superiores; specialized civil, criminal, and mixed courts; 2 types of peace courts in which professional judges and selected members of the local communities preside
- Judge selection and term of office
- justices proposed by the National Board of Justice (a 7-member independent body), nominated by the president, and confirmed by the Congress; justices can serve until mandatory retirement at age 70
Executive Branch
- Note
- note 1: First Vice President Dina Ercilia BOLUARTE Zegarra assumed the office of the president on 7 December 2022 after President Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones was impeached and arrested; on 10 October 2025, the president of the Congress, José Enrique JERÍ Oré, was sworn in as the new president after Congress overwhelmingly voted to remove BOLUARTE from office
note 2: Prime Minister Ernesto ÁLVAREZ (since 14 October 2025) does not exercise executive power; this power rests with the president
note 3: the president is both chief of state and head of government - Cabinet
- Council of Ministers appointed by the president
- Chief of state
- President José Enrique JERÍ Oré (since 10 October 2025)
- Election results
2021: Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones (PL) 18.9%, Keiko Sofia FUJIMORI Higuchi (FP) 13.4%, Rafael LOPEZ ALIAGA Cazorla (RP) 11.8%, Hernando DE SOTO Polar (Social Integration Party) 11.6%, Yonhy LESCANO Ancieta (AP) 9.1%, Veronika MENDOZA Frisch (JP) 7.9%, Cesar ACUNA Peralta (APP) 6%, George FORSYTH Sommer (VN) 5.7%, Daniel Belizario URRESTI Elera (PP) 5.6%, other 10%; percent of vote second round - Jose Pedro CASTILLO Terrones 50.1%, Keiko Sofia FUJIMORI Higuchi 49.9%
2016: Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI Godard elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi (FP) 39.9%, Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI Godard (PPK) 21.1%, Veronika MENDOZA (FA) 18.7%, Alfredo BARNECHEA (AP) 7%, Alan GARCIA (APRA) 5.8%, other 7.5%; percent of vote in second round - Pedro Pablo KUCZYNSKI Godard 50.1%, Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi 49.9%- Head of government
- President José Enrique JERÍ Oré (since 10 October 2025)
- Most recent election date
- 11 April 2021, with a runoff on 6 June 2021
- Election/appointment process
- president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for nonconsecutive terms)
- Expected date of next election
- 12 April 2026
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 28-29 July (1821)
- National color(s)
- red, white
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 13 (9 cultural, 2 natural, 2 mixed)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Cuzco (c); Machu Picchu (m); Chavin (c); Historic Lima (c); Huascarán National Park (n); Chan Chan (c); Manú National Park (n); Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca (c); Rio Abiseo National Park (m); Historic Arequipa (c); Sacred City of Caral-Supe (c); Qhapaq Ñan/Andean Road System (c)
- Political parties
- Advance the Nation (Avanza País) or AvP
Alliance for Progress (Alianza para el Progreso) or APP
Broad Front (Frente Amplio) or FA
Free Peru (Perú Libre) or PL
Front for Hope (Frente Esperanza)
Magisterial Block of National Concentration (Bloque Magisterial de Concertación Nacional) or BMCN
National Victory (Victoria Nacional) or VN
Peru Bicentennial (Perú Bicentenario) or PB
Popular Action (Acción Popular) or AP
Popular Force (Fuerza Popular) or FP
Popular Renewal (Renovación Popular) or RP
Purple Party (Partido Morado)
Social Integration Party (Avanza País - Partido de Integración Social)
Together For Perú (Juntos por el Peru) or JP
We Are Peru (Somos Perú) of SP
We Can Peru (Podemos Perú) or PP
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 130 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Legislature name
- Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 4/11/2021
- Expected date of next election
- April 2026
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 41.5%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Free Peru (PL) (37); Popular Force (FP) (24); Popular Action (AP) (16); Alliance for Progress (APP) (15); Go on Country - Social Integration Party (AvP) (10); Popular Renewal (RP) (9); We Are Peru" (SP) - Purple Party (PM) (9); Other (10)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Himno Nacional del Peru" (National Anthem of Peru)
- History
- adopted 1821
- Lyrics/music
- Jose DE LA TORRE Ugarte/Jose Bernardo ALZEDO
- National symbol(s)
- vicuna (a camelid related to the llama)
- Administrative divisions
- 24 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento), 1 province* (provincia), and 1 constitutional province** (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao**, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Ica, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 659-8124
- Chancery
- 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 833-9860
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Alfredo Santiago Carlos FERRERO DIEZ CANSECO (since 27 February 2024)
- Consulate(s) general
- Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (NJ), San Francisco
- Email address and website
Webadmin@embassyofperu.us
Embassy of Peru in the United States - E-United States - Platform of the Peruvian State (www.gob.pe)
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [51] (1) 618-2724
- Embassy
- Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17 s/n, Surco, Lima 33
- Telephone
- [51] (1) 618-2000
- Mailing address
- 3230 Lima Place, Washington DC 20521-3230
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador-designate Bernardo NAVARRO; Chargé d’Affaires Joan PERKINS (since 18 April 2025)
- Email address and website
lima_webmaster@state.gov
https://pe.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- AIIB, APEC, BIS, CAN, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
PERU · LOWER HOUSE
Chamber of Deputies
130 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
130
Majority line
66
Largest party
Free Peru
Parties
27
All political parties
Upper house
PERU · UPPER HOUSE
Senate
60 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
60
Majority line
31
Largest party
Free Peru
Parties
18
All political parties
Leaders
Current
José María Balcázar
- Head of State
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $48.003 billion (2021 est.)
- Expenditures
- $55.34 billion (2021 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $82.5B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $71.39 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $72.97 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $83.325 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $66.3B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $69.936 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $63.776 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $67.16 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas and natural gas liquefaction; fishing and fish processing, cement, glass, textiles, clothing, food processing, beer, soft drinks, rubber, machinery, electrical machinery, chemicals, furniture
- Labor force
- 18.918 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 35.2%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2021
- 35.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 1.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 1.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- nuevo sol (PEN) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2019
- 3.337 (2019 est.)
- Exchange rates 2020
- 3.495 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 3.881 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 3.835 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 3.744 (2023 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $38.102 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- upper-middle-income South American economy; strong post-COVID rebound tempered by political uncertainty and climate risks; exports driven by mineral extraction and agriculture; large informal sector and uneven access to public services; stable fiscal position and financial sector
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.1%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 3.9% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 4.9% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 4.9% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- China 34%, USA 14%, Canada 5%, India 4%, Switzerland 4% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 26%, USA 21%, Brazil 7%, Argentina 5%, Mexico 3% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $17,802
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $15,600 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $15,300 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $15,700 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.3%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 2.8% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- -0.4% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 3.3% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- sugarcane, potatoes, rice, bananas, milk, maize, chicken, oil palm fruit, cassava, grapes (2023)
- Exports commodities
- copper ore, gold, refined copper, refined petroleum, grapes (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, trucks, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $6.4B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$9.972 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $881.934 million (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $6.39 billion (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 15.9% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $289.222 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 61.6% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 13.4% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- -1.4% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 20.8% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 28.5% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -22.9% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 27.5% (2022 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 26.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 2.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.0%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 8.3% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 6.5% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 2% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 3.1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $535.911 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $520.872 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $518.771 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $535.911 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 7.9% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 8.8% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 9.8% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $72.328 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $71.394 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $79.246 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 32.2% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 52.7% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 6.1% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 2% (2023 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 30.6% (2023 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2023
- 40.7 (2023 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 1.261 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 446,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 1.382 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 973,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 1.567 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 118,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 858.89 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 255,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Imports
- 47.696 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 53.3 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 16.164 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 6.638 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 4.883 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 14.647 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 9.675 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 300.159 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 85.1%
- Electrification urban areas
- 99%
- Electrification total population
- 96.2% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 30.923 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 3.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 44.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 49.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 80% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- 10 major TV networks of which only one, Television Nacional de Peru, is state owned; multi-channel cable TV services are available; in excess of 5,000 radio stations including a substantial number of local-language stations (2021)
- Internet country code
- .pe
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 1.504 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 4 (2023 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 42.6 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 125 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 3.53 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 10 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 3
- Medium
- 1
- Key ports
- Bahia de Matarani, Iquitos, Puerto del Callao, Talara
- Very small
- 16
- Total ports
- 20 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 16
- Airports
- 174 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 1,854.4 km (2017)
- Narrow gauge
- 124 km (2014) 0.914-m gauge
- Standard gauge
