Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Ecuador: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #67 of 195).
Ecuador is a presidential republic in Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru. The country's capital is Quito; it covers 283,561 sq km. Independence: 24 May 1822 (from Spain). Terrain: coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente). Climate: tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands. Population: 18.5 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.91% per year. Median age: 28.2 years. Life expectancy: 74.9 years (2024 est.). Languages: Spanish (Castilian; official) 98.6%, indigenous 3.9% (Quechua 3.2%, other indigeno…
| Capital | Quito |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,479,841 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $252.728 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $13,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -2% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 1.5% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% |
| Public debt | 43.2% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $38.468 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $33.97 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 74.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 28.2 |
| Urbanization | 64.8% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 24 May 1822 (from Spain) |
| 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.) |
MCB · 53/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Steadiness was the quarter's defining trait: no rupture, no windfall, no surprise strong enough to move the score.
The trajectory remains set by fundamentals that change over years, not quarters — and this quarter changed little.
Oil, Timber, Hydropower.
Daniel Noboa — President. President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023)
Ecuador maintains 44 embassies and 25 consulates abroad, hosts 42 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 44 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 25 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 42 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, diplomatic & consular networks database, Mar 2026 report (of-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18917562 ; Jan 2026 report (in-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 2237 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 317 + 28 heliports (registration prefix HC) |
| Major seaports | Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, Puerto Maritimo de Guayaquil |
| Railways | 965 km |
| Pipelines | 485 km extra heavy crude, 123 km gas, 2,131 km oil, 1,526 km refined products (2017) |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Guayaquil (2,163,151 TEU, 2021) |
Carlos Concha Torres International Airport (ESM) — Tachina; General Ulpiano Paez International Airport (SNC) — Salinas/La Libertad; José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) — Guayaquil; Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) — Quito; Coronel E Carvajal Airport (XMS) — Macas; Cotopaxi International Airport (LTX) — Latacunga; Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC) — Manta; Francisco De Orellana Airport (OCC) — Coca; Lieutenant Colonel Luis A. Mantilla International Airport (TUA) — Tulcán; Mariscal Lamar Airport (CUE) — Cuenca.
Showing 10 of 12 major airports.
| River ports | Guayaquil (Guayas) |
|---|
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCB · 53 Ranked #67 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Ecuador.
Historical timeline of Ecuador
