National Identity
- Official name
- Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- Official name (in Spanish)
- República Bolivariana de Venezuela
- Name etymology
in 1499, the stilt-houses built on Lake Maracaibo reminded explorers Alonso de OJEDA and Amerigo VESPUCCI of buildings in Venice, Italy, and they named the region "Venezuola," meaning "Little Venice"
Sources:- Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela - Published in the Official Gazette of Thursday, December 30, 1999, No. 36.860 ↗ - National Assembly - Legislative Power - Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
Translated from the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela The Law on the National Flag, National Anthem and Coat of Arms of the Republic establishes that it is formed by the colours yellow, blue and red, in joined, equal and horizontal stripes in the order stated, from top to bottom, and, in the middle of the blue, eight white five-pointed stars, placed in an arc of a circle with the convexity upwards
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela That unifying intention was expressed in the selection of the three colours of the standard, which represent the aspiration to unity-totality, expressed through the three primary colours, from which all other colours and shades derive.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Ministry of People's Power for Economy and Finance of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela The stars arranged on our current flag represent the provinces of: Margarita, Caracas, Cumaná, Barinas, Trujillo, Barcelona, Mérida and Guayana.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Thus is honoured the first national ensign that arrived on Venezuelan soil, hoisted and carried by Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda. That flag, with the colours yellow, blue and red, was raised on the parish tower of La Vela de Coro, in the present-day Falcón State, precisely on 3 August 1806.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela On 12 March of that same year, Miranda had raised that flag to the top of the mainmast of the vessel Leander, when it set sail from the port of Jacmel, in Haiti, to begin –after an exile of more than three decades in which his political and military genius spanned three continents– the struggle for the liberation of all of Spanish-speaking America.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela On 9 July 1811, the commission presented the tricolour design conceived by Miranda. This version was finally approved as the national flag in the sessions held on 14 and 15 July year.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Ministry of People's Power for Economy and Finance of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Decree issued by Simón Bolívar, on 20 November 1817: [...] Sole Article. – To the seven stars that the National Flag of Venezuela bears, one shall be added, as the emblem of the province of Guayana, so that the number of stars shall henceforth be eight.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Ministry of People's Power for Economy and Finance of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela In that context, the consolidation of Gran Colombia -which had its own flag- caused Bolívar's decree to be forgotten and, after the separations of this great country, none of the Venezuelan governments from 1830 to 1999 bothered to comply with it, for which reason the old seven-star flag continued to be used.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerTranslated from the Ministry of People's Power for Economy and Finance of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela It was not until the year 2006 that President Hugo Chávez Frías vindicated the order and gave effect to the 1817 decree of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, and the Eighth Star was once again incorporated into the National Flag.
Unofficial translation by WorldometerSources:- mppre.gob.ve ↗ - the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- mppre.gob.ve ↗ - the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- mppef.gob.ve ↗ - the Ministry of People's Power for Economy and Finance of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- National anthem
- Gloria al bravo pueblo1:31
- Title (in Spanish)
- Gloria al bravo pueblo
- Title (in English, translated)
- Glory to the Brave People
- Lyrics
ChorusGloria al bravo pueblo Que el yugo lanzó, La Ley respetando La virtud y honor. Gloria al bravo pueblo Que el yugo lanzó, La Ley respetando La virtud y honor.
1¡Abajo Cadenas! ¡Abajo Cadenas! Gritaba el Señor; Gritaba el Señor. Y el pobre en su choza, Libertad pidió. A este santo nombre Tembló de pavor, El vil egoismo Que otra vez triunfó; A este santo nombre, A este santo nombre Tembló de pavor, El vil egoismo Que otra vez triunfó, El vil egoismo Que otra vez triunfó.
Gloria al bravo pueblo2Gritemos con brío, Gritemos con brío: Muera la opresión! Muera la opresión! Compatriotas fieles, La fuerza es la unión. Y desde el Empíreo, El supremo Autor, Un sublime aliento Al pueblo infundió. Y desde el Empíreo, Y desde el Empíreo, El supremo Autor, Un sublime aliento Al pueblo infundió. Un sublime aliento Al pueblo infundió.
Gloria al bravo pueblo3Unida con lazos Unida con lazos Que el cielo formó, Que el cielo formó, La América toda Existe en Nación. Y si el despotismo Levanta la voz, Seguid el ejemplo Que Caracas dio. Y si el despotismo Y si el despotismo Levanta la voz, Seguid el ejemplo Que Caracas dio. Seguid el ejemplo Que Caracas dio.
