Bolivia | Countries, Compared

Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America, formally known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia. In the United Nations statistical framework, Bolivia carries the M49 code 068, the ISO alpha-2 code BO, and the ISO alpha-3 code BOL. The UN groups it under the Americas region and the Latin America and the Caribbean subregion. Bolivia is a member state of the United Nations. The World Bank’s country metadata lists La Paz as the capital, though this is a point of constitutional nuance discussed below. The identifiers on this page are stable. The methods show you how to verify the volatile figures, population, currency, government, economy, travel rules, without freezing them into false precision. The page distinguishes administrative coding from territorial claims, and points you to adjacent guides for country comparison and source literacy.

Stable identifiers

Bolivia’s core identifiers are maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and the World Bank. They are administrative, not territorial. They tell you how international bodies file Bolivia, not how every government describes its own territory.

Field	Value
UN M49 code	068
ISO alpha-2	BO
ISO alpha-3	BOL
UN region	Americas
UN subregion	Latin America and the Caribbean
UN membership	Member state
World Bank capital field	La Paz

The UN M49 overview is the reference for how the UN groups countries and areas for statistical purposes. It does not settle territorial or sovereignty disputes. For the official list, see the UN M49 overview. The World Bank’s country API returns a machine-readable profile with region, income level, and lending category. That API is the stable entry point for economic and development indicators: https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/BOL. The World Bank is a source of development indicators, not an authority on borders or sovereignty. These two sources agree on the coding but may differ in how they report administrative details, and they use different naming conventions. Treat them as complementary, not identical.

The capital question

The World Bank capital field returns La Paz. In practice, Bolivia has two capital cities: Sucre is the constitutional capital, and La Paz is the seat of government. That distinction is administrative and constitutional; the UN M49 coding does not settle it.

How to verify current figures instead of trusting a snapshot

Bolivia’s population, languages, currency, government structure, economy, and visa rules change over time. National censuses run on multi-year cycles, currency reforms can be announced with little notice, and visa policies shift with bilateral agreements. Any static number you see will eventually go out of date. The method below tells you which source to check for each category, and what year the figure refers to. Cite the reference year explicitly every time you record a number.

Population

Use the United Nations World Population Prospects or the Bolivian National Institute of Statistics (INE) for census and intercensal estimates. Census data is often two to five years old; estimates are projections. Note the reference year.

Languages and literacy

Use UNESCO statistics and the national census. Bolivia’s 2009 constitution recognises 36 indigenous languages alongside Spanish, but legal recognition is a constitutional fact, not a demographic claim. Census data measures self-reported language use. Check the census year.

Currency

The boliviano (BOB). For exchange rates and issuance policy, use the Central Bank of Bolivia (Banco Central de Bolivia) and name the date of the rate.

Government and legal system

Use the official state gazette or the relevant ministry. For general framing, the CIA World Factbook is a secondary compilation with methodology notes.

Economy

Use the World Bank country API and IMF Article IV reports. GDP figures differ by nominal versus PPP and by year. Record which measure and which year you are citing.

Travel and entry

Do not give visa or safety details. Direct readers to their own government’s travel advisory and the IATA Travel Centre. This page does not provide visa advice.

People

Bolivia’s demographic profile comes from the national census and UN population estimates. The National Institute of Statistics (INE) runs the census. The last complete census was conducted in 2012, and a further census round has been undertaken since. For the most recent intercensal projections, consult INE directly and note the projection year. The UN World Population Prospects provide a comparable international series. Self-identification categories used in the census include Quechua, Aymara, and other Indigenous groups, alongside mestizo and white. Language data from the census reflects self-reported use, not fluency testing, and the constitutional recognition of 36 languages does not mean all are widely spoken. Literacy rates are reported by UNESCO and the national census, and the reference year matters because rates have shifted with education access programmes.

Government and economy

Bolivia is a presidential republic. The Plurinational Constitutional Court is the highest judicial body. The Plurinational Legislative Assembly consists of the Chamber of Deputies and the Chamber of Senators. Government structure is described in the 2009 constitution, and changes to ministries or portfolios are published in the official state gazette. For a current organigram of the executive branch, consult the gazette or the presidency’s official site.

The economy is driven by natural gas, mining, agriculture, and manufacturing. The World Bank classifies Bolivia as a lower-middle-income country. Key indicators, including GDP growth, inflation, and current account balance, are updated in the World Bank country API and IMF Article IV staff reports. GDP figures vary significantly between nominal and purchasing-power-parity measures. Always note which measure and which year a figure comes from. The Central Bank of Bolivia publishes the official exchange rate for the boliviano and monetary policy statements.

Source literacy and adjacent guides

Every figure on this page depends on a named source and a reference year. The UN M49 coding is an administrative grouping for statistical convenience. The World Bank API returns development indicators, not legal determinations. National census data is self-reported and subject to coverage gaps and intercensal projection error. Currency and economic figures are time-sensitive. Before using any number, ask: what is the source, what is the reference year, and what definition was used.

For country comparison, source methodology, and data definitions, see the following guides: