National Identity
- Official name
- Oriental Republic of Uruguay
- Official name (in Spanish)
- República Oriental del Uruguay
- Name etymology
name derives from the Uruguay River, which makes up the western border of the country; the river's name comes from the Guarani words uru (bird) and guay (tail)
Sources:- Constitution of the Republic - Constitution of 1967 with the amendments approved by plebiscite on November 26, 1989, November 26, 1994, December 8, 1996, and October 31, 2004 ↗ - Parliament of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay
- The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
Translated from the Library of the Legislative Branch of Uruguay Its colours shall be white and blue, the sun, which occupies the square, being gold in colour. The flag shall have the following proportions: the length and the width shall be in a ratio of 3 to 2 [...] and the space containing the sun shall consist of a square in the upper part, next to the staff, which shall extend to the sixth stripe, exclusive, of blue colour. The first stripe and the last shall be white in colour. The design of the sun shall consist of a radiant circle, with a face, bordered by sixteen rays.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Library of the Legislative Branch of Uruguay The national flag shall consist of four blue stripes on a white field, distributed equally across its extent
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Library of the Legislative Branch of Uruguay the Constitution and the laws of the Republic, the honour and the integrity of the Nation and its democratic institutions, all of which this Flag symbolises
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the National Army of Uruguay On 26 March 1815, in the morning hours, the Tricolour Flag of Artigas was hoisted for the first time in the Eastern Province at the Fort of Montevideo.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Library of the Legislative Branch of Uruguay LAW OF 26 AUGUST 1825 [...] the one that it has adopted is declared as such, composed of three horizontal stripes, sky blue, white and scarlet, for the time being
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Library of the Legislative Branch of Uruguay LAW OF 16 DECEMBER 1828
(National Flag, its creation)
Sole Article: The flag of the State shall be white with nine sky-blue stripes, horizontal and alternating, leaving in the upper corner on the side of the staff a white square in which the sun shall be placed.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the National Army of Uruguay This flag was hoisted for the first time in the department of Canelones, town of Guadalupe, at the instance of Don Joaquín Suárez, and was used until 1830.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Library of the Legislative Branch of Uruguay LAW OF 12 JULY 1830
National Flag. (Its reform)
Sole Article: The national flag shall consist of four blue stripes on a white field, distributed equally across its extent
Unofficial translation by WorldometerSources:- pmb.parlamento.gub.uy ↗ - the Library of the Legislative Branch of Uruguay
- ejercito.mil.uy ↗ - the National Army of Uruguay
- ejercito.mil.uy ↗ - the National Army of Uruguay
- National anthem
- Himno Nacional4:30
- Title (in Spanish)
- Himno Nacional
- Title (in English, translated)
- National Anthem of Uruguay
- Unofficial title (in Spanish)
- Orientales, la Patria o la tumba!
- Unofficial title (in English, translated)
- Uruguayans, the Fatherland or Death!
- Lyrics
ChorusOrientales la Patria o la Tumba! Libertad o con gloria morir! Orientales la Patria o la Tumba! Libertad o con gloria morir! Es el voto que el alma pronuncia, Y que heroicos sabremos cumplir! Es el voto que el alma pronuncia, Y que heroicos sabremos cumplir! Que sabremos cumplir! Es el voto que el alma pronuncia, Y que heroicos sabremos cumplir! Que sabremos cumplir! Sabremos cumplir! Sabremos cumplir! Sabremos cumplir!
1Libertad, libertad Orientales! Este grito a la Patria salvó. Que a sus bravos en fieras batallas De entusiasmo sublime inflamó. Libertad, libertad Orientales! Este grito a la Patria salvó. Que a sus bravos en fieras batallas De entusiasmo sublime inflamó. De este don sacrosanto la gloria Merecimos: tiranos temblad! Tiranos temblad! Tiranos temblad! Libertad en la lid clamaremos, Y muriendo, también libertad! Libertad en la lid clamaremos, Y muriendo, también libertad! Y muriendo, también libertad! También libertad! Tambén libertad!
Orientales la Patria o la Tumba!Source: - Citizens
- Uruguayans
- Official name:Constitution of the Republic - Constitution of 1967 with the amendments approved by plebiscite on November 26, 1989, November 26, 1994, December 8, 1996, and October 31, 2004 ↗ - Parliament of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- National flag:pmb.parlamento.gub.uy ↗ - the Library of the Legislative Branch of Uruguay
- National flag:ejercito.mil.uy ↗ - the National Army of Uruguay
- National flag:ejercito.mil.uy ↗ - the National Army of Uruguay
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Total area
- 176,215 km²
- Land area
- 175,015 km²
- Water area
- 1,200 km²
- Land borders
- 1,591 km(2 countries)
- Coastline
- 660 km
- Terrain
Mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland - Mean elevation
- 109 m
- Highest point
- 514 mCerro Catedral
- Lowest point
- 0 mAtlantic Ocean
- Climate
Warm temperate freezing temperatures almost unknown - Avg. temperature
- 17.5 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 13 to 22.7 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 1,300 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 29.4 23.9 18.6 101 February 28.3 23.1 18.3 111 March 26.7 21.4 16.8 105 April 23.1 18 13.8 134 May 19.3 14.4 10.8 101 June 16.6 11.8 8.2 102 July 15.9 11 7.3 92 August 18.2 12.8 8.6 103 September 19.5 14.3 9.9 104 October 22.2 17.2 12.5 131 November 25.3 19.9 14.5 107 December 28 22.5 17 107 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable12.6%Perm. crops0.2%Pasture68.6%Forest11.4%Other7.3%
- Arable land
- 2,199,600 hectares (12.6%)
- Permanent crops
- 39,000 hectares (0.2%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 12,000,000 hectares (68.6%)
- Forest
- 1,987,212 hectares (11.4%)
- Other land
- 1,276,188 hectares (7.3%)
Source: - Major lakes
- Lagoa Mirim2,970 km²
- Natural hazards2026
- Epidemics6.2High#47/191River floods3.9Medium#117/191Coastal floods3.8Medium#91/191Drought3.4Low#87/191Earthquakes0.1Very low#127/191Tsunamis0.0Very lowTropical cyclones0.0Very low
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate, Major rivers, Major lakes:The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- −0.06% per year−2,151 people/yearWorld Rank178thof 237
- Birth rate
- 9.7 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 10.0 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −0.4 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 36.7 yearsWorld Rank94thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years17.5%15-64 years66.0%65 years +16.5%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 16.5%
- Share aged under 18
- 21.6%
- Total dependency ratio
- 52
- Youth dependency ratio
- 27
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 25
- Sex ratio
- 0.94 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 1.4% 3.4% 70-79 2.9% 4.0% 60-69 4.8% 5.5% 50-59 5.9% 6.1% 40-49 6.4% 6.4% 30-39 7.3% 7.1% 20-29 7.3% 7.0% 10-19 7.0% 6.7% 0-9 5.4% 5.2% - 2026
- 0.72 below the replacement level for Uruguay ()1.38 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank198thof 237
- 0.66 daughters per woman0.34 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- −0.3 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 0.3 more deaths than births a year
- 2026
- −0.4 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 95.7% live in cities3,237,446 urban residents
- Largest cities2023
- Montevideo, Salto, Ciudad de la Costa, MaldonadoRankCity or Urban LocalityPopulation (2023 census)1Montevideo1,287,4522Salto114,0843Ciudad de la Costa113,2524Maldonado102,0005Rivera84,7756Paysandú81,5507Las Piedras61,3068Tacuarembó60,5869Melo56,01310Artigas43,894Source:
- National Institute of Statistics, Uruguay (2023 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Most of the country's population resides in the southern half of the country; approximately 80% of the populace is urban; nearly half of the population lives in and around the capital of Montevideo.
- Ethnic groups2011
- Figures represent primary ethnic identity.White87.7%Black4.6%Indigenous2.4%Other0.3%None or unspecified5.0%
- Religions2023
- Roman Catholic42.0%Protestant15.0%Other6.0%Agnostic3.0%Atheist10.0%Unspecified24.0%
- Languages
- Spanish (Español)
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:National Institute of Statistics, Uruguay (2023 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicThe President and Vice-President are elected jointly and directly by the Electoral Body (the electorate) by absolute majority, with a run-off between the top two; the Constitution adopts "the democratic republican form" (Arts. 82, 151).Source:
- Constitución de la República Oriental del Uruguay ↗, Arts. 82, 151
- System of government
- PresidentialThe President exercises executive power with ministers he appoints and removes; the General Assembly can censure ministers individually or collectively, and the President may answer a censure carried by under three-fifths by dissolving the Chambers (Arts. 147, 148, 149, 174).Source:
- Constitución de la República Oriental del Uruguay ↗, Arts. 147, 148, 149, 174
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Government (in Spanish)
- President (in Spanish)
- Capital
- Montevideo1.3 million people(2023)
- National holidays
- 5 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriMay 1Workers' Day
- SatJul 18Constitution Day
- TueAug 25Independence Declaration Day
- FriDec 25Family Day
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- UYTUruguay Standard TimeUTC−3
- Currencies
- Uruguayan Peso (UYU)Uruguayan Nominal Wage Index Unit (UYW)
- Calling code
- +598
- Internet TLD
- .uy
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- UY, URY
- Infrastructure
- Heliports
- 4
- Aircraft registration prefix
- CX
Source:- The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Passenger rail
- Administración de Ferrocarriles del Estado (AFE) (in Spanish)
- 2025
- 73 / 100World Rank17thof 182Confidence interval
Corruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 72 70 75 2013 73 71 75 2014 73 71 75 2015 74 71 77 2016 71 66 75 2017 70 66 74 2018 70 66 74 2019 71 66.9 75.1 2020 71 68.2 73.8 2021 73 71.9 74.1 2022 74 72.9 75.1 2023 73 71.9 74.1 2024 76 73.6 78.4 2025 73 70.8 75.2 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Constitución de la República Oriental del Uruguay ↗ - National Directorate of Official Printing and Publications of Uruguay (IMPO)
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- High income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +1.3% per yearWorld Rank157thof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $27,339 (55th in the world)
Source:- 2025
- Services65.2% of GDPIndustry16.9% of GDPAgriculture6.4% of GDPManufacturing10%part of industry
- Households
- +66.8%
- Government
- +13.8%
- Investment
- +19.7%
- Exports
- +22.5%
- Imports
- −22.9%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 4%down 0.6 percentage points0.6pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 1.8 million (53% of population)World Rank129thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 65.0% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 8.2%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 26.7% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $37.5 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2026
- 4.1% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 0.9% of GDP, $856 million deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Central government debt58.3% of GDPInterest on debt2.3% of GDP
- Trade2025
- Goods$16.1 billion68.5%
- Services$7.4 billion31.5%
- Total exports
- $23.5 billion
- Change from 2024
- up 0.1 percent on the previous year0.1%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- 2024
- +0.17World Rank73rdof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +1% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Meat of cattle with the bone (fresh or chilled), Soya beans, Barley, and 6 more
- 1Meat of cattle with the bone (fresh or chilled)7.8×
- 2Soya beans7.3×
- 3Barley5.5×
- 4Raw milk of cattle2.7×
- 5Rape or colza seed2.3×
- 6Wheat1.5×
- 7Rice1.5×
- 8Maize (corn)0.5×
- 9Sugar cane0.3×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Gold reserves2025
- 0.1 tonnesWorth $14 million, <0.1% of total official reserves by value
- Industries
- food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade, Gold reserves:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- Average gross salary2024
- UYU 47,939 per month$1,192 (USD), $1,636 (PPP)
- Median
- UYU 39,527 per month($983)
- Men
- UYU 52,556 per month($1,307)
- Women
- UYU 42,762 per month($1,063)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2024
- UYU 1,856 per month, gross$46 (USD), $63 (PPP)
- Share of the average gross salary
- 4%
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.862Very highWorld Rank48thof 193UruguayWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Uruguay World 1990 0.713 0.608 1991 0.717 0.611 1992 0.719 0.614 1993 0.722 0.617 1994 0.727 0.620 1995 0.729 0.625 1996 0.736 0.631 1997 0.747 0.636 1998 0.757 0.641 1999 0.760 0.646 2000 0.764 0.651 2001 0.771 0.657 2002 0.775 0.662 2003 0.780 0.669 2004 0.779 0.675 2005 0.778 0.681 2006 0.777 0.688 2007 0.780 0.694 2008 0.783 0.698 2009 0.787 0.701 2010 0.796 0.707 2011 0.801 0.713 2012 0.804 0.717 2013 0.812 0.721 2014 0.816 0.726 2015 0.818 0.731 2016 0.821 0.735 2017 0.827 0.739 2018 0.826 0.741 2019 0.830 0.745 2020 0.837 0.742 2021 0.837 0.742 2022 0.852 0.752 2023 0.862 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 2024
- 40
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 10.5 years
- Expected for a child today
- 17.5 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2024
- 98.9% of adults
- Education expenditure2023
- 4.8% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 15.6%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 92% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 94.2%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 4.9 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 1,206,325
- Fixed broadband
- 33 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2014latest available