Gloria al bravo puebloSource: - Citizens
- Venezuelans
- Official name:Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela - Published in the Official Gazette of Thursday, December 30, 1999, No. 36.860 ↗ - National Assembly - Legislative Power - Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- National flag:mppre.gob.ve ↗ - the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- National flag:mppre.gob.ve ↗ - the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- National flag:mppef.gob.ve ↗ - the Ministry of People's Power for Economy and Finance of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Total area
- 912,050 km²
- Land area
- 882,050 km²
- Water area
- 30,000 km²
- Land borders
- 5,267 km(3 countries)
- Coastline
- 2,800 km
- Terrain
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast - Mean elevation
- 450 m
- Highest point
- 4,978 mPico Bolivar
- Lowest point
- 0 mCaribbean Sea
- Climate
Tropical hot, humid; more moderate in highlands - Avg. temperature
- 25.5 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 22 to 30.2 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 2,193 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 30.3 25.3 21.5 64 February 30.9 25.8 21.9 64 March 31.4 26.3 22.4 98 April 31 26.2 22.7 183 May 30 25.6 22.5 283 June 29.1 24.9 22 303 July 29 24.7 21.6 298 August 29.6 25 21.8 253 September 30.3 25.5 22 195 October 30.5 25.6 22.1 184 November 30.1 25.4 22.1 162 December 29.9 25.2 21.8 106 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable2.9%Perm. crops0.8%Pasture20.6%Forest53.5%Other22.1%
- Arable land
- 2,600,000 hectares (2.9%)
- Permanent crops
- 700,000 hectares (0.8%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 18,200,000 hectares (20.6%)
- Forest
- 47,186,824 hectares (53.5%)
- Other land
- 19,518,176 hectares (22.1%)
Source: - Major lakes
- Lago de Maracaibo13,010 km²
- Natural hazards2026
- Earthquakes8.1Very high#26/191Coastal floods6.7Very high#26/191Epidemics5.9High#64/191River floods5.7High#82/191Tropical cyclones5.6High#31/191Tsunamis5.4High#53/191Drought1.9Very low#129/191
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: Venezuela - 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
- +0.41% per year+116,815 people/yearWorld Rank151stof 237
- Birth rate
- 15.4 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 7.9 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- −3.2 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 29.5 yearsWorld Rank140thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years24.3%15-64 years65.3%65 years +10.4%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 10.4%
- Share aged under 18
- 30.1%
- Total dependency ratio
- 53
- Youth dependency ratio
- 37
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 16
- Sex ratio
- 0.97 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 0.6% 1.1% 70-79 2.0% 2.7% 60-69 4.0% 4.6% 50-59 5.3% 5.8% 40-49 6.0% 6.4% 30-39 6.1% 6.1% 20-29 8.0% 7.5% 10-19 9.6% 9.2% 0-9 7.7% 7.4% - 2026
- 0.06 below the replacement level for Venezuela ()2.04 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank109thof 237
- 0.97 daughters per woman0.03 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +7.4 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 7.4 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- −3.2 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 89.4% live in 25,586,447 urban residents
- Largest cities2019
- Maracaibo, Caracas, Valencia, BarquisimetoRankCity or TownPopulation (2019 unofficial estimate)1Maracaibo2,262,6002Caracas2,087,7003Valencia1,585,5004Barquisimeto1,089,1005Ciudad Guayana893,4006Maturín508,2007Maracay464,7008Barcelona454,2009Petare441,70010Ciudad Bolívar425,000Source:
- National Institute of Statistics, Venezuela (2019 unofficial estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas.
- Ethnic groups
- Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous
- Religions2023
- Roman Catholic48.1%Protestant31.6%Jehovah's Witness1.4%African American/umbanda0.7%Other0.1%Believer3.5%Agnostic0.1%Atheist0.4%None13.6%Unspecified0.6%
- Protestant
- 31.6%
- Evangelical
- 31.4%
- Adventist
- 0.2%
Source:- The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- 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, Venezuela (2019 unofficial estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- RepublicThe President of the Republic, Head of State and of the National Executive, is elected by universal, direct and secret vote on a majority of valid votes for six years, with re-election allowed; the state is "a decentralised federal State" (Arts. 4, 226, 228, 230).
- System of government
- PresidentialThe President directs the Government and freely appoints and removes the Executive Vice-President and Ministers, whom the National Assembly can censure (Arts. 236, 240, 246). Since January 2026 the Executive Vice-President has acted as President under a Supreme Tribunal ruling, with no election called.
