Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Paraguay: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MBB, ranked #54 of 195).
Paraguay is a presidential republic in Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil. The country's capital is Asunción; it covers 406,752 sq km. Independence: 14-15 May 1811 (from Spain). 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. Climate: subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west. Population: 7.6 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +1.06% per year. Median age: 32.3 years. Life expectancy: 78.8 years (2024 est.). Languages: Spanish (official) and Guarani (off…
| Capital | Asunción |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,604,044 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $112.919 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $16,300 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.2% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 3.8% |
| Unemployment | 6.1% |
| Public debt | 18.9% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $17.395 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $18.377 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 78.8 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 32.3 |
| Urbanization | 63.1% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 14-15 May 1811 (from Spain) |
| 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.) |
MBB · 56/100 — 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).
A quiet quarter: no major shocks, no breakthroughs. The country's trajectory is set by structural forces larger than any single season.
The honest reading is steadiness — neither crisis nor windfall — with the long currents of demography, trade and institutions deciding more than any three months.
Hydropower, Timber, Iron ore, Manganese.
Santiago Peña — President. President Santiago PEÑA Palacios (since 15 August 2023)
Paraguay maintains 39 embassies and 31 consulates abroad, hosts 32 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 | 39 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 31 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 32 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, diplomatic & consular networks database, Mar 2026 report (of-country) https://zenodo.org/records/18917562 ; hosted: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions in Paraguay' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Paraguay
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 83 + 29 heliports (registration prefix ZP) |
| Major seaports | Puerto de Asuncion |
| Railways | 30 km |
Guaraní International Airport (AGT) — Ciudad del Este; Silvio Pettirossi International Airport (ASU) — Asunción; Teniente Ramon A. Ayub Gonzalez International Airport (ENO) — Encarnación.
| River ports | Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion (Parana) |
|---|
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. |
MBB · 56 Ranked #54 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Paraguay.