- 40% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 38%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 46%
- Mobile-money account
- 1%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 41%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 1,437 people
- Asylum seekers
- 31,955
- Stateless persons
- 5
- Internally displaced persons
- 33(2024)All due to disasters
- Refugees from Uruguay abroad
- 113
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists2019latest available
- 3.1 million arrivalsOfficial tourism site
- Per resident
- 9 arrivals per 10 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 421,000 arrivals
- $2.3 billion(2024)
- 8.9% tourism direct GDP(2023)
- Residents' trips abroad
- 93,000 overnight trips(2021, latest available)
- $1.8 billion(2024)
- Hotel beds
- 35,358
- Average hotel stay
- 4.5 nights
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2019A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 3 sites3 cultural
Site Historic City of Colonia del Sacramento Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape The work of engineer Eladio Dieste: Church of Atlántida Source:- The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Income inequality (Gini), Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Literacy:UIS Data Browser ↗ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2024
- High by global standards11.3 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank19thof 115
- Crime rates
- 6 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 11.3 382 2024 Serious assault 15.7 532 2023 Sexual violence 96.8 3,280 2023 Kidnapping 0.7 24 2023 Theft 3,417.5 115,883 2022 Vehicle theft 434.8 14,742 2022 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2023
- 475.7 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 16,117
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 78.6 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 9% of GDP$2,076 per person
- Physicians2022
- 4.67 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2023
- 2.4 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 5.6 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 15 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2023
- 19.8% of adults
- Men
- 22.6%
- Women
- 17%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending2023
- 1.2% of household spendingWorld Rank90thof 105
- World median
- 3.1%
Source:- The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 14.8 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending:The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 8.7 Mt per yearup 6.2 percent on the previous year6.2% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 2.5 t per personWorld Rank115thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.02%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 28.5 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 7.22 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 0.21 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 44.6 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 9.5 µg/m³ of PM2.50.4 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted138thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- water pollution from meat-packing, tannery industries
- heavy metal pollution
- inadequate solid and hazardous waste disposal
- deforestation
Source:- The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- International agreements
- 20 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 93 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1994 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1991 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1989 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1994 CITES in force 1975 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 1990 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2011 Nagoya Protocol in force 2014 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1984 World Heritage Convention in force 1989 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1999 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 1992 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2004 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2004 Minamata Convention on Mercury in force 2017 Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 1994 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) in force 2026 MARPOL 73/78 in force 1983 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 0.3% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 172 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 50,783 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 46% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 4.5 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 77%
- Water stress
- 12% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 2.7% of the population100,000 people
- Obesity2024
- 34.9% of adults
- Men
- 31.8%
- Women
- 37.7%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2018
- 1.8% of children under five
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment:Food security indicators (FAOSTAT) ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 56.9 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.03%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 35% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Net importer, net 1.2 TWh in 2024, 8.7% of consumption13 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 13 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 13 TWh per year
- Imports
- 1.4 TWh per year
- Exports
- 0.3 TWh per year
- Net
- −1.2 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 2.3% of GDP$1.7 billion, 6.8% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 23,000active-duty Armed Forces
- Army
- 15,000
- Navy
- 5,000
- Air Force
- 3,000
Source:- The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Military service2025
- Voluntarygenerally men and women 18–30, up to 22 for the Navy and up to 40 for some specialist positions; initial 24-month service obligation
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service:The World Factbook: Uruguay - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