- Territorial organisation
- Federal
- Official websites
- Government (in Spanish)
- President (in Spanish)
- Parliament (in Spanish)
- Capital
- Caracas2.1 million people(2024)
- National holidays
- 15 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- MonFeb 16Carnival Monday
- TueFeb 17Carnival Tuesday
- ThuApr 2Maundy Thursday
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- SunApr 19Declaration of Independence
- FriMay 1International Worker's Day
- FriMay 15Family Day
- WedJun 24Battle of Carabobo
- SunJul 5Independence Day
- FriJul 24Birthday of Simon Bolivar
- MonOct 12Day of Indigenous Resistance
- ThuDec 24Christmas Eve
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- ThuDec 31New Year's Eve
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- VETVenezuela TimeUTC−4
- Currencies
- Bolívar Soberano (VED)Venezuelan Bolívar (VES)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information (in Spanish)
- Calling code
- +58
- Internet TLD
- .ve
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- VE, VEN
- Infrastructure
- Railways447 km
- Passengers carried
- 1,783,667 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 88
- Aircraft departures
- 23,302 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 0.1 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- YV
Sources:- The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- ConviasaState-owned
- Passenger rail
- Instituto de Ferrocarriles del Estado (IFE)
- 2025
- 10 / 100World Rank180thof 182
Significant declinerDown 10 points since 2013, when it scored 20.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 19 15 22 2013 20 16 24 2014 19 16 22 2015 17 13 21 2016 17 15 20 2017 18 15 21 2018 18 15 21 2019 16 12.6 19.4 2020 15 13.5 16.5 2021 14 12.4 15.6 2022 14 11.9 16.1 2023 13 11 15 2024 10 7.9 12.1 2025 10 8.3 11.7 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela N° 5.908 Extraordinario, 19 de febrero de 2009 ↗ - National Institute of Statistics of Venezuela
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- Lower middle income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +5% per yearWorld Rank33rdof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $4,355 (135th in the world)
Source:- Inflation2026
- 467.9%up 215.9 percentage points215.9pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 11 million (39% of population)World Rank52ndof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 52.1% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 5.3%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 10.2% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $15.8 per hour worked at PPP
- Budget balance2025
- 4.5% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 1% of GDP, $1.3 billion deficit(2026)
Source: - Debt2024
- Government debt164.3% of GDPInterest on debt0.7% of GDP
- Trade2016latest available
- Goods$27.4 billion95.5%
- Services$1.3 billion4.5%
- Total exports
- $28.7 billion
- Change from 2015
- down 26.2 percent on the previous year26.2%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- 2024
- −1.63World Rank133rdof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +0.5% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Pineapples, Raw milk of goats, Plantains and cooking bananas, and 7 more
- 1Pineapples9.4×
- 2Raw milk of goats8.2×
- 3Plantains and cooking bananas7.8×
- 4Carrots and turnips3.2×
- 5Meat of cattle with the bone (fresh or chilled)3.2×
- 6Oranges2.8×
- 7Meat of chickens (fresh or chilled)2.5×
- 8Raw milk of cattle2.4×
- 9Bananas2.3×
- 10Raw milk of buffalo1.7×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Gold reserves2017latest available
- 162 tonnesWorth $6.8 billion, 69% of total official reserves by value
- Industries
- agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products, crude oil and petroleum products
- Income level, 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: Venezuela - 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
Society
- 2023
- 0.709HighWorld Rank121stof 193VenezuelaWorld
Human Development Index by year Year Venezuela World 1990 0.658 0.608 1991 0.669 0.611 1992 0.676 0.614 1993 0.680 0.617 1994 0.681 0.620 1995 0.687 0.625 1996 0.690 0.631 1997 0.698 0.636 1998 0.700 0.641 1999 0.698 0.646 2000 0.703 0.651 2001 0.708 0.657 2002 0.716 0.662 2003 0.707 0.669 2004 0.718 0.675 2005 0.728 0.681 2006 0.736 0.688 2007 0.753 0.694 2008 0.759 0.698 2009 0.760 0.701 2010 0.764 0.707 2011 0.770 0.713 2012 0.772 0.717 2013 0.773 0.721 2014 0.770 0.726 2015 0.768 0.731 2016 0.761 0.735 2017 0.749 0.739 2018 0.741 0.741 2019 0.724 0.745 2020 0.699 0.742 2021 0.696 0.742 2022 0.706 0.752 2023 0.709 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 9.7 years
- Expected for a child today
- 13 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Literacy2017
- 97.2% of adults
- Internet users2024
- 76.7% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 63.5%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 20.2 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 2,415,915
- Fixed broadband
- 12.9 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2024
- 16% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 72%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 87%
- Mobile-money account
- 34%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 76%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 19,333 people
- Asylum seekers
- 1,578
- Internally displaced persons
- 550All due to disasters
- Refugees from Venezuela abroad
- 395,474
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists2017latest available
- 427,000 arrivalsOfficial tourism site (in Spanish)
- Per resident
- 1.4 arrivals per 100 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 2,000 arrivals
- Visitor spending in the country
- $546 million(2016, latest available)
- Domestic trips
- 12.6 million overnight trips by residents
- Residents' trips abroad
- 1.1 million overnight trips
- Residents' spending abroad
- $2.9 billion(2016, latest available)
- Hotel beds
- 342,343
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2017A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 3 sites2 cultural1 natural
Site Type Coro and its Port Cultural Canaima National Park Natural Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas Cultural Source:- The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- 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: Venezuela - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- Very high8.5 out of 10Conflict and violence, Earthquake, Political and economic crisis
Crisis Since Sep 2024 Severity Country overallAll crises below combined 8.5Very high Political and Economic crisis in VenezuelaConflict and violence, Political and economic crisis 8.2Very high 2026 Earthquake in VenezuelaEarthquake 6.8High Data reliability as rated by INFORM: High. Last updated Aug 31, 2026.
Source:- INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate2023
- High by global standards13.8 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank15thof 115
- Crime rates
- 3 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 13.8 3,909 2023 Serious assault 6.3 1,880 2018 Kidnapping 0.7 198 2018 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2022
- 238.2 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 67,200
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
- 73.0 years
- Health expenditure2023
- 3.8% of GDP$186 per person
- Physicians2017
- 1.66 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2020
- 1 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 14.0 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 227 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 2.3 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending2023
- 2.8% of household spendingWorld Rank59thof 105
- World median
- 3.1%
Source:- The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 39 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:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending:The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 96.4 Mt per year
- CO₂ per capita
- 2.8 t per personWorld Rank101stof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.24%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 53 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 8.91 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 9 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 167.3 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 11.9 µg/m³ of PM2.50.7 years of life expectancy lost against the WHO guidelineMost polluted116thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia
- oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo
- deforestation
- soil degradation
- urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast
- threat to the rainforest ecosystem from mining operations
Source:- The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- International agreements
- 16 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 69 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2017 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1995 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1989 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1988 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1994 CITES in force 1978 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2003 Nagoya Protocol in force 2019 Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1988 World Heritage Convention in force 1991 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 1998 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 1998 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2005 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2005 Minamata Convention on Mercury signed 2013, not ratified Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea not a party High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 in force 1994 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: Venezuela - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 6.9% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 1,325 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 46,964 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 39% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 23 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 74%
- Water stress
- 8% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Undernourishment2022
- 20% of the population5.7 million people
- Obesity2024
- 23% of adults
- Men
- 20.2%
- Women
- 25.4%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Underweight children2009latest available
- 2.9% 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
- 63.1 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.28%
- Supply
- Surplusproduces 1.9× what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- Trade ended, last exchange reported in 202080 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 80 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 63 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Surplusproduces 3.8× what it consumes, 2024Oil reserves2025303 billion barrelsWorld Rank1stof 99Exports20181 million b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal:Worldwide Oil and Gas Survey ↗ - Oil & Gas Journal
Defense
- Military expenditure2023
- 0.5% of GDP$3.9 million
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 125,000–150,000active Armed Forces; estimated 200,000 Bolivarian MilitiaEstimates vary.
- Military service2025
- Voluntarymen 18–30, women 18–25; minimum service obligation 24–30 months; Militia 17–39; all citizens of military service age 18–50 are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training
- Space program2025
- Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales, ABAE; formed 2007)
Has a small national program primarily focused on acquiring satellites and expanding the country’s science and technological capabilities; operates satellites and maintains two satellite ground control stations; participates in multinational space organizations such as the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency; closest bilateral partners are China and Russia; also has bilateral framework agreements for space cooperation with Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay
- 2005
- Signed space cooperation partnership with China
- 2008
- First communications satellite (Venesat-1 or Bolivar) financed, built, and launched by China
- 2012
- First remote sensing (RS) satellite (VRSS-1 or Miranda) built and launched by China
- 2017
- Second RS satellite (VRSS-2 or Sucre) built and launched by China
- 2021
- Signed agreement to establish the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (formally established in 2022)
- 2023
- Joined China-Russia project to construct a permanent base on the Moon by the 2030s
- 2025
- Announced intent to participate in planned Mars sample-return mission (Tianwen-3) led by China
Key milestones
the ABAE is under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation; it was originally known as the Venezuelan Space Center (CEV; created 2005)
Source:- The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- 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, Space program:The World Factbook: Venezuela - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