- 1,730.4 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (34 km electrified)
- Heliports
- 7 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 111 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 1, oil tanker 9, other 101
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- OB
Environment
- Climate
- varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes
Geoparks
- Global geoparks and regional networks
- Colca y Volcanes de Andagua (2023)
- Total global geoparks and regional networks
- 1
Land Use
- Other
- 28% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 52.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 19.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 3.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 1.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 14.2% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 78.9% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 1.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 51.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 317 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 233.6 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 623.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 8.357 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 9.2% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes; overfishing
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 3.141 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Industrial
- 1.666 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Agricultural
- 21.112 billion cubic meters (2022)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 58.903 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 21.863 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 2.177 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 34.863 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 31.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 1.88 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- the Peruvian Armed Forces (FAP) are responsible for external defense in addition to some domestic security responsibilities in designated emergency areas and in exceptional circumstances; key areas of focus include counterinsurgency, counternarcotics, cyber defense, disaster relief, and maritime security operations; the FAP supported the police during anti-government protests in early 2023; it has contributed to UN missions since 1958 and has ties to regional militaries, particularly Colombia, as well as those of numerous other countries such as China, Russia, Spain, and the US; the FAP’s last external conflict was a brief border war with Ecuador in 1995
the Special Command of the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene, and Mantaro rivers (CE-VRAEM) is responsible for combating the remnants of the Shining Path terrorist group (aka Sendero Luminoso) and includes several thousand air, ground, naval, police, and special forces personnel; the FAP also provides aircraft, vehicles, and logistical support to the command (2025) - Military deployments
- 225 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 0.9%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 1.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Armed Forces of Peru (Fuerzas Armadas del Perú or FAP): Peruvian Army (Ejercito del Peru), Peruvian Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru, MGP, includes naval infantry and General Directorate of Captaincies and Coast Guards, DICAPI), Air Force of Peru (Fuerza Aerea del Peru, FAP)
Ministry of the Interior: Peruvian National Police (Policía Nacional del Perú, PNP) (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service (12-24 months) (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military's inventory consists of mostly older or secondhand armaments originating from a range of countries, including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Korea, Spain, and the US; Peru has a small defense industry, including a shipyard that builds and upgrades naval vessels; it also has defense industrial cooperation agreements with several countries, including Russia, South Korea, Spain, and the US (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- information varies; approximately 85,000 active-duty Armed Forces (50,000 Army; 25,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force); approximately 75,000 National Police (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso); Tren de Aragua (TdA)
Space
- Space launch site(s)
- in 2024, Peru announced an initiative to develop a future spaceport in Talara (Piura department)
- Space agency/agencies
- National Aerospace Research and Development Commission (Comisión Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Aeroespacia, CONIDA; established 1974) (2025)
- Space program overview
- focuses on acquiring satellites, applying space applications such as data satellite imagery, and building small rockets; has built a small science/technology satellite; operates satellites and processes satellite imagery data; builds and launches sounding rockets with goal of developing a satellite/space launch vehicle (SLV); researching, developing, and acquiring technologies for manufacturing satellites and satellite payloads, including remote sensing (RS) capabilities; member of Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) since its formation in 2021; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Brazil, China, the ESA, individual ESA member states (particularly France and Germany), India, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, and the US, as well as other ALCE signatories (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 2006 - launched first sounding rocket/space probe (Paulet-1)
2013 - first domestically built scientific/research satellite (PUCP-SAT-1) launched by Russia; launched first domestically built rocket (Paulet 1-B) capable of reaching the stratosphere
2016 - first remote sensing satellite (PeruSat-1) acquired from France and launched on European rocket
2024 - signed US-led Artemis Accords on space and lunar exploration
Transnational Issues
Illicit Drugs
- Usg identification
major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country
major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 83,441 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 546,699 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 32 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index46.0 / 100as of 2024-Q497 / 1902024-Q4
Civica Pulse−1.0as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.49as of 2024-Q461 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (67/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (55/100)as of 2024—2024
Human Development Index0.762as of 2022—2022
Corruption Perceptions Index36 / 100as of 2023104 / 1802023
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Peru — vintage 2026-Q1: Peru factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/peru
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata