# Geognos Data Export: South Asia Generated: 2026-02-14T06:35:33.925Z ## Afghanistan **Slug:** afghanistan **Region:** South Asia **Flag:** 🇦🇫 **Codes:** cek: af, iso2: AF, iso3: AFG, iso_num: 004, genc: AFG, stanag: AFG, internet: .af ### Introduction **Background:** Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in increased democracy ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 communist countercoup. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan communist regime, touching off a long and destructive war. Internationally supported anti-communist mujahidin rebels forced the USSR to withdraw in 1989. A series of subsequent civil wars saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US and Allied military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Usama BIN LADIN. A UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001 established a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and National Assembly elections in 2005. In 2004, Hamid KARZAI became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan, and he was reelected in 2009. Ashraf Ghani AHMADZAI succeeded him as president in 2014 following a disputed election. The Taliban conducted an insurgency for two decades against the Afghan Government and forces from the United States and other countries. In February 2020, the US and the Taliban signed an agreement that led to the withdrawal of international forces in exchange for commitments on counterterrorism and other assurances. The Taliban took over Afghanistan on 15 August 2021. The Taliban established an all-male interim leadership structure dominated by Pashtun clerics under the leadership of Haivatrullah AKHUNDZADA. The Taliban issued numerous edicts that constrained women's mobility, ability to study and work, and access to education beyond primary school. To date, no country has recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. ### Geography **Location:** Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran **Geographic coordinates:** 33 00 N, 65 00 E **Map references:** Asia **Area:** total : 652,230 sq km land: 652,230 sq km water: 0 sq km **Area - comparative:** almost six times the size of Virginia; slightly smaller than Texas **Land boundaries:** total: 5,987 km border countries (6): China 91 km; Iran 921 km; Pakistan 2,670 km; Tajikistan 1,357 km; Turkmenistan 804 km; Uzbekistan 144 km **Coastline:** 0 km (landlocked) **Maritime claims:** none (landlocked) **Climate:** arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers **Terrain:** mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest **Elevation:** highest point: Noshak 7,492 m lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m mean elevation: 1,884 m **Natural resources:** natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land **Land use:** agricultural land: 58.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 12% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 46% (2023 est.) forest: 1.9% (2023 est.) other: 39.7% (2023 est.) **Irrigated land:** 24,930 sq km (2022) **Major lakes (area sq km):** salt water lake(s): Ab-e Istadah-ye Muqur (endorheic basin) - 520 sq km **Major rivers (by length in km):** Amu Darya (shared with Tajikistan [s], Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan [m]) - 2,620 km; Helmand river source (shared with Iran) - 1,130 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth **Major watersheds (area sq km):** Indian Ocean drainage: Indus (1,081,718 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Amu Darya (534,739 sq km); Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km) **Population distribution:** populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated **Natural hazards:** damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts **Geography - note:** landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor) ### People and Society **Population:** total: 49,474,805 (2025 est.) male: 25,051,967 female: 24,422,838 **Nationality:** noun: Afghan(s) adjective: Afghan **Ethnic groups:** current, reliable statistical data on ethnicity in Afghanistan are not available; Afghanistan's 2004 Constitution cited Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkman, Baluch, Pashaie, Nuristani, Aymaq, Arab, Qirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujur, and Brahwui ethnicities; Afghanistan has dozens of other small ethnic groups **Languages:** Afghan Persian or Dari (official, lingua franca) 77%, Pashto (official) 48%, Uzbeki 11%, English 6%, Turkmani 3%, Urdu 3%, Pashaie 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, Balochi 1%, other <1% (2020 est.) major-language sample(s): کتاب حقایق جهان، مرجعی ضروری برای اطلاعات اولیە (Dari) د دنیا د حقائېقو کتاب، بنیادی معلوماتو لپاره ضروری سرچینه- (Pashto) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note 1: percentages sum to more than 100% because many people are multilingual note 2: Uzbeki, Turkmani, Pashaie, Nuristani, Balochi, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them **Religions:** Muslim 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%), other <0.3% (2009 est.) **Age structure:** 0-14 years: 39.6% (male 8,062,407/female 7,818,897) 15-64 years: 57.5% (male 11,702,734/female 11,372,249) 65 years and over: 2.9% (2024 est.) (male 535,925/female 629,340) **Dependency ratios:** total dependency ratio: 82.2 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 77 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 5.2 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 19 (2025 est.) **Median age:** total: 18.4 years (2025 est.) male: 20 years female: 20.1 years **Population growth rate:** 2.86% (2025 est.) **Birth rate:** 35.99 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Death rate:** 5.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Net migration rate:** -1.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Population distribution:** populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled, while the south is sparsely populated **Urbanization:** urban population: 26.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Major urban areas - population:** 4.589 million KABUL (capital) (2023) **Sex ratio:** at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.) **Mother's mean age at first birth:** 19.9 years (2015 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49 **Maternal mortality ratio:** 521 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.) **Infant mortality rate:** total: 42 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 109.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 92.5 deaths/1,000 live births **Life expectancy at birth:** total population: 54.4 years (2024 est.) male: 52.8 years female: 56.1 years **Total fertility rate:** 4.89 children born/woman (2025 est.) **Gross reproduction rate:** 2.39 (2025 est.) **Drinking water source:** improved: urban: 99% of population (2022 est.) rural: 76.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 82.2% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 23.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 17.8% of population (2022 est.) **Health expenditure:** 21.8% of GDP (2021) 1.1% of national budget (2022 est.) **Physician density:** 0.32 physicians/1,000 population (2023) **Hospital bed density:** 0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.) **Sanitation facility access:** improved: urban: 93% of population (2022 est.) rural: 58.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 68% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 7% of population (2022 est.) rural: 41.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 32% of population (2022 est.) **Obesity - adult prevalence rate:** 5.5% (2016) **Alcohol consumption per capita:** total: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) **Tobacco use:** total: 20.8% (2025 est.) male: 36.5% (2025 est.) female: 5.2% (2025 est.) **Children under the age of 5 years underweight:** 18.4% (2022 est.) **Currently married women (ages 15-49):** 65.9% (2023 est.) **Child marriage:** women married by age 15: 9.6% (2023) women married by age 18: 28.7% (2023) men married by age 18: 7.3% (2015) **Education expenditure:** 4.3% of GDP (2017 est.) 15.7% national budget (2017 est.) **Literacy:** total population: 37.3% (2021 est.) male: 52.1% (2021 est.) female: 26.6% (2022 est.) **School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):** total: 11 years (2018 est.) male: 13 years (2018 est.) female: 8 years (2018 est.) ### Environment **Environmental issues:** limited natural freshwater resources; inadequate potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (cut down for fuel and building materials); desertification; air and water pollution in urban areas **International environmental agreements:** party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation **Climate:** arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers **Land use:** agricultural land: 58.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 12% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 46% (2023 est.) forest: 1.9% (2023 est.) other: 39.7% (2023 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 26.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Carbon dioxide emissions:** 7.757 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 930,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 6.827 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) **Particulate matter emissions:** 84 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) **Waste and recycling:** municipal solid waste generated annually: 5.629 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 11.1% (2022 est.) **Total water withdrawal:** municipal: 203.4 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 169.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 20 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) **Total renewable water resources:** 65.33 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) ### Government **Country name:** conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (prior to 15 August 2021); current country name disputed conventional short form: Afghanistan local long form: Jamhuri-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan (prior to 15 August 2021; current country name is disputed) local short form: Afghanistan etymology: the name "Afghan" originally referred to the Pashtun people, but today it is understood to include all the country's ethnic groups; the suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so Afghanistan literally means the "Land of the Afghans" **Government type:** theocratic; the United States does not recognize the Taliban Government **Capital:** name: Kabul geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 11 E time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: does not observe daylight savings time etymology: named for the Kabul River, but the river's name is of unknown origin **Administrative divisions:** 34 provinces (welayat, singular - welayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Zabul **Legal system:** the Taliban is implementing its own interpretation of Islamic law, which is partially based on the Hanifi school of Islamic jurisprudence and have enforced strict punishments; before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan had a mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic law (2021) **Constitution:** history: several previous; latest ratified in 2004, but not currently enforced by the Taliban **International law organization participation:** has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; formerly accepted ICCt jurisdiction **Citizenship:** citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must have been born in - and continuously lived in - Afghanistan dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years **Suffrage:** 18 years of age; universal **Executive branch:** chief of state: Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada (since 15 August 2021) head of government: overall Taliban Leader HAYBATULLAH Akhundzada is the [so-called] Amir-ul Momineen of the Taliban and is effectively the head of government cabinet: the Taliban have announced a “cabinet” for the “caretaker government,” including the “acting prime minister,” “acting deputy prime ministers,” and “ministers” who claim to represent 26 ministries election/appointment process: the 2004 Afghan constitution directed that the president should be elected by majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the Taliban have given no indication that they intend to reinstate elections or any other mechanism of democratic governance most recent election date: 28 September 2019 note: the United States has not yet made a decision whether to recognize the Taliban or any other entity as the government of Afghanistan **Legislative branch:** note: Afghanistan’s bicameral National Assembly consisted of the House of Elders and House of the People but was dissolved after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 **Judicial branch:** highest court(s): the Taliban are purported to have appointed clerics, including a "Chief Justice," to Afghanistan's Supreme Court subordinate courts: provincial courts, religious courts, and specialty courts **Political parties:** the Taliban Government enforces an authoritarian state and has banned other political parties the Taliban have banned other political parties but have allowed some party leaders, including the head of Hezb-e-Islami, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, to continue to live and work in Afghanistan; Hekmatyar likely continues to enjoy some political support from loyalists; leaders of other parties, including Jamiat-e-Islami’s Salahuddin Rabbani and Jumbesh’s Rashid Dostum, operate from abroad but likely also command some following within Afghanistan note: before 15 August 2021, the Ministry of Justice had licensed 72 political parties as of April 2019 **Diplomatic representation in the US:** none note: the Afghan Embassy closed in March 2022 **Diplomatic representation from the US:** embassy: the United States does not maintain a presence in Afghanistan and its diplomatic mission to Afghanistan has relocated to Doha, Qatar **International organization participation:** Afghanistan is a member of the following organizations but Taliban representatives do not participate: ADB, CICA, CP, ECO, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNAMA, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO **Independence:** 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) **National holiday:** previous: Independence Day, 19 August (1919); under the Taliban Government, 15 August (2022) is declared a national holiday, marking the anniversary of the victory of the Afghan jihad **Flag:** description: three equal vertical bands of black (left), red, and green, with the national emblem in white centered on the red band and slightly overlapping the other bands; the emblem shows a mosque with a pulpit and flags on either side; below the mosque are Eastern Arabic numerals for the solar year 1298 (1919 in the Gregorian calendar, the year of Afghan independence from the UK); a border of wheat sheaves circles the mosque; above the mosque is an Arabic inscription of the Shahada (Muslim creed), with rays of the rising sun over the Takbir (Arabic expression meaning "God is great"); under the mosque is a scroll with the name Afghanistan meaning: black stands for the past, and red for the blood shed for independence; green can represent hope for the future, agricultural prosperity, or Islam history: Afghanistan had more changes to its national flag in the 20th century -- 19 by one count -- than any other country; the colors black, red, and green appeared on most of them note: the United States has not recognized the Taliban or any other entity as the government of Afghanistan and, accordingly, continues to display the flag of Afghanistan as set forth in the country's constitution of 2004 **National symbol(s):** lion **National color(s):** red, green, black **National anthem(s):** title: "Milli Surood" (National Anthem) lyrics/music: Abdul Bari JAHANI/Babrak WASA history: adopted 2006 **National heritage:** total World Heritage Sites: 2 (both cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Minaret of Jam; Buddhas of Bamyan note: the monumental 6th- and 7th-century Buddha statues at Bamyan were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 ### Economy **Economic overview:** low-income South Asian economy; economy stable after major contraction due to Taliban takeover, but recovery remains fragile; widespread poverty and obstacles to human development; import-reliant for food, fuel, and machinery; ongoing sanctions, suspended development aid, and frozen reserve assets **Real GDP (purchasing power parity):** $82.238 billion (2023 est.) $80.416 billion (2022 est.) $85.768 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **Real GDP growth rate:** 2.3% (2023 est.) -6.2% (2022 est.) -20.7% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency **Real GDP per capita:** $2,000 (2023 est.) $2,000 (2022 est.) $2,100 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **GDP (official exchange rate):** $17.152 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate **Inflation rate (consumer prices):** -6.6% (2024 est.) -4.6% (2023 est.) 13.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices **GDP - composition, by sector of origin:** agriculture: 34.7% (2023 est.) industry: 13.4% (2023 est.) services: 46.4% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data **GDP - composition, by end use:** household consumption: 98.1% (2023 est.) government consumption: 21.2% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 15.2% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 0.1% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 16.9% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -50.7% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection **Agricultural products:** wheat, milk, grapes, watermelons, potatoes, cantaloupes/melons, vegetables, rice, onions, maize (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage **Industries:** small-scale production of bricks, textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper **Industrial production growth rate:** 1.8% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency **Labor force:** 9.133 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work **Unemployment rate:** 13.3% (2024 est.) 14% (2023 est.) 14.1% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment **Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24):** total: 16.7% (2024 est.) male: 15.8% (2024 est.) female: 27% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment **Population below poverty line:** 54.5% (2016 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line **Remittances:** 1.9% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities **Budget:** revenues: $9.093 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: $7.411 billion (2017 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated **Taxes and other revenues:** 9.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP **Current account balance:** -$3.137 billion (2020 est.) -$3.792 billion (2019 est.) -$3.897 billion (2018 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars **Exports:** $1.476 billion (2020 est.) $1.516 billion (2019 est.) $1.609 billion (2018 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars **Exports - partners:** Pakistan 42%, India 40%, China 4%, UAE 2%, Turkey 2% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports **Exports - commodities:** coal, grapes, tropical fruits, gum resins, other nuts (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars **Imports:** $6.983 billion (2020 est.) $7.371 billion (2019 est.) $7.988 billion (2018 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars **Imports - partners:** UAE 28%, Pakistan 15%, China 15%, Uzbekistan 12%, Kazakhstan 9% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports **Imports - commodities:** wheat flours, tobacco, palm oil, broadcasting equipment, synthetic fabric (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars **Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:** $9.749 billion (2020 est.) $8.498 billion (2019 est.) $8.207 billion (2018 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars **Debt - external:** $2.717 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars **Exchange rates:** afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 76.814 (2020 est.) 77.738 (2019 est.) 72.083 (2018 est.) 68.027 (2017 est.) 67.866 (2016 est.) ### Energy **Electricity access:** electrification - total population: 85.3% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 95.9% electrification - rural areas: 81.7% **Electricity:** installed generating capacity: 627,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 6.468 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 6.221 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 725.652 million kWh (2023 est.) **Electricity generation sources:** fossil fuels: 13.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 9.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 77% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) **Coal:** production: 767,000 metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 503,000 metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 265,000 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 2,000 metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 66 million metric tons (2023 est.) **Petroleum:** refined petroleum consumption: 58,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) **Natural gas:** production: 80.2 million cubic meters (2020 est.) consumption: 80.2 million cubic meters (2020 est.) proven reserves: 49.554 billion cubic meters (2021 est.) **Energy consumption per capita:** 3.38 million Btu/person (2023 est.) ### Communications **Telephones - fixed lines:** total subscriptions: 182,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1 **Telephones - mobile cellular:** total subscriptions: 25.6 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (2024 est.) **Broadcast media:** under the Taliban, independent media outlets have decreased and are probably self-censoring; the Ministry of Information and Culture monitors all mass media; television and radio are key media platforms; only about a fifth of Afghans use the internet, mostly through smartphones (2023) **Internet country code:** .af **Internet users:** percent of population: 18% (2023 est.) **Broadband - fixed subscriptions:** total: 33,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1 ### Transportation **Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:** YA **Airports:** 68 (2025) **Heliports:** 8 (2025) ### Military and Security **Military and security forces:** the Taliban has formed a Ministry of Defense and a National Army (aka Army of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Islamic Emirate Army, or Afghan Army); it has also formed police forces under a Ministry of Interior (2025) **Military expenditures:** 3.3% of GDP (2019) 3.2% of GDP (2018) 3.3% of GDP (2017) 3.1% of GDP (2016) 2.9% of GDP (2015) **Military and security service personnel strengths:** the Taliban claims to have 190,000 under the Ministry of Defense and 215,000 under the Ministry of Interior (2025) **Military equipment inventories and acquisitions:** the Taliban military and security forces are equipped with armaments captured in 2021 from the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, which were largely equipped with Russian/Soviet-era and US material (2025) **Military service age and obligation:** service is voluntary; there are reports indicating that the Taliban has been involved in the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict (2024) note: the Taliban dismissed nearly all women from the former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, except those serving in detention facilities and assisting with body searches **Military - note:** the Taliban’s key security priorities are border and internal security; specific issues have included tensions with Pakistan along their shared border, armed anti-Taliban resistance elements, and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Khorasan (ISIS-K) terrorist group (2025) ### Terrorism **Terrorist group(s):** Terrorist group(s): Haqqani Network; Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami; Islamic Jihad Union (IJU); Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Jaish-e-Mohammed; Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Lashkar i Jhangvi; Lashkar-e Tayyiba; al-Qa’ida; al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS); Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) note 1: as of 2024, Afghanistan was assessed to be a place of global significance for terrorism, with approximately 20 designated and non-designated terrorist groups operating in the country note 2: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide ### Transnational Issues **Refugees and internally displaced persons:** refugees: 21,236 (2024 est.) IDPs: 5,457,183 (2024 est.) **Trafficking in persons:** tier rating: Tier 3 — Afghanistan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Afghanistan remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/afghanistan/ **Illicit drugs:** USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025) --- ## Bangladesh **Slug:** bangladesh **Region:** South Asia **Flag:** 🇧🇩 **Codes:** cek: bg, iso2: BD, iso3: BGD, iso_num: 050, genc: BGD, stanag: BGD, internet: .bd ### Introduction **Background:** The huge delta region at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra River systems -- now referred to as Bangladesh -- was a loosely incorporated outpost of various empires for much of the first millennium A.D. Muslim conversions and settlement in the region began in the 10th century, primarily from Arab and Persian traders and preachers. Europeans established trading posts in the area in the 16th century. Eventually the area known as Bengal, which is primarily Hindu in the western section and mostly Muslim in the eastern half, became part of British India. After the partition of India in 1947, the Muslim-majority area became East Pakistan. Calls for greater autonomy and animosity between the eastern and western areas of Pakistan led to a Bengali independence movement. That movement, led by the Awami League (AL) and supported by India, won the independence war for Bangladesh in 1971. The military overthrew the post-independence AL government in 1975, the first of a series of military coups that resulted in a military-backed government and the subsequent creation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) that took power in 1979. That government also ended in a coup in 1981, followed by military-backed rule until democratic elections were held in 1991. The BNP and AL alternated in power from 1991 to 2008, with the exception of a military-backed, emergency caretaker regime in 2007. The country returned to fully democratic rule in 2008 with the election of the AL and Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA. With the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh is on track to graduate from the UN’s Least Developed Countries (LDC) list in 2026. The economy has grown at an annual average of about 6.25% for the last two decades. Poverty declined from 11.8 percent in 2010 to 5.0 percent in 2022, based on the international poverty line of $2.15 a day (using 2017 Purchasing Power Parity exchange rate). The country made a rapid recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but still faces economic challenges. ### Geography **Location:** Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India **Geographic coordinates:** 24 00 N, 90 00 E **Map references:** Asia **Area:** total : 148,460 sq km land: 130,170 sq km water: 18,290 sq km **Area - comparative:** slightly larger than Pennsylvania and New Jersey combined; slightly smaller than Iowa **Land boundaries:** total: 4,413 km border countries (2): Burma 271 km; India 4,142 km **Coastline:** 580 km **Maritime claims:** territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: to the outer limits of the continental margin **Climate:** tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October) **Terrain:** mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast **Elevation:** highest point: Mowdok Taung 1,060 m lowest point: Bay of Bengal 0 m mean elevation: 85 m **Natural resources:** natural gas, arable land, timber, coal **Land use:** agricultural land: 72.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 60.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 7.1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 4.6% (2023 est.) forest: 14.4% (2023 est.) other: 13.3% (2023 est.) **Irrigated land:** 83,690 sq km (2022) **Major rivers (by length in km):** Brahmaputra river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 3,969 km; Ganges river mouth (shared with India [s]) - 2,704 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth **Major watersheds (area sq km):** Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km) **Major aquifers:** Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin **Natural hazards:** droughts; cyclones; much of the country routinely inundated during the summer monsoon season **Geography - note:** most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal ### People and Society **Population:** total: 174,370,536 (2025 est.) male: 83,908,720 female: 90,461,816 **Nationality:** noun: Bangladeshi(s) adjective: Bangladeshi **Ethnic groups:** Bengali at least 99%, other indigenous ethnic groups 1% (2022 est.) note: Bangladesh's government recognizes 27 indigenous ethnic groups under the 2010 Cultural Institution for Small Anthropological Groups Act; other sources estimate there are about 75 ethnic groups **Languages:** Bangla 98.8% (official, also known as Bengali), other 1.2% (2011 est.) major-language sample(s): বিশ্ব ফ্যাক্টবুক, মৌলিক তথ্যের অপরিহার্য উৎস (Bangla) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. **Religions:** Muslim 91%, Hindu 8%, other 1% (2022 est.) **Age structure:** 0-14 years: 25.1% (male 21,540,493/female 20,800,712) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 55,071,592/female 58,180,322) 65 years and over: 7.8% (2024 est.) (male 6,096,167/female 7,007,898) **Dependency ratios:** total dependency ratio: 54.6 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 43.5 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 11.1 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 9 (2025 est.) **Median age:** total: 27.8 years (2025 est.) male: 28.7 years female: 30.4 years **Population growth rate:** 0.91% (2025 est.) **Birth rate:** 19.45 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Death rate:** 6.05 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Net migration rate:** -4.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 40.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Major urban areas - population:** 23.210 million DHAKA (capital), 5.380 million Chittagong, 955,000 Khulna, 962,000 Rajshahi, 964,000 Sylhet, 906,000 Bogra (2023) **Sex ratio:** at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.) **Mother's mean age at first birth:** 18.6 years (2017/18 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49 **Maternal mortality ratio:** 115 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.) **Infant mortality rate:** total: 22 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 31.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 26.3 deaths/1,000 live births **Life expectancy at birth:** total population: 75.2 years (2024 est.) male: 73.1 years female: 77.5 years **Total fertility rate:** 2.25 children born/woman (2025 est.) **Gross reproduction rate:** 1.1 (2025 est.) **Drinking water source:** improved: urban: 98.3% of population (2022 est.) rural: 98.5% of population (2022 est.) total: 98.4% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 1.7% of population (2022 est.) rural: 1.5% of population (2022 est.) total: 1.6% of population (2022 est.) **Health expenditure:** 2.4% of GDP (2021) 1.2% of national budget (2022 est.) **Physician density:** 0.72 physicians/1,000 population (2023) **Hospital bed density:** 0.9 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.) **Sanitation facility access:** improved: urban: 90.3% of population (2022 est.) rural: 81.4% of population (2022 est.) total: 84.9% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 9.7% of population (2022 est.) rural: 18.6% of population (2022 est.) total: 15.1% of population (2022 est.) **Obesity - adult prevalence rate:** 3.6% (2016) **Alcohol consumption per capita:** total: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) **Tobacco use:** total: 29.7% (2025 est.) male: 47.6% (2025 est.) female: 12.5% (2025 est.) **Children under the age of 5 years underweight:** 21.7% (2022 est.) **Currently married women (ages 15-49):** 80.6% (2022 est.) **Child marriage:** women married by age 15: 15.5% (2019) women married by age 18: 51.4% (2019) **Education expenditure:** 2% of GDP (2024 est.) 11.9% national budget (2025 est.) **Literacy:** total population: 79% (2022 est.) male: 81.4% (2022 est.) female: 76.5% (2022 est.) **School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):** total: 11 years (2023 est.) male: 11 years (2023 est.) female: 12 years (2023 est.) ### Environment **Environmental issues:** flooding; water pollution, especially of fishing areas, from the use of commercial pesticides; groundwater pollution from naturally occurring arsenic; falling water tables in the northern and central parts of the country; soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; destruction of wetlands; severe overpopulation with noise pollution **International environmental agreements:** party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements **Climate:** tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy monsoon (June to October) **Land use:** agricultural land: 72.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 60.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 7.1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 4.6% (2023 est.) forest: 14.4% (2023 est.) other: 13.3% (2023 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 40.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Carbon dioxide emissions:** 125.956 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 26.967 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 42.083 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 56.906 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) **Particulate matter emissions:** 42.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) **Methane emissions:** energy: 544 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 2,391.4 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 693 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 38.6 kt (2019-2021 est.) **Waste and recycling:** municipal solid waste generated annually: 14.778 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15.7% (2022 est.) **Total water withdrawal:** municipal: 3.6 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 770 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 31.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) **Total renewable water resources:** 1.227 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.) ### Government **Country name:** conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh conventional short form: Bangladesh local long form: Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh local short form: Bangladesh former: East Bengal, East Pakistan etymology: the name is a compound of the Bengali words Bangla (Bengali) and desh (country) **Government type:** parliamentary republic **Capital:** name: Dhaka geographic coordinates: 23 43 N, 90 24 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the origins of the name are unclear, but it may be derived from either the dhak tree or Dhakeshwari, a goddess with a shrine in the city **Administrative divisions:** 8 divisions; Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet **Legal system:** common law, incorporating elements of English common law; since independence, statutory law has been the primary form of legislation; Islamic law applies to Muslims in family and inheritance laws, with Hindu personal law applying to Hindus and Buddhists **Constitution:** history: previous 1935, 1956, 1962 (pre-independence); latest enacted 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended March 1982, restored November 1986 amendment process: proposed by the House of the Nation; approval requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the House membership and assent of the president of the republic **International law organization participation:** has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction **Citizenship:** citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Bangladesh dual citizenship recognized: yes, but limited to select countries residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years **Suffrage:** 18 years of age; universal **Executive branch:** chief of state: President Mohammad SHAHABUDDIN Chuppi (since 24 April 2023) head of government: Interim Prime Minister Muhammad YUNUS (since 8 August 2024) cabinet: Cabinet selected by the prime minister, appointed by the president election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by the National Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the president appoints as prime minister the majority party leader in the National Parliament most recent election date: 13 February 2023 election results: President Mohammad SHAHABUDDIN Chuppi (AL) elected unopposed by the National Parliament; Sheikh HASINA reappointed prime minister for a fifth term following the 7 January 2024 parliamentary election but fled the country on 5 August 2024 following mass protests against her government in July and August 2024; Mohammad YUNIS was appointed as interim Prime Minister on 8 August 2024 expected date of next election: 2028 note: On August 5, 2024, former prime minister Sheikh HASINA fled the country as protesters stormed her official residence, and army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that an interim government would be formed to run Bangladesh; the President dissolved Parliament on 6 August and swore in Nobel laureate Muhammad YUNUS as interim prime minister on 8 August **Legislative branch:** expected date of next election: February 2026 note: the Parliament (House of the Nation) was dissolved on 6 August 2024 by President Mohammad SHAHABUDDIN Chuppi following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh HASINA Wazed on 5 August 2024; new national elections will be held in February 2026 **Judicial branch:** highest court(s): Supreme Court of Bangladesh (organized into the Appellate Division with 7 justices and the High Court Division with 99 justices) judge selection and term of office: chief justice and justices appointed by the president; justices serve until retirement at age 67 subordinate courts: civil courts include: Assistant Judge's Court; Joint District Judge's Court; Additional District Judge's Court; District Judge's Court; criminal courts include: Court of Sessions; Court of Metropolitan Sessions; Metropolitan Magistrate Courts; Magistrate Court; special courts/tribunals **Political parties:** Awami League or AL Bangladesh Jamaat-i-Islami or JIB Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP Islami Andolan Bangladesh Jatiya Party or JP (Ershad faction) Jatiya Party or JP (Manju faction) National Socialist Party (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal) or JSD Workers Party or WP **Diplomatic representation in the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful ISLAM (since 5 September 2025) chancery: 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-0183 FAX: [1] (202) 244-2771 email address and website: mission.washington@mofa.gov.bd Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Washington, DC (mofa.gov.bd) consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York **Diplomatic representation from the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador Brent CHRISTENSEN (since 15 January 2026) embassy: Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka - 1212 mailing address: 6120 Dhaka Place, Washington DC 20521-6120 telephone: [880] (2) 5566-2000 FAX: [880] (2) 5566-2907 email address and website: DhakaACS@state.gov https://bd.usembassy.gov/ **International organization participation:** ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNIFIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO **Independence:** 16 December 1971 (from Pakistan) **National holiday:** Independence Day, 26 March (1971); Victory Day, 16 December (1971) note: 26 March 1971 is the date of the Awami League's declaration of an independent Bangladesh, and 16 December (Victory Day) memorializes the military victory over Pakistan and the official creation of the state of Bangladesh **Flag:** description: green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the left meaning: the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh **National symbol(s):** Bengal tiger, water lily **National color(s):** green, red **National coat of arms:** the water lily is the national flower and symbolizes promise, aesthetics, and elegance; the water under the lily, the rice sheaves on the sides, and the jute leaves at the top represent the Bangladeshi landscape and economy; the four stars represent the aims and ambition of the nation **National anthem(s):** title: "Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Golden Bengal) lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE history: adopted 1971; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote India's national anthem **National heritage:** total World Heritage Sites: 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Bagerhat Historic Mosque (c); Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur (c); Sundarbans (n) ### Economy **Economic overview:** one of the fastest growing emerging market economies; strong economic rebound following COVID-19; significant poverty reduction; exports dominated by textile industry; weakened exports and remittances resulted in declining foreign exchange reserves and 2022 IMF loan request **Real GDP (purchasing power parity):** $1.473 trillion (2024 est.) $1.413 trillion (2023 est.) $1.336 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **Real GDP growth rate:** 4.2% (2024 est.) 5.8% (2023 est.) 7.1% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency **Real GDP per capita:** $8,500 (2024 est.) $8,200 (2023 est.) $7,900 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **GDP (official exchange rate):** $450.119 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate **Inflation rate (consumer prices):** 10.5% (2024 est.) 9.9% (2023 est.) 7.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices **GDP - composition, by sector of origin:** agriculture: 11.2% (2024 est.) industry: 34.1% (2024 est.) services: 51.4% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data **GDP - composition, by end use:** household consumption: 70.1% (2024 est.) government consumption: 5.9% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 30.7% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 10.5% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -16.3% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection **Agricultural products:** rice, milk, potatoes, maize, sugarcane, onions, jute, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, tropical fruits (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage **Industries:** cotton, textiles and clothing, jute, tea, paper, cement, fertilizer, sugar, light engineering **Industrial production growth rate:** 3.5% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency **Labor force:** 77.355 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work **Unemployment rate:** 4.7% (2024 est.) 4.5% (2023 est.) 4.6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment **Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24):** total: 11.5% (2024 est.) male: 13.7% (2024 est.) female: 9.2% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment **Population below poverty line:** 18.7% (2022 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line **Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income:** 33.4 (2022 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality **Average household expenditures:** on food: 52.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 2.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.) **Household income or consumption by percentage share:** lowest 10%: 3.5% (2022 est.) highest 10%: 27.4% (2022 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population **Remittances:** 6% of GDP (2024 est.) 5.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 4.7% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities **Budget:** revenues: $39.849 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $51.558 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated **Taxes and other revenues:** 7.6% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP **Current account balance:** $1.87 billion (2024 est.) $4.388 billion (2023 est.) -$14.438 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars **Exports:** $53.848 billion (2024 est.) $58.885 billion (2023 est.) $60.066 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars **Exports - partners:** USA 16%, Germany 15%, UK 8%, Spain 7%, Poland 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports **Exports - commodities:** garments, footwear, fabric, textiles, trunks and cases (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars **Imports:** $74.96 billion (2024 est.) $73.172 billion (2023 est.) $93.635 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars **Imports - partners:** China 34%, India 17%, Indonesia 5%, Singapore 5%, Malaysia 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports **Imports - commodities:** refined petroleum, cotton fabric, natural gas, cotton, fabric (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars **Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:** $21.395 billion (2024 est.) $21.86 billion (2023 est.) $33.747 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars **Debt - external:** $58.02 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars **Exchange rates:** taka (BDT) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 115.604 (2024 est.) 106.309 (2023 est.) 91.745 (2022 est.) 85.084 (2021 est.) 84.871 (2020 est.) ### Energy **Electricity access:** electrification - total population: 99.4% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 99.3% **Electricity:** installed generating capacity: 22.699 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 107.285 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 9.407 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 8.279 billion kWh (2023 est.) **Electricity generation sources:** fossil fuels: 98.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) **Nuclear energy:** Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 2 (2025) **Coal:** production: 767,000 metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 14.05 million metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 13.305 million metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 3.26 billion metric tons (2023 est.) **Petroleum:** total petroleum production: 13,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 263,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 28 million barrels (2021 est.) **Natural gas:** production: 22.334 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 29.119 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) imports: 6.785 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 126.293 billion cubic meters (2021 est.) **Energy consumption per capita:** 11.472 million Btu/person (2023 est.) ### Communications **Telephones - fixed lines:** total subscriptions: 285,000 (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2024 est.) less than 1 **Telephones - mobile cellular:** total subscriptions: 188 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 108 (2024 est.) **Broadcast media:** state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) broadcasts nationally; some channels operate via satellite; the government also owns a medium-wave radio channel and some private FM radio news channels; of the 41 approved TV stations, 26 are currently being used to broadcast, and 23 operate under private management via cable distribution **Internet country code:** .bd **Internet users:** percent of population: 45% (2023 est.) **Broadband - fixed subscriptions:** total: 12.9 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2023 est.) ### Transportation **Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:** S2 **Airports:** 17 (2025) **Heliports:** 36 (2025) **Railways:** total: 2,460 km (2014) narrow gauge: 1,801 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge broad gauge: 659 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge **Merchant marine:** total: 558 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 68, container ship 10, general cargo 170, oil tanker 162, other 148 **Ports:** total ports: 2 (2024) large: 0 medium: 1 small: 1 very small: 0 ports with oil terminals: 0 key ports: Chittagong, Mongla ### Military and Security **Military and security forces:** Armed Forces of Bangladesh (aka Bangladesh Defense Force): Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force Ministry of Home Affairs: Bangladesh Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansars, Village Defense Party (VDP) (2025) note 1: the Armed Forces of Bangladesh are jointly administered by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Armed Forces Division (AFD), both under the Prime Minister's Office; the AFD has ministerial status and parallel functions with MOD note 2: the RAB, Ansars, and VDP are paramilitary organizations for internal security; the RAB is a joint task force comprised of Police, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Border Guards personnel seconded to the RAB; its mandate includes internal security, intelligence gathering related to criminal activities, and government-directed investigations **Military expenditures:** 0.9% of GDP (2024 est.) 1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.) **Military and security service personnel strengths:** information varies; approximately 170,000 active Armed Forces (2025) **Military equipment inventories and acquisitions:** much of the military's inventory is comprised of Chinese- and Russian-origin equipment, but in recent years suppliers have expanded to include Germany, Turkey, the UK, and the US (2025) **Military service age and obligation:** varies by service, but generally 17-23 for voluntary military service; length of service also varies (2025) **Military deployments:** approximately 1,400 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,700 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO; plus about 200 police); 120 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 1,600 South Sudan (UNMISS); 500 Sudan (UNISFA) (2024) **Military - note:** the military’s primary responsibility is external defense but it also has a domestic security role; following widespread domestic protests in September 2024, the Army was given law enforcement powers, including making arrests, conducting searches, and dispersing unlawful assemblies; the military has traditionally been involved in the country's politics and has commercial business interests in such areas as banking, food, hotels, manufacturing, real estate, and shipbuilding; it also manages government construction and infrastructure projects the military has a long history of participating in UN peacekeeping missions, which has provided operational experience and a source of funding; it runs an international institute for the training of peacekeepers; the military also conducts multinational and bilateral exercises with foreign partners, particularly India (2025) ### Space **Space agency/agencies:** Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO; established as a statutory body in 1991 and designated as the country's national focal point for space-related activities in 1995) (2025) **Space program overview:** has a modest space program focused on designing, building, and operating satellites, particularly those with remote sensing (RS) capabilities; SPARSSO's mandate is to use space and RS technology in areas such as agriculture, education, environmental studies, fisheries, forestry, geology, land use, mapping, meteorology, and oceanography; has a government-owned company for acquiring and operating satellites (Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited, established in 2017); works with several foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of France, Japan, Russia, and the US; member of several international space organizations, such as the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (2025) **Key space-program milestones:** 2017 - first educational/scientific nanosatellite (BRAC-Onnesha) acquired from Japan and launched by US 2018 - first communications satellite (Bangabandhu-1) built by a French company and launched by US 2025 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for the safe and responsible exploration of space ### Terrorism **Terrorist group(s):** Terrorist group(s): Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) in Bangladesh (ISB); al-Qa'ida; al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide ### Transnational Issues **Refugees and internally displaced persons:** refugees: 1,005,637 (2024 est.) IDPs: 756,743 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 1,005,520 (2024 est.) --- ## Bhutan **Slug:** bhutan **Region:** South Asia **Flag:** 🇧🇹 **Codes:** cek: bt, iso2: BT, iso3: BTN, iso_num: 064, genc: BTN, stanag: BTN, internet: .bt ### Introduction **Background:** After Britain’s victory in the 1865 Duar War, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding land to British India. Ugyen WANGCHUCK -- who had served as the de facto ruler of an increasingly unified Bhutan and had improved relations with the British toward the end of the 19th century -- was named king in 1907. Three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs, and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. Bhutan negotiated a similar arrangement with independent India in 1949. The Indo-Bhutanese Treaty of Friendship returned to Bhutan a small piece of the territory annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. Under a succession of modernizing monarchs beginning in the 1950s, Bhutan joined the UN in 1971 and slowly continued its engagement beyond its borders. In 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the draft of Bhutan's first constitution -- which introduced major democratic reforms -- and held a national referendum for its approval. The King abdicated the throne in 2006 in favor of his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK. In 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty, eliminating the clause that stated that Bhutan would be "guided by" India in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate closely with New Delhi. In 2008, Bhutan held its first parliamentary election in accordance with the constitution. Bhutan experienced a peaceful turnover of power following a parliamentary election in 2013, which resulted in the defeat of the incumbent party. In 2018, the incumbent party again lost the parliamentary election. In 2024, of the more than 100,000 ethnic Nepali -- predominantly Lhotshampa -- refugees who fled or were forced out of Bhutan in the 1990s, about 6,500 remain displaced in Nepal. ### Geography **Location:** Southern Asia, between China and India **Geographic coordinates:** 27 30 N, 90 30 E **Map references:** Asia **Area:** total : 38,394 sq km land: 38,394 sq km water: 0 sq km **Area - comparative:** slightly larger than Maryland; about one-half the size of Indiana **Land boundaries:** total: 1,136 km border countries (2): China 477 km; India 659 km **Coastline:** 0 km (landlocked) **Maritime claims:** none (landlocked) **Climate:** varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas **Terrain:** mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna **Elevation:** highest point: Gangkar Puensum 7,570 m lowest point: Drangeme Chhu 97 m mean elevation: 2,220 m **Natural resources:** timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate **Land use:** agricultural land: 13.8% (2023 est.) arable land: 2.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 10.8% (2023 est.) forest: 70.6% (2023 est.) other: 15.6% (2023 est.) **Irrigated land:** 320 sq km (2012) **Natural hazards:** violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's Bhutanese name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season **Geography - note:** landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes ### People and Society **Population:** total: 892,877 (2025 est.) male: 461,679 female: 431,198 **Nationality:** noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese **Ethnic groups:** Ngalop (also known as Bhote) 50%, ethnic Nepali 35% (predominantly Lhotshampas), indigenous or migrant tribes 15% **Languages:** Sharchopkha 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%, other 26% (includes foreign languages) (2005 est.) **Religions:** Lamaistic Buddhist 75.3%, Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism 22.1%, other 2.6% (2005 est.) **Age structure:** 0-14 years: 23.1% (male 104,771/female 99,981) 15-64 years: 70.2% (male 322,497/female 298,324) 65 years and over: 6.7% (2024 est.) (male 30,397/female 28,576) **Dependency ratios:** total dependency ratio: 42.1 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 32.4 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 9.7 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 10.3 (2025 est.) **Median age:** total: 31.2 years (2025 est.) male: 31.1 years female: 30.3 years **Population growth rate:** 0.93% (2025 est.) **Birth rate:** 15.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Death rate:** 5.75 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Net migration rate:** 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 44.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Major urban areas - population:** 203,000 THIMPHU (capital) (2018) **Sex ratio:** at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2024 est.) **Maternal mortality ratio:** 47 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.) **Infant mortality rate:** total: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 24.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.9 deaths/1,000 live births **Life expectancy at birth:** total population: 73.7 years (2024 est.) male: 72.5 years female: 75 years **Total fertility rate:** 1.75 children born/woman (2025 est.) **Gross reproduction rate:** 0.85 (2025 est.) **Drinking water source:** improved: urban: 99.5% of population (2022 est.) rural: 98.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 99.1% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 0.5% of population (2022 est.) rural: 1.2% of population (2022 est.) total: 0.9% of population (2022 est.) **Health expenditure:** 3.8% of GDP (2021) 6.7% of national budget (2022 est.) **Physician density:** 0.55 physicians/1,000 population (2022) **Hospital bed density:** 2.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.) **Sanitation facility access:** improved: urban: 91.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 85.5% of population (2022 est.) total: 87.9% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 8.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 14.5% of population (2022 est.) total: 12.1% of population (2022 est.) **Obesity - adult prevalence rate:** 6.4% (2016) **Alcohol consumption per capita:** total: 0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) **Tobacco use:** total: 18.5% (2025 est.) male: 26.1% (2025 est.) female: 9.8% (2025 est.) **Children under the age of 5 years underweight:** 8.7% (2023 est.) **Currently married women (ages 15-49):** 62% (2022 est.) **Education expenditure:** 5.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 22.2% national budget (2025 est.) **Literacy:** total population: 64.9% (2022 est.) male: 73.4% (2022 est.) female: 57% (2022 est.) **School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):** total: 13 years (2022 est.) male: 12 years (2022 est.) female: 14 years (2022 est.) ### Environment **Environmental issues:** soil erosion; limited access to potable water; wildlife conservation; industrial pollution; waste disposal **International environmental agreements:** party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea **Climate:** varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas **Land use:** agricultural land: 13.8% (2023 est.) arable land: 2.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 10.8% (2023 est.) forest: 70.6% (2023 est.) other: 15.6% (2023 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 44.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Carbon dioxide emissions:** 733,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 241,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 492,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) **Particulate matter emissions:** 26.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) **Waste and recycling:** municipal solid waste generated annually: 111,300 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 1.7% (2022 est.) **Total water withdrawal:** municipal: 17 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 3 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 318 million cubic meters (2022 est.) **Total renewable water resources:** 78 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) ### Government **Country name:** conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan local long form: Druk Gyalkhap local short form: Druk Yul etymology: name may derive from the Sanskrit words bhoṭa, the name for Tibet, and anta, meaning "end" -- a reference to Bhutan's location at the southernmost end of Tibet; the local Dzongkha name Druk Yul means "Land of the Dragon" **Government type:** constitutional monarchy **Capital:** name: Thimphu geographic coordinates: 27 28 N, 89 38 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the origins of the name are unclear; the traditional explanation, dating to the 14th century, is that thim means "dissolve" and phu means "rock," in reference to a local deity who dissolved before a traveler's eyes, becoming a part of the rock on which the present city stands **Administrative divisions:** 20 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Dagana, Gasa, Haa, Lhuentse, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatshel, Punakha, Samdrup Jongkhar, Samtse, Sarpang, Thimphu, Trashigang, Trashi Yangtse, Trongsa, Tsirang, Wangdue Phodrang, Zhemgang **Legal system:** civil law based on Buddhist religious law **Constitution:** history: previous governing documents were various royal decrees; first constitution drafted November 2001 to March 2005, ratified 18 July 2008 amendment process: proposed as a motion by simple majority vote in a joint session of Parliament; passage requires at least a three-fourths majority vote in a joint session of the next Parliament and assent by the king **International law organization participation:** has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt **Citizenship:** citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Bhutan dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years **Suffrage:** 18 years of age; universal **Executive branch:** chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Tshering TOBGAY (since 28 January 2024) cabinet: Council of Ministers or Lhengye Zhungtshog members nominated by the monarch in consultation with the prime minister and approved by the National Assembly; members serve 5-year terms election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary but can be removed by a two-thirds vote of Parliament; leader of the majority party in Parliament is nominated as the prime minister, appointed by the monarch **Legislative branch:** legislature name: Parliament (Chi Tshog) legislative structure: bicameral **Legislative branch - lower chamber:** chamber name: National Assembly (Tshogdu) number of seats: 47 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 1/9/2024 parties elected and seats per party: People's Democratic Party (PDP) (30); Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) (17) percentage of women in chamber: 4.3% expected date of next election: January 2029 **Legislative branch - upper chamber:** chamber name: National Council (Gyelyong Tshogde) number of seats: 25 (20 directly elected; 5 appointed) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 0 years most recent election date: 4/20/2023 parties elected and seats per party: N/A; note - the National Council is not party-based percentage of women in chamber: 12% expected date of next election: April 2028 **Judicial branch:** highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 4 associate justices) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the National Judicial Commission, a 4-member body to include the Legislative Committee of the National Assembly, the attorney general, the Chief Justice of Bhutan and the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; other judges (drangpons) appointed by the monarch from among the High Court judges selected by the National Judicial Commission; chief justice serves a 5-year term or until reaching age 65 years, whichever is earlier; the 4 other judges serve 10-year terms or until age 65, whichever is earlier subordinate courts: High Court (first appellate court); District or Dzongkhag Courts; sub-district or Dungkhag Courts note: the Supreme Court has sole jurisdiction in constitutional matters **Political parties:** Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party (Druk Phuensum Tshogpa) or DPT Bhutan Tendrel Party or BTP Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa or DTT People's Democratic Party or PDP United Party of Bhutan (Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa) or DNT **Diplomatic representation in the US:** consulate(s) general: 343 East, 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 682-2371 FAX: [1] (212) 661-0551 email address and website: consulate.pmbny@mfa.gov.bt https://www.mfa.gov.bt/pmbny/ note: Bhutan and the United States do not have diplomatic relations, but the two countries established consular relations on 23 July 1986; the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Bhutan was established in New York with an officer from the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations holding dual accreditation as the Consul General with consular jurisdiction in the US; Phuntsho NORBU has served as the Consul General since October 2022 and is the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN **Diplomatic representation from the US:** note: Although Bhutan and the United States have never established formal diplomatic relations, the two countries maintain informal relations via the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, and Bhutan’s Mission to the United Nations in New York **International organization participation:** ADB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) **Independence:** 17 December 1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king); 8 August 1949 (Treaty of Friendship with India maintains Bhutanese independence) **National holiday:** National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) **Flag:** description: divided diagonally from the lower-left corner to the upper-right corner; the upper triangle is yellow, and the lower triangle is dark orange; centered along the dividing line is a large, stylized black-and-white dragon facing to the right; the dragon is called the Druk (Thunder Dragon) and is the national emblem meaning: white stands for purity, and the jewels in the dragon's claws symbolize wealth; the background colors represent the spiritual and secular powers in Bhutan, with orange standing for Buddhism and yellow for the ruling dynasty **National symbol(s):** mythical thunder dragon (druk) **National color(s):** orange, yellow **National anthem(s):** title: "Druk tsendhen" (The Thunder Dragon Kingdom) lyrics/music: Gyaldun Dasho Thinley DORJI/Aku TONGMI history: adopted 1953 ### Economy **Economic overview:** hydropower investments spurring economic development; Gross National Happiness economy; sharp poverty declines; low inflation; strong monetary and fiscal policies; stable currency; fairly resilient response to COVID-19; key economic and strategic relations with India; climate vulnerabilities **Real GDP (purchasing power parity):** $11.517 billion (2023 est.) $10.981 billion (2022 est.) $10.437 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **Real GDP growth rate:** 4.9% (2023 est.) 5.2% (2022 est.) 4.4% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency **Real GDP per capita:** $14,600 (2023 est.) $14,100 (2022 est.) $13,500 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **GDP (official exchange rate):** $3.019 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate **Inflation rate (consumer prices):** 2.8% (2024 est.) 4.2% (2023 est.) 5.6% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices **GDP - composition, by sector of origin:** agriculture: 15% (2023 est.) industry: 29.6% (2023 est.) services: 52.7% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data **GDP - composition, by end use:** household consumption: 59.4% (2023 est.) government consumption: 20.3% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 44.5% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 0.7% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 28.3% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -53.2% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection **Agricultural products:** rice, milk, potatoes, root vegetables, maize, oranges, areca nuts, chillies/peppers, pumpkins/squash, carrots/turnips (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage **Industries:** cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism **Industrial production growth rate:** 0% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency **Labor force:** 406,500 (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work **Unemployment rate:** 2.9% (2024 est.) 3.2% (2023 est.) 6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment **Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24):** total: 13.8% (2024 est.) male: 11.2% (2024 est.) female: 16.5% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment **Population below poverty line:** 12.4% (2022 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line **Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income:** 28.5 (2022 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality **Household income or consumption by percentage share:** lowest 10%: 3.6% (2022 est.) highest 10%: 22.7% (2022 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population **Remittances:** 3.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 3.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.6% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities **Budget:** revenues: $740.328 million (2020 est.) expenditures: $802.177 million (2020 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated **Public debt:** 111% of GDP (2020 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP **Taxes and other revenues:** 12.3% (of GDP) (2020 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP **Current account balance:** -$669.766 million (2024 est.) -$963.122 million (2023 est.) -$805.723 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars **Exports:** $944.391 million (2024 est.) $867.871 million (2023 est.) $791.342 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars **Exports - partners:** India 92%, Italy 4%, Indonesia 1%, China 1%, Singapore 0% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports **Exports - commodities:** iron alloys, aircraft, dolomite, semi-finished iron, cement (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars **Imports:** $1.513 billion (2024 est.) $1.77 billion (2023 est.) $1.581 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars **Imports - partners:** India 82%, Singapore 8%, China 5%, Thailand 2%, Indonesia 1% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports **Imports - commodities:** refined petroleum, gold, plastics, broadcasting equipment, iron reductions (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars **Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:** $941.018 million (2024 est.) $654.481 million (2023 est.) $825.755 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars **Debt - external:** $2.827 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars **Exchange rates:** ngultrum (BTN) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 83.669 (2024 est.) 82.599 (2023 est.) 78.604 (2022 est.) 73.918 (2021 est.) 74.1 (2020 est.) ### Energy **Electricity access:** electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.) **Electricity:** installed generating capacity: 2.344 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 11.914 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 6 billion kWh (2020 est.) imports: 834.7 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 86.681 million kWh (2023 est.) **Electricity generation sources:** hydroelectricity: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) **Coal:** production: 4,000 metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 105,000 metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 54 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 122,000 metric tons (2023 est.) **Petroleum:** refined petroleum consumption: 4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) **Energy consumption per capita:** 64.082 million Btu/person (2023 est.) ### Communications **Telephones - fixed lines:** total subscriptions: 0 (2024 est.) no service subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0 (2024 est.) no service **Telephones - mobile cellular:** total subscriptions: 790,000 (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 100 (2024 est.) **Broadcast media:** state-owned TV station established in 1999; cable TV service offers dozens of Indian and other international channels; first radio station, privately launched in 1973, is now state-owned; 5 private radio stations are currently broadcasting (2012) **Internet country code:** .bt **Internet users:** percent of population: 88% (2023 est.) **Broadband - fixed subscriptions:** total: 10,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2023 est.) ### Transportation **Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:** A5 **Airports:** 4 (2025) **Heliports:** 8 (2025) ### Military and Security **Military and security forces:** Royal Bhutan Army (RBA; includes Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan, or RBG, and an air wing); National Militia Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs: Royal Bhutan Police (2025) **Military and security service personnel strengths:** estimated 7-8,000 active Royal Bhutan Army (2025) **Military equipment inventories and acquisitions:** the Royal Bhutan Army is lightly armed; it has a small amount of heavy equipment, such as armored cars and helicopters, originating from the former Soviet Union, India, and Thailand (2025) **Military service age and obligation:** 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; militia training is compulsory for men aged 20-25 over a 3-year period (2025) **Military deployments:** 180 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025) **Military - note:** the Army is responsible for external threats but also has some internal security functions such as conducting counterinsurgency operations, guarding forests, and providing security for prominent persons; Bhutan's closest security partner is India; under the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, both countries agreed to cooperate closely on issues relating to their national interests (2025) ### Transnational Issues **Refugees and internally displaced persons:** IDPs: 138 (2024 est.) --- ## British Indian Ocean Territory **Slug:** british-indian-ocean-territory **Region:** South Asia **Flag:** 🇮🇴 **Codes:** cek: io, iso2: IO, iso3: IOT, iso_num: 086, genc: IOT, stanag: IOT, internet: .io ### Introduction **Background:** Formerly administered as part of the British Crown Colony of Mauritius, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was established as an overseas territory of the UK in 1965. A number of the islands in the territory were later transferred to the Seychelles when it gained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted of the six main island groups that make up the Chagos Archipelago. Only Diego Garcia, the largest and most southerly of the islands, is inhabited. It contains a joint UK-US naval support facility and hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system -- the others are on Kwajalein (Marshall Islands); at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US); and on Ascension Island (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha). The US Air Force also operates a telescope array on Diego Garcia as part of the Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance System (GEODSS) for tracking orbital debris, which can be a hazard to spacecraft and astronauts. Between 1967 and 1973, the former agricultural workers who lived on the islands were relocated, primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles. Negotiations with the UK between 1971 and 1982 resulted in the establishment of a trust fund to compensate the displaced islanders, known as Chagossians. Beginning in 1998, the islanders pursued a series of lawsuits against the British Government, seeking further compensation and the right to return to the territory. British court rulings in 2006 and 2007 invalidated immigration policies that had excluded the islanders from the archipelago, but in 2008, the House of Lords -- the final court of appeal in the UK -- ruled in favor of the British Government by overturning the lower court rulings and finding no right of return for the Chagossians. In 2015, the Permanent Court of Arbitration unanimously held that the marine protected area that the UK declared around the Chagos Archipelago in 2010 violated the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. In 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled in an advisory opinion that Britain’s decolonization of Mauritius was not lawful because of continued Chagossian claims. A non-binding 2019 UN General Assembly vote demanded that Britain end its “colonial administration” of the Chagos Archipelago and that it be returned to Mauritius. On 22 May 2025, the United Kingdom and Mauritius signed an agreement that will lead to the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. Under the agreement, the United Kingdom will lease Diego Garcia from Mauritius for 99 years and maintain full operational control of the joint UK-US military base. ### Geography **Location:** archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia **Geographic coordinates:** 6 00 S, 71 30 E note: Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E **Map references:** Political Map of the World **Area:** total : 60 sq km land: 60 sq km (44 Diego Garcia) water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands **Area - comparative:** land area is about one-third the size of Washington, D.C. **Land boundaries:** total: 0 km **Coastline:** 698 km **Maritime claims:** territorial sea: 12 nm Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone: 200 nm **Climate:** tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds **Terrain:** flat and low coral atolls (most areas do not exceed 2 m, or 6.6 ft, in elevation); sits atop the submarine volcanic Chagos-Laccadive Ridge **Elevation:** highest point: ocean-side dunes on Diego Garcia 9 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m **Natural resources:** coconuts, fish, sugarcane **Land use:** agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.) arable land: 0% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 0% (2018 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.) **Natural hazards:** none; located outside routes of Indian Ocean cyclones **Geography - note:** note 1: archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, the largest and southernmost island, occupies a strategic location in the central Indian Ocean note 2: Diego Garcia is the only inhabited island of the BIOT ### People and Society **Population:** total: no permanent inhabitants note: Diego Garcia, the largest of the 58 islands, hosts a joint UK-US military facility ### Environment **Environmental issues:** wastewater discharge into the lagoon on Diego Garcia **Climate:** tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds **Land use:** agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.) arable land: 0% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 0% (2018 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.) ### Government **Country name:** conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT etymology: self-descriptive name specifying the territory's affiliation and location **Dependency status:** overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in London **Capital:** name: administered from London; often regarded as being on Diego Garcia geographic coordinates: 7 18S, 12 24E time difference: UTC+6 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) **Legal system:** the laws of the UK apply **Constitution:** history: British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004 **Executive branch:** chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022) head of government: Commissioner Nishi DHOLAKIA (since 16 December 2024); Administrator Bob FAIRWEATHER; both reside in the UK and are represented by Commander Andrew WILLIAMS, RN, the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia (since January 2025) cabinet: NA election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch **Diplomatic representation in the US:** none (overseas territory of the UK) **Diplomatic representation from the US:** embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK) **International organization participation:** UPU **Flag:** description: white with six wavy blue horizontal stripes; the UK flag is in the upper-left quadrant; the striped section has a palm tree and yellow crown (the territory's symbols) centered on the right half of the flag meaning: the wavy stripes represent the Indian Ocean; the six blue stripes may stand for the six main atolls of the archipelago **National anthem(s):** title: "God Save the King" lyrics/music: unknown history: official anthem, as a UK overseas territory ### Economy **Economic overview:** small island territory economy; economic activity mainly on Diego Garcia with national military installations; recently settled disputes with Mauritius have increased oil exports; established marine reserve has limited commercial fishing **Exports - partners:** Singapore 86%, Pakistan 8%, USA 1%, South Africa 1%, Czechia 1% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports **Exports - commodities:** fish (2023) note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000 **Imports - partners:** Greece 52%, Singapore 38%, USA 4%, Panama 2%, UAE 2% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports **Imports - commodities:** refined petroleum, animal products, aluminum structures, insulated wire, prefabricated buildings (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars **Exchange rates:** the US dollar is used ### Communications **Broadcast media:** Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) broadcasts over 3 frequencies for US and UK military personnel stationed on the islands **Internet country code:** .io **Communications - note:** Diego Garcia hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are on Kwajalein (Marshall Islands), at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US), and on Ascension Island (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha)) ### Transportation **Airports:** 1 (2025) **Ports:** total ports: 1 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 1 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Diego Garcia ### Military and Security **Military and security forces:** no regular military forces **Military - note:** defense is the responsibility of the UK; on 22 May 2025, the UK and Mauritius signed an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius; under the agreement, the UK will lease Diego Garcia from Mauritius for 99 years and maintain full operational control of the joint UK-US military base (2025) --- ## India **Slug:** india **Region:** South Asia **Flag:** 🇮🇳 **Codes:** cek: in, iso2: IN, iso3: IND, iso_num: 356, genc: IND, stanag: IND, internet: .in ### Introduction **Background:** The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. -- which reached its zenith under ASHOKA -- united much of South Asia. The Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) ushered in The Golden Age, which saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty, which ruled large sections of India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent, and India was seen as the "Jewel in the Crown" of the British Empire. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states -- India and Pakistan. The neighboring countries have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. India's economic growth after economic reforms in 1991, a massive youth population, and a strategic geographic location have contributed to the country's emergence as a regional and global power. However, India still faces pressing problems such as extensive poverty, widespread corruption, and environmental degradation, and its restrictive business climate challenges economic growth expectations. ### Geography **Location:** Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan **Geographic coordinates:** 20 00 N, 77 00 E **Map references:** Asia **Area:** total : 3,287,263 sq km land: 2,973,193 sq km water: 314,070 sq km **Area - comparative:** slightly more than one-third the size of the US **Land boundaries:** total: 13,888 km border countries (6): Bangladesh 4,142 km; Bhutan 659 km; Burma 1,468 km; China 2,659 km; Nepal 1,770 km; Pakistan 3,190 km **Coastline:** 7,000 km **Maritime claims:** territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin **Climate:** varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north **Terrain:** upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north **Elevation:** highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,586 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 160 m **Natural resources:** coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), antimony, iron ore, lead, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land **Land use:** agricultural land: 60.1% (2023 est.) arable land: 51.8% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 4.9% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.) forest: 24.4% (2023 est.) other: 15.5% (2023 est.) **Irrigated land:** 754,562 sq km (2022) **Major lakes (area sq km):** salt water lake(s): Chilika Lake - 1,170 sq km **Major rivers (by length in km):** Brahmaputra (shared with China [s] and Bangladesh [m]) - 3,969 km; Indus (shared with China [s] and Pakistan [m]) - 3,610 km; Ganges river source (shared with Bangladesh [m]) - 2,704 km; Godavari - 1,465 km; Sutlej (shared with China [s] and Pakistan [m]) - 1,372 km; Yamuna - 1,370 km; Narmada - 1,289 km; Chenab river source (shared with Pakistan [m]) - 1,086 km ; Ghaghara river mouth (shared with China [s] and Nepal) - 1,080 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth **Major watersheds (area sq km):** Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km), Indus (1,081,718 sq km), Irrawaddy (413,710 sq km) **Major aquifers:** Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin **Population distribution:** a very high population density exists throughout most of the country, with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest and the mountain fringe in the north; the core of the population is in the north along the banks of the Ganges, with other river valleys and southern coastal areas also having large population concentrations **Natural hazards:** droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes volcanism: Barren Island (354 m) in the Andaman Sea has been active in recent years **Geography - note:** dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal ### People and Society **Population:** total: 1,419,316,933 (2025 est.) male: 730,902,574 female: 688,414,359 **Nationality:** noun: Indian(s) adjective: Indian **Ethnic groups:** Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, and other 3% (2000) **Languages:** Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati 4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.1%, other 5.6%; English is the subsidiary official language but is the most important one for national, political, and commercial communication (2011 est.) major-language sample(s): विश्व फ़ैक्टबुक, आधारभूत जानकारी का एक अनिवार्य स्रोत (Hindi) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note 1: there are 22 other recognized languages -- Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu note 2: Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language **Religions:** Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, other and unspecified 2% (2011 est.) **Age structure:** 0-14 years: 24.5% (male 181,115,052/female 163,647,028) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 500,568,593/female 467,593,781) 65 years and over: 6.8% (2024 est.) (male 44,101,180/female 52,102,662) **Dependency ratios:** total dependency ratio: 45 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 35 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 10 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 10 (2025 est.) **Median age:** total: 30.1 years (2025 est.) male: 29.1 years female: 30.5 years **Population growth rate:** 0.72% (2025 est.) **Birth rate:** 15.91 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Death rate:** 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Net migration rate:** 0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Population distribution:** a very high population density exists throughout most of the country, with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest and the mountain fringe in the north; the core of the population is in the north along the banks of the Ganges, with other river valleys and southern coastal areas also having large population concentrations **Urbanization:** urban population: 36.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Major urban areas - population:** 32.941 million NEW DELHI (capital), 21.297 million Mumbai, 15.333 million Kolkata, 13.608 million Bangalore, 11.776 million Chennai, 10.801 million Hyderabad (2023) **Sex ratio:** at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.) **Mother's mean age at first birth:** 21.2 years (2019/21) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49 **Maternal mortality ratio:** 80 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.) **Infant mortality rate:** total: 30.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 30 deaths/1,000 live births female: 30.8 deaths/1,000 live births **Life expectancy at birth:** total population: 68.2 years (2024 est.) male: 66.5 years female: 70.1 years **Total fertility rate:** 2 children born/woman (2025 est.) **Gross reproduction rate:** 0.95 (2025 est.) **Drinking water source:** improved: urban: 95.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 91.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 93.3% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 4.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 8.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 6.7% of population (2022 est.) **Health expenditure:** 3.3% of GDP (2021) 4.5% of national budget (2022 est.) **Physician density:** 0.72 physicians/1,000 population (2020) **Hospital bed density:** 1.6 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.) **Sanitation facility access:** improved: urban: 99.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 83% of population (2022 est.) total: 88.9% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 0.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 17% of population (2022 est.) total: 11.1% of population (2022 est.) **Obesity - adult prevalence rate:** 3.9% (2016) **Alcohol consumption per capita:** total: 3.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 2.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) **Tobacco use:** total: 21.8% (2025 est.) male: 34.1% (2025 est.) female: 8.9% (2025 est.) **Children under the age of 5 years underweight:** 31.5% (2020 est.) **Currently married women (ages 15-49):** 72.3% (2020 est.) **Child marriage:** women married by age 15: 4.8% (2021) women married by age 18: 23.3% (2021) men married by age 18: 2.6% (2021) **Education expenditure:** 4.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 14.2% national budget (2022 est.) **Literacy:** total population: 81.7% (2023 est.) male: 88.3% (2023 est.) female: 74.9% (2023 est.) **School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):** total: 13 years (2024 est.) male: 13 years (2024 est.) female: 13 years (2024 est.) ### Environment **Environmental issues:** deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and agricultural pesticides; tap water not potable; growing population overstraining natural resources; biodiversity loss **International environmental agreements:** party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements **Climate:** varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north **Land use:** agricultural land: 60.1% (2023 est.) arable land: 51.8% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 4.9% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.) forest: 24.4% (2023 est.) other: 15.5% (2023 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 36.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.33% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Carbon dioxide emissions:** 2.821 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 2.054 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 642.909 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 124.226 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) **Particulate matter emissions:** 55.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) **Methane emissions:** energy: 8,217.3 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 17,971 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 4,773.7 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 644.6 kt (2019-2021 est.) **Waste and recycling:** municipal solid waste generated annually: 189.75 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 17.8% (2022 est.) **Total water withdrawal:** municipal: 56 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 17 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 688 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) **Total renewable water resources:** 1.911 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.) ### Government **Country name:** conventional long form: Republic of India conventional short form: India local long form: Republic of India (English)/ Bharatiya Ganarajya (Hindi) local short form: India (English)/ Bharat (Hindi) etymology: the English name derives from the Indus River; the Indian name, Bharat, may derive from the Bharatas tribe mentioned in the Sanskrit Vedas (Hindu religious texts); the name is also associated with Emperor Bharata, the legendary conqueror of India **Government type:** federal parliamentary republic **Capital:** name: New Delhi geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name is of unknown origin; one theory says it may come from the Hindi word dehli (threshold), because of the city's location between the Indus and the Ganges Rivers **Administrative divisions:** 28 states and 8 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir*, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh*, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal note: the official name of Delhi is National Capital Territory of Delhi, even though it is considered a union territory **Legal system:** common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts **Constitution:** history: previous 1935 (pre-independence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950 amendment process: proposed by either the Council of States or the House of the People; passage requires majority participation of the total membership in each house and at least two-thirds majority of voting members of each house, followed by assent of the president of India; proposed amendments to the constitutional amendment procedures also must be ratified by at least one half of the India state legislatures before presidential assent **International law organization participation:** accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt **Citizenship:** citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of India dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years **Suffrage:** 18 years of age; universal **Executive branch:** chief of state: President Droupadi MURMU (since 25 July 2022) head of government: Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014) cabinet: Union Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the president election/appointment process: president indirectly elected for a 5-year term (no term limits) by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament most recent election date: 18 July 2022 election results: 2022: Droupadi MURMU elected president; percent of electoral college vote - Droupadi MURMU (BJP) 64%, Yashwant SINHA (AITC) 35.9%; Jagdeep DHANKHAR elected vice president; percent of electoral college vote - Jagdeep DHANKHAR (BJP) 74.4%, Margaret ALVA (INC) 25.6% expected date of next election: July 2027 **Legislative branch:** legislature name: Parliament (Sansad) legislative structure: bicameral note: in September 2023, both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha passed a bill that reserves one third of the House seats for women; implementation could begin for the House election in 2029 **Legislative branch - lower chamber:** chamber name: House of the People (Lok Sabha) number of seats: 545 (543 directly elected; 2 appointed) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 4/19/2024 to 6/1/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) (240); Indian National Congress (INC) (99); Samajwadi Party (SP) (37); All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) (29); Other (138) percentage of women in chamber: 13.8% expected date of next election: April 2029 **Legislative branch - upper chamber:** chamber name: Council of States (Rajya Sabha) number of seats: 245 (233 indirectly elected; 12 appointed) scope of elections: partial renewal term in office: 6 years most recent election date: 1/12/2024 to 6/30/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 16.7% expected date of next election: 31 January 2026 **Judicial branch:** highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges, including the chief justice) judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65 subordinate courts: High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court **Political parties:** Aam Aadmi Party or AAP All India Trinamool Congress or AITC Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP Biju Janata Dal or BJD Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI(M) Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam Indian National Congress or INC Nationalist Congress Party or NCP Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD Samajwadi Party or SP Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD Shiv Sena or SS Telegana Rashtra Samithi or TRS Telugu Desam Party or TDP YSR Congress or YSRCP or YCP **Diplomatic representation in the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador Vinay Mohan KWATRA (since 18 September 2024) chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351 email address and website: hoc.washington@mea.gov.in https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/ consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle **Diplomatic representation from the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Sergio GOR (since 11 October 2025) embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110021 mailing address: 9000 New Delhi Place, Washington DC 20521-9000 telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000 FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017 email address and website: acsnd@state.gov https://in.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay) **International organization participation:** ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, CERN (observer), CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), Quad, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO **Independence:** 15 August 1947 (from the UK) **National holiday:** Republic Day, 26 January (1950) **Flag:** description: three equal horizontal bands of saffron (top), white, and green, with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band meaning: saffron stands for courage, sacrifice, and the spirit of renunciation; white for purity and truth; green for faith and fertility; the chakra symbolizes the wheel of life in movement and death in stagnation note: similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band **National symbol(s):** the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which depicts four Asiatic lions standing back-to-back and mounted on a circular abacus (official); Bengal tiger and lotus flower (traditional) **National color(s):** saffron, white, green **National anthem(s):** title: "Jana-Gana-Mana" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People) lyrics/music: Rabindranath TAGORE history: adopted 1950; Rabindranath TAGORE, a Nobel laureate, also wrote Bangladesh's national anthem **National heritage:** total World Heritage Sites: 44 (36 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed) selected World Heritage Site locales: Taj Mahal (c); Agra Fort (c); Elphanta Caves (c); Hill Forts of Rajasthan (c); Sundarbans National Park (n); Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (c); Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (c); Jaipur (c); Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (c); Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (n); Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (n); Khangchendzonga National Park (m); Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (c); Sun Temple, Konârak (c); Kaziranga National Park (n); Churches and Convents of Goa (c); Great Living Chola Temples (c); Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (c); Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (c); Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (c); Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (c); Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (n); Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (c); Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (c); Historic City of Ahmadabad (c); Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (c); Jaipur City, Rajasthan (c); Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana (c); Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty (c); Maratha Military Landscapes of India (c) ### Economy **Economic overview:** largest South Asian economy; strong, sustained GDP growth led by technology and service sectors, foreign investment, and improved regulatory framework; high poverty rate and income inequality; initiatives on infrastructure development, digitization, manufacturing, and financial access **Real GDP (purchasing power parity):** $14.244 trillion (2024 est.) $13.377 trillion (2023 est.) $12.251 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **Real GDP growth rate:** 6.5% (2024 est.) 9.2% (2023 est.) 7.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency **Real GDP per capita:** $9,800 (2024 est.) $9,300 (2023 est.) $8,600 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **GDP (official exchange rate):** $3.913 trillion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate **Inflation rate (consumer prices):** 5% (2024 est.) 5.6% (2023 est.) 6.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices **GDP - composition, by sector of origin:** agriculture: 16.4% (2024 est.) industry: 24.5% (2024 est.) services: 49.9% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data **GDP - composition, by end use:** household consumption: 61.5% (2024 est.) government consumption: 10.1% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 29.6% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 3% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 21.2% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -23.5% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection **Agricultural products:** sugarcane, rice, milk, wheat, bison milk, potatoes, vegetables, maize, bananas, onions (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage **Industries:** textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, pharmaceuticals **Industrial production growth rate:** 5.6% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency **Labor force:** 607.691 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work **Unemployment rate:** 4.3% (2024 est.) 4.2% (2023 est.) 4.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment **Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24):** total: 16% (2024 est.) male: 15.5% (2024 est.) female: 17.6% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment **Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income:** 25.5 (2022 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality **Average household expenditures:** on food: 29.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 2% of household expenditures (2023 est.) **Household income or consumption by percentage share:** lowest 10%: 4.5% (2022 est.) highest 10%: 22.1% (2022 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population **Remittances:** 3.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 3.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 3.3% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities **Budget:** revenues: $311.824 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $486.598 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated **Public debt:** 46.5% of GDP (2018 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP **Taxes and other revenues:** 6.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP **Current account balance:** -$32.428 billion (2024 est.) -$31.962 billion (2023 est.) -$79.051 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars **Exports:** $822.046 billion (2024 est.) $773.177 billion (2023 est.) $767.643 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars **Exports - partners:** USA 19%, UAE 7%, China 4%, Germany 3%, UK 3% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports **Exports - commodities:** refined petroleum, packaged medicine, diamonds, broadcasting equipment, garments (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars **Imports:** $923.081 billion (2024 est.) $859.507 billion (2023 est.) $902.304 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars **Imports - partners:** China 19%, Russia 10%, USA 6%, UAE 6%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports **Imports - commodities:** crude petroleum, gold, coal, natural gas, integrated circuits (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars **Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:** $643.043 billion (2024 est.) $627.793 billion (2023 est.) $567.298 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars **Debt - external:** $212.728 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars **Exchange rates:** Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 83.669 (2024 est.) 82.599 (2023 est.) 78.604 (2022 est.) 73.918 (2021 est.) 74.1 (2020 est.) ### Energy **Electricity access:** electrification - total population: 99.2% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 99.3% **Electricity:** installed generating capacity: 499.136 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 1.5 trillion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 9.529 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 7.843 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 303.066 billion kWh (2023 est.) **Electricity generation sources:** fossil fuels: 75.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) nuclear: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 6.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 5.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 8.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 1.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) **Nuclear energy:** Number of operational nuclear reactors: 20 (2025) Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 7 (2025) Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 6.92GW (2025 est.) Percent of total electricity production: 3.1% (2023 est.) **Coal:** production: 1.02 billion metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 1.262 billion metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 1.632 million metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 243.488 million metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 127.727 billion metric tons (2023 est.) **Petroleum:** total petroleum production: 822,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 5.271 million bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 4.605 billion barrels (2021 est.) **Natural gas:** production: 35.168 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 62.196 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) exports: 91.921 million cubic meters (2019 est.) imports: 29.337 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 1.381 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.) **Energy consumption per capita:** 25.179 million Btu/person (2023 est.) ### Communications **Telephones - fixed lines:** total subscriptions: 39.2 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2024 est.) **Telephones - mobile cellular:** total subscriptions: 1.15 billion (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 79 (2024 est.) **Broadcast media:** Doordarshan, India's public TV network, has a monopoly on terrestrial broadcasting and operates about 20 national, regional, and local services; a large number of privately owned TV stations are distributed by cable and satellite service providers; cable and satellite TV offer over 850 TV channels; government controls AM radio, with All India Radio operating domestic and external networks; news broadcasts via radio are limited to the All India Radio Network; since 2000, privately owned FM stations have been permitted and have increased rapidly (2020) **Internet country code:** .in **Internet users:** percent of population: 56% (2022 est.) **Broadband - fixed subscriptions:** total: 39.3 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.) ### Transportation **Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:** VT **Airports:** 315 (2025) **Heliports:** 289 (2025) **Railways:** total: 65,554 km (2014) narrow gauge: 1,604 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge broad gauge: 63,950 km (2014) (39, 329 km electrified) **Merchant marine:** total: 1,859 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 66, container ship 22, general cargo 607, oil tanker 144, other 1020 **Ports:** total ports: 56 (2024) large: 4 medium: 4 small: 13 very small: 30 size unknown: 5 ports with oil terminals: 18 key ports: Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Shiva), Kattupalli Port, Kochi (Cochin), Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam ### Military and Security **Military and security forces:** Indian Armed Forces (IAF): Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard Ministry of Home Affairs: Central Police Organization, Central Armed Police Forces (includes Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Security Guards, Sashastra Seema Bal) (2025) note 1: the Border Security Force (BSF) is responsible for the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders; the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB or Armed Border Force) guards the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders note 2: the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) includes a Rapid Reaction Force (RAF) for riot control and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) for counter-insurgency operations note 3: the Assam Rifles are under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, while operational control falls under the Ministry of Defense (specifically the Indian Army) **Military expenditures:** 2% of GDP (2024 est.) 2.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.5% of GDP (2020 est.) **Military and security service personnel strengths:** information varies; approximately 1.5 million active Indian Armed Forces, including about 1.25 million in the Army (2025) **Military equipment inventories and acquisitions:** the military's inventory consists of Russian- and Soviet-origin equipment along with a smaller mix of Western and domestically produced arms; Russia continues to be the leading provider of arms to India, although in recent years India has increased acquisitions from other suppliers, including France, Israel, the UK, and the US; India's defense industry is capable of producing a range of air, land, missile, and naval weapons systems for both domestic use and export; it also produces weapons systems under license (2025) **Military service age and obligation:** ages vary by branch of service and positions, but generally 17-27 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025) note 1: in 2022, the Indian Government began recruiting men aged 17.5-21 annually to serve on 4-year contracts; at the end of their tenure, 25% would be retained for longer terms of service, while the remainder would be forced to leave the military, although some of those leaving would be eligible to serve in the Coast Guard, the Merchant Navy, civilian positions in the Ministry of Defense, and in the paramilitary forces of the Ministry of Home Affairs note 2: the Indian military accepts citizens of Nepal and Bhutan; descendants of refugees from Tibet who arrived before 1962 and have resided permanently in India; peoples of Indian origin from nations such as Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India; eligible candidates from “friendly foreign nations” may apply to the Armed Forces Medical Services note 3: the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816), and the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army; following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies; six regiments of Gurkhas (aka Gorkhas in India) regiments went to the new Indian Army; a seventh regiment was later added **Military deployments:** 1,100 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 200 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 900 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 2,400 South Sudan (UNMISS); 600 Sudan (UNISFA) (2025) note: India has over 6,000 total military and police personnel deployed on UN missions **Military - note:** the Indian military's primary mission is external/territorial defense while secondary missions include regional power projection, UN peacekeeping deployments, humanitarian operations, and support to internal security forces; it participates in multinational exercises and is one of the world's largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations the military's chief external focuses are China and Pakistan; the short 1962 Sino-India War left in place one of the World’s longest disputed international borders--known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC)--resulting in occasional standoffs between Indian and Chinese security forces, including lethal clashes in 1975 and 2020; naval competition and influence in the Indian Ocean is also an area of interest India has fought four wars and several skirmishes with Pakistan; three of the wars have been over the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, the status of which has been unsettled since the UK's 1947 withdrawal and the partition and independence of India and Pakistan; a fragile cease-fire in Kashmir was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the militarized Line of Control which serves as the border remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir where Indian military and security forces have conducted counterinsurgency operations since the 1980s; in the Spring of 2025, India held Pakistan responsible for a terrorist attack in India-controlled Kashmir and retaliated, sparking a brief cross-border conflict involving aircraft, artillery, drone, and missile strikes the Kashmir dispute also includes the Siachen Glacier, located in the Karakoram Mountain Range, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area several times between 1985 and 1995; despite the 2003 cease-fire, both sides continue to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties are due to extreme weather and the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sickness (2025) ### Space **Space agency/agencies:** Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO; originally established in 1962 as the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR); renamed ISRO in 1969); Defense Space Agency (DSA; established 2019) (2025) note: the ISRO is subordinate to the Department of Space (DOS; established 1972) **Space launch site(s):** Satish Dhawan Space Center (aka Sriharikota Range; located in Andhra Pradesh); Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (Kerala) (2025) **Space program overview:** has one of the world’s largest space programs; designs, builds, launches, operates, and tracks the full spectrum of satellites, including communications, navigation, remote sensing (RS), and scientific/technology; designs, builds, and launches rockets, space/satellite launch vehicles (SLVs), and lunar/interplanetary probes; launches satellites for foreign partners; researching and developing additional technologies and capabilities; developing astronaut program and human flight capabilities (with assistance from Russia and the US); has space-related agreements with the ESA and more than 50 countries, including China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, and the US; participates in international projects such as the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope; the Department of Space administers two government-controlled space industry corporations; has a growing private space sector (2025) **Key space-program milestones:** 1963 - first sounding (research) rocket launched 1975 - first domestically made scientific satellite (Aryabhata) launched by Soviet Union 1979 - first experimental remote sensing (RS) satellite (Bhaskara-I) launched by Soviet Union 1980 - first successful launch of satellite (Rohini) on Indian satellite launch vehicle (SLV) 1984 - first Indian in space on a Soviet rocket 1988 - first operational RS satellite (IRS-1A) launched by Soviet Union 1994 - first successful launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), India’s premier SLV 2008 - first lunar orbiter/probe (Chandrayaan-1) launched, reached lunar orbit, and sent a probe to the surface of the Moon 2014 - first interplanetary probe (Mangalyaan) reached orbit around Mars 2018 - Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (INRSS) became operational 2019 - launched lunar orbiter/probe (Chandrayaan-2) with lander and rover (lander lost when it crash-landed on Moon’s surface) 2023 - successfully landed uncrewed lander/rover mission (Chandrayaan-3) on Moon's surface 2024 - launched satellite (XPoSat) to study black holes and placed solar observatory spacecraft (Aditya-L1) in orbital position to study the Sun 2025 - first docking of two orbiting satellites and sent its first astronaut to the International Space Station ### Terrorism **Terrorist group(s):** Terrorist group(s): al-Qa’ida; al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS); Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI); Hizbul Mujahideen; Indian Mujahedeen; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) – India (ISI); Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM); Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; The Resistance Front (TRF) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide ### Transnational Issues **Refugees and internally displaced persons:** refugees: 250,006 (2024 est.) IDPs: 642,610 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 23,262 (2024 est.) **Illicit drugs:** USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025) --- ## Maldives **Slug:** maldives **Region:** South Asia **Flag:** 🇲🇻 **Codes:** cek: mv, iso2: MV, iso3: MDV, iso_num: 462, genc: MDV, stanag: MDV, internet: .mv ### Introduction **Background:** A sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887 and a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated Maldives' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. After political demonstrations in the capital Male in 2003, GAYOOM and his government pledged to embark upon a process of liberalization and democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Political parties were legalized in 2005. In 2008, a constituent assembly -- termed the "Special Majlis" -- finalized a new constitution ratified by GAYOOM. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held later that year. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist whom the regime had jailed several years earlier. In 2012, after several weeks of street protests in response to a top judge's arrest, NASHEED resigned the presidency and handed over power to Vice President Mohammed WAHEED Hassan Maniku. A government-appointed Commission of National Inquiry concluded that there was no evidence of a coup, but NASHEED contended that police and military personnel forced him to resign. NASHEED, WAHEED, and Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom ran in the 2013 elections with YAMEEN ultimately winning the presidency after three rounds of voting. In 2018, YAMEEN lost his reelection bid to parliamentarian Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH. YAMEEN was arrested and jailed in 2022 on corruption charges. Maldives' fourth democratic election was held in September 2023. The winner, Male City Mayor Dr. Mohamed MUIZZU, campaigned on a platform of Maldivian sovereignty, vowing to remove Indian military personnel from the country. MUIZZU represents a joint Progressive Pary of Maldives and People's National Congress (PPM/PNC) coalition. ### Geography **Location:** Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India **Geographic coordinates:** 3 15 N, 73 00 E **Map references:** Asia **Area:** total : 298 sq km land: 298 sq km water: 0 sq km **Area - comparative:** about 1.7 times the size of Washington, D.C. **Land boundaries:** total: 0 km **Coastline:** 644 km **Maritime claims:** territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines **Climate:** tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) **Terrain:** flat coral atolls, with white sandy beaches; sits atop the submarine volcanic Chagos-Laccadive Ridge **Elevation:** highest point: 8th tee, golf course, Villingi Island 5 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 2 m **Natural resources:** fish **Land use:** agricultural land: 19.8% (2023 est.) arable land: 13.4% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.) forest: 12.5% (2023 est.) other: 67.7% (2023 est.) **Irrigated land:** 0 sq km (2012) **Population distribution:** about a third of the population lives in the centrally located capital city of Male and almost a tenth in southern Addu City; the remainder of the populace is spread over the 200 or so populated islands of the archipelago **Natural hazards:** tsunamis; low elevation of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise **Geography - note:** smallest Asian country; archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); strategic location along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean ### People and Society **Population:** total: 388,010 (2025 est.) male: 195,208 female: 192,802 **Nationality:** noun: Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian **Ethnic groups:** homogeneous mixture of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, Australasian, and African resulting from historical changes in regional hegemony over marine trade routes **Languages:** Dhivehi (official, closely related to Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English (spoken by most government officials) **Religions:** Sunni Muslim (official) **Age structure:** 0-14 years: 22.4% (male 44,321/female 42,626) 15-64 years: 71.5% (male 143,021/female 135,044) 65 years and over: 6.1% (2024 est.) (male 10,397/female 13,449) **Dependency ratios:** total dependency ratio: 40.8 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 31.6 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 9.2 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 10.9 (2025 est.) **Median age:** total: 32.4 years (2025 est.) male: 31.3 years female: 32.4 years **Population growth rate:** -0.24% (2025 est.) **Birth rate:** 14.77 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Death rate:** 4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Net migration rate:** -12.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Population distribution:** about a third of the population lives in the centrally located capital city of Male and almost a tenth in southern Addu City; the remainder of the populace is spread over the 200 or so populated islands of the archipelago **Urbanization:** urban population: 42% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Major urban areas - population:** 177,000 MALE (capital) (2018) **Sex ratio:** at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.) **Mother's mean age at first birth:** 23.2 years (2016/17 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49 **Maternal mortality ratio:** 32 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.) **Infant mortality rate:** total: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.3 deaths/1,000 live births **Life expectancy at birth:** total population: 77.4 years (2024 est.) male: 75.1 years female: 79.9 years **Total fertility rate:** 1.7 children born/woman (2025 est.) **Gross reproduction rate:** 0.83 (2025 est.) **Drinking water source:** improved: urban: 99.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.) **Health expenditure:** 10% of GDP (2021) 18.2% of national budget (2022 est.) **Physician density:** 2.24 physicians/1,000 population (2019) **Hospital bed density:** 5 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.) **Sanitation facility access:** improved: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.) rural: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 100% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.) **Obesity - adult prevalence rate:** 8.6% (2016) **Alcohol consumption per capita:** total: 1.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) **Tobacco use:** total: 28% (2025 est.) male: 41.5% (2025 est.) female: 9.2% (2025 est.) **Children under the age of 5 years underweight:** 14.8% (2017 est.) **Currently married women (ages 15-49):** 68.4% (2022 est.) **Child marriage:** women married by age 15: 0% (2017) women married by age 18: 2.2% (2017) men married by age 18: 2.2% (2017) **Education expenditure:** 5.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 9.6% national budget (2025 est.) **Literacy:** total population: 98.2% (2019 est.) male: 98.2% (2019 est.) female: 98.3% (2019 est.) **School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):** total: 13 years (2022 est.) male: 11 years (2022 est.) female: 15 years (2022 est.) ### Environment **Environmental issues:** rising sea levels; depletion of freshwater aquifers; inadequate sewage treatment; coral reef bleaching **International environmental agreements:** party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements **Climate:** tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) **Land use:** agricultural land: 19.8% (2023 est.) arable land: 13.4% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.) forest: 12.5% (2023 est.) other: 67.7% (2023 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 42% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Carbon dioxide emissions:** 1.908 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.908 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) **Particulate matter emissions:** 12.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) **Waste and recycling:** municipal solid waste generated annually: 211,500 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 20.9% (2022 est.) **Total water withdrawal:** municipal: 5.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 300,000 cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 268,194 cubic meters (2022 est.) **Total renewable water resources:** 30 million cubic meters (2022 est.) ### Government **Country name:** conventional long form: Republic of Maldives conventional short form: Maldives local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa local short form: Dhivehi Raajje etymology: the origin of the name is obscure but may derive from the Sanskrit word maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands;" the local name, Dhivehi Raajje, means "land of the Dhivehi people" in the local language **Government type:** presidential republic **Capital:** name: Malé geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name may come from the Sanskrit word mala, or "garland" **Administrative divisions:** 21 administrative atolls (atholhuthah, singular - atholhu); Addu (Addu City), Ariatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Ari Atoll), Ariatholhu Uthuruburi (North Ari Atoll), Faadhippolhu, Felidhuatholhu (Felidhu Atoll), Fuvammulah, Hahdhunmathi, Huvadhuatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Huvadhu Atoll), Huvadhuatholhu Uthuruburi (North Huvadhu Atoll), Kolhumadulu, Maale (Male), Maaleatholhu (Male Atoll), Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi (South Maalhosmadulu), Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi (North Maalhosmadulu), Miladhunmadulu Dhekunuburi (South Miladhunmadulu), Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi (North Miladhunmadulu), Mulakatholhu (Mulaku Atoll), Nilandheatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Nilandhe Atoll), Nilandheatholhu Uthuruburi (North Nilandhe Atoll), Thiladhunmathee Dhekunuburi (South Thiladhunmathi), Thiladhunmathee Uthuruburi (North Thiladhunmathi) **Legal system:** Islamic (sharia) legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters **Constitution:** history: many previous; latest ratified 7 August 2008 amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote by its membership and the signature of the president of the republic; passage of amendments to constitutional articles on rights and freedoms and the terms of office of Parliament and of the president also requires a majority vote in a referendum **International law organization participation:** has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction **Citizenship:** citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Maldives dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: unknown **Suffrage:** 18 years of age; universal **Executive branch:** chief of state: President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023) head of government: President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by People's Majlis election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 9 September 2023, with runoff on 30 September 2023 election results: 2023: Mohamed MUIZZU elected president in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Mohamed MUIZZU (PNC) 46.1%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 39.1%, Ilyas LABEEB (DEMS) 7.1%, other 7.7%; percent of vote in the second round - Mohamed MUIZZU 54%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH 46% expected date of next election: 2028 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government **Legislative branch:** legislature name: People's Majlis (Majlis) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 93 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 4/21/2024 parties elected and seats per party: People's National Congress (PNC) (66); Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) (12); Independents (11); Other (4) percentage of women in chamber: 3.2% expected date of next election: April 2029 **Judicial branch:** highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 justices) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission -- a 10-member body of selected senior government officials and the public -- and on confirmation by voting members of the People's Majlis; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 70 subordinate courts: High Court; Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile, and Drug Courts; Magistrate Courts (on each of the inhabited islands) **Political parties:** Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party or DRP Maldives Development Alliance or MDA Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP Maldives Third Way Democrats or MTD People's National Congress or PNC People's National Front Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP **Diplomatic representation in the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador Abdul GHAFOOR Mohamed (since 15 June 2023) chancery: 1100 H Street NW, Suite 250, Washington, D.C. 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 516-5458 email address and website: WashingtonInfo@foreign.gov.mv The Embassy (mdvmission.gov.mv) **Diplomatic representation from the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Chunnong SAEGER (since January 2026) embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka; note - as of early November 2023, the US has no consular or diplomatic offices in Maldives; the US Mission to Maldives operates from US Embassy Colombo, Sri Lanka telephone: [94] (11) 249-8500 FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345 email address and website: Homepage - U.S. Embassy in Maldives **International organization participation:** ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO **Independence:** 26 July 1965 (from the UK) **National holiday:** Independence Day, 26 July (1965) **Flag:** description: red with a large green rectangle in the center and a vertical white crescent moon centered on the rectangle meaning: red stands for those who have sacrificed their lives to defend the country, green for peace and prosperity, and the white crescent is a symbol of Islam **National symbol(s):** coconut palm, yellowfin tuna **National color(s):** red, green, white **National anthem(s):** title: "Gaumee Salaam" (National Salute) lyrics/music: Mohamed Jameel DIDI/Wannakuwattawaduge DON AMARADEVA history: lyrics adopted 1948, music adopted 1972; the anthem has seven verses, but only the first two are commonly used ### Economy **Economic overview:** upper middle-income Indian Ocean island economy; major tourism, fishing, and shipping industries; high public debt; systemic corruption; crippled by COVID-19; ongoing deflation; poverty has tripled since pandemic began **Real GDP (purchasing power parity):** $12.325 billion (2024 est.) $11.723 billion (2023 est.) $11.194 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **Real GDP growth rate:** 5.1% (2024 est.) 4.7% (2023 est.) 13.8% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency **Real GDP per capita:** $23,400 (2024 est.) $22,300 (2023 est.) $21,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **GDP (official exchange rate):** $6.975 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate **Inflation rate (consumer prices):** 1.4% (2024 est.) 2.9% (2023 est.) 2.3% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices **GDP - composition, by sector of origin:** agriculture: 3% (2024 est.) industry: 9% (2024 est.) services: 73.8% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data **GDP - composition, by end use:** household consumption: 51.4% (2023 est.) government consumption: 17.1% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 35% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: -2% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 74.4% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -75.7% (2023 est.) **Agricultural products:** fruits, vegetables, nuts, other meats, papayas, bananas, tomatoes, maize, pulses, chillies/peppers (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage **Industries:** tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining **Industrial production growth rate:** -2.7% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency **Labor force:** 270,300 (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work **Unemployment rate:** 4.7% (2024 est.) 4.3% (2023 est.) 4.5% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment **Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24):** total: 16.1% (2024 est.) male: 20% (2024 est.) female: 9.5% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment **Population below poverty line:** 5.4% (2019 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line **Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income:** 29.3 (2019 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality **Household income or consumption by percentage share:** lowest 10%: 3.8% (2019 est.) highest 10%: 23.3% (2019 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population **Remittances:** 0.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.1% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities **Budget:** revenues: $1.407 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $1.939 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated **Taxes and other revenues:** 19.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP **Current account balance:** -$1.257 billion (2024 est.) -$1.4 billion (2023 est.) -$1.042 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars **Exports:** $5.413 billion (2024 est.) $4.88 billion (2023 est.) $5.096 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars **Exports - partners:** Thailand 32%, India 21%, Singapore 9%, UK 7%, Germany 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports **Exports - commodities:** fish, aircraft, refined petroleum, scrap iron, natural gas (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars **Imports:** $5.344 billion (2024 est.) $4.984 billion (2023 est.) $4.939 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars **Imports - partners:** India 15%, UAE 15%, Oman 14%, China 12%, Singapore 8% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports **Imports - commodities:** refined petroleum, plastic products, aircraft, granite, ships (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars **Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:** $673.886 million (2024 est.) $590.523 million (2023 est.) $832.094 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars **Debt - external:** $3.113 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars **Exchange rates:** rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 15.389 (2024 est.) 15.387 (2023 est.) 15.387 (2022 est.) 15.373 (2021 est.) 15.381 (2020 est.) ### Energy **Electricity access:** electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.) **Electricity:** installed generating capacity: 432,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 821.397 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 25.867 million kWh (2023 est.) **Electricity generation sources:** fossil fuels: 93.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 6.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) **Coal:** imports: 8 metric tons (2023 est.) **Petroleum:** refined petroleum consumption: 13,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) **Energy consumption per capita:** 50.886 million Btu/person (2023 est.) ### Communications **Telephones - fixed lines:** total subscriptions: 12,000 (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2024 est.) **Telephones - mobile cellular:** total subscriptions: 782,000 (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 148 (2024 est.) **Broadcast media:** formerly a state-owned radio and TV monopoly; now 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned TV stations; 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned radio stations (2019) **Internet country code:** .mv **Internet users:** percent of population: 85% (2023 est.) **Broadband - fixed subscriptions:** total: 98,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19 (2023 est.) ### Transportation **Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:** 8Q **Airports:** 20 (2025) **Merchant marine:** total: 82 (2023) by type: general cargo 30, oil tanker 20, other 32 **Ports:** total ports: 1 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 1 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Male ### Military and Security **Military and security forces:** Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Corps, Fire and Rescue Service Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology (MOHST): Maldives Police Service (2025) note: in addition to the MNDF, the Maldives Ministry of Defense controls the Aviation Security Command, which provides security for the civil aviation industry, and the National Counter Terrorism Center **Military expenditures:** not available **Military and security service personnel strengths:** approximately 3-4,000 active Defense Forces (2025) **Military equipment inventories and acquisitions:** the Defense Force has a limited inventory consisting of mostly secondhand or donated equipment from suppliers such as Germany, India, Japan, Türkiye, and the UK (2025) **Military service age and obligation:** 18-25 years of age for voluntary service; no conscription (2025) note: in 2025, the Maldives began allowing Maldivians 16-28 (under 18 with parental consent) who lacked access to further education after completing their secondary education or employment could join the Maldives National Service Program and be recruited to the Army or Police **Military - note:** the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) is responsible for defending and safeguarding the Maldives' territorial integrity, economic exclusion zone, and people; it is also responsible for disaster relief, and if requested, assisting the Maldives Police Service in maintaining internal security and law and order; maritime security is its largest focus; the Indian Armed Forces have long been the MNDF's most important partner (2025) ### Terrorism **Terrorist group(s):** Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide ### Transnational Issues **Refugees and internally displaced persons:** IDPs: 54 (2023 est.) **Trafficking in persons:** tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Maldives remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/maldives/ --- ## Nepal **Slug:** nepal **Region:** South Asia **Flag:** 🇳🇵 **Codes:** cek: np, iso2: NP, iso3: NPL, iso_num: 524, genc: NPL, stanag: NPL, internet: .np ### Introduction **Background:** During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the principality of Gorkha united many of the other principalities and states of the sub-Himalayan region into a Nepali Kingdom. Nepal retained its independence after the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16, and the subsequent peace treaty laid the foundations for two centuries of amicable relations between Britain and Nepal. In 1951, the Nepali monarch ended the century-old system of hereditary rule and instituted a cabinet system that brought political parties into the government. That arrangement lasted until 1960, when political parties were again banned, but it was reinstated in 1990 with the establishment of a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist-led insurgency broke out in 1996. During the ensuing 10-year civil war between Maoist and government forces, the monarchy dissolved the cabinet and parliament. In 2001, Crown Prince DIPENDRA first massacred the royal family and then shot himself. His uncle GYANENDRA became king, and the monarchy reassumed absolute power the next year. A peace accord in 2006 led to the promulgation of an interim constitution in 2007. After a nationwide Constituent Assembly (CA) election in 2008, the newly formed CA declared Nepal a federal democratic republic, abolished the monarchy, and elected the country's first president. When the CA failed to draft a Supreme Court-mandated constitution, then-Prime Minister Baburam BHATTARAI dissolved the CA. An interim government held elections in 2013, in which the Nepali Congress (NC) won the largest share of seats. In 2014, NC formed a coalition government with the second-place Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML). Nepal's new constitution came into effect in 2015, at which point the CA became the Parliament and Khagda Prasad Sharma OLI the first post-constitution prime minister (2015-16). He resigned ahead of a no-confidence motion, and Parliament elected Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) leader Pushpa Kamal DAHAL as prime minister. The parties headed by OLI and DAHAL ran in coalition and swept the parliamentary elections in 2017, and OLI was sworn in as prime minister in 2018. OLI's efforts to dissolve parliament and hold elections were declared unconstitutional in 2021, and the opposition-supported NC leader Sher Bahadur DEUBA was named prime minister. The NC won a majority of seats in the parliamentary elections in 2022, but DAHAL then broke with the ruling coalition and partnered with OLI and the CPN-UML to become prime minister. DAHAL's first cabinet lasted about two months, until OLI withdrew his support over disagreements about ministerial assignments. In early 2023, DAHAL survived a vote of confidence and formed a coalition with the NC to remain prime minister. ### Geography **Location:** Southern Asia, between China and India **Geographic coordinates:** 28 00 N, 84 00 E **Map references:** Asia **Area:** total : 147,181 sq km land: 143,351 sq km water: 3,830 sq km **Area - comparative:** slightly larger than New York State **Land boundaries:** total: 3,159 km border countries (2): China 1,389 km; India 1,770 km **Coastline:** 0 km (landlocked) **Maritime claims:** none (landlocked) **Climate:** varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south **Terrain:** Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south; central hill region with rugged Himalayas in north **Elevation:** highest point: Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m mean elevation: 2,565 m **Natural resources:** quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore **Land use:** agricultural land: 26.1% (2023 est.) arable land: 12.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 12.5% (2023 est.) forest: 43.5% (2023 est.) other: 27.7% (2023 est.) **Irrigated land:** 12,090 sq km (2022) **Major watersheds (area sq km):** Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km), Indus (1,081,718 sq km) **Major aquifers:** Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin **Population distribution:** most of the population is divided nearly equally between a concentration in the southern-most plains of the Tarai region and the central hilly region; overall density is low **Natural hazards:** severe thunderstorms; flooding; landslides; drought and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons **Geography - note:** landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga -- the world's tallest and third-tallest mountains -- on the borders with China and India, respectively ### People and Society **Population:** total: 31,334,402 (2025 est.) male: 15,352,706 female: 15,981,696 **Nationality:** noun: Nepali (singular and plural) adjective: Nepali **Ethnic groups:** Chhettri 16.5%, Brahman-Hill 11.3%, Magar 6.9%, Tharu 6.2%, Tamang 5.6%, Bishwokarma 5%, Musalman 4.9%, Newar 4.6%, Yadav 4.2%, Rai 2.2%, Pariyar 1.9%, Gurung 1.9%, Thakuri 1.7%, Mijar 1.6%, Teli 1.5%, Yakthung/Limbu 1.4%, Chamar/Harijan/Ram 1.4%, Koiri/Kushwaha 1.2%, other 20% (2021 est.) note: 141 caste/ethnic groups were reported in the 2021 national census **Languages:** Nepali (official) 44.9%, Maithali 11.1%, Bhojpuri 6.2%, Tharu 5.9%, Tamang 4.9%, Bajjika 3.9%, Avadhi 3%, Nepalbhasha (Newari) 3%, Magar Dhut 2.8%, Doteli 1.7%, Urdu 1.4%, Yakthung/Limbu 1.2%, Gurung 1.1%, other 8.9% (2021 est.) major-language sample(s): विश्व तथ्य पुस्तक,आधारभूत जानकारीको लागि अपरिहार्य स्रोत (Nepali) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: 123 languages reported as mother tongue in 2021 national census; many in government and business also speak English **Religions:** Hindu 81.2%, Buddhist 8.2%, Muslim 5.1%, Kirat 3.2%, Christian 1.8%; less than 1%: Prakriti, Bon, Jains, Sikh (2021 est.) **Age structure:** 0-14 years: 25.8% (male 4,125,244/female 3,909,135) 15-64 years: 67.8% (male 10,153,682/female 10,957,011) 65 years and over: 6.4% (2024 est.) (male 961,717/female 1,015,598) **Dependency ratios:** total dependency ratio: 46.8 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 37.2 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 9.6 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 10.4 (2025 est.) **Median age:** total: 28.1 years (2025 est.) male: 26.5 years female: 28.6 years **Population growth rate:** 0.66% (2025 est.) **Birth rate:** 16.66 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Death rate:** 5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Net migration rate:** -4.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Population distribution:** most of the population is divided nearly equally between a concentration in the southern-most plains of the Tarai region and the central hilly region; overall density is low **Urbanization:** urban population: 21.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Major urban areas - population:** 1.571 million KATHMANDU (capital) (2023) **Sex ratio:** at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.) **Mother's mean age at first birth:** 20.4 years (2016 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49 **Maternal mortality ratio:** 142 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.) **Infant mortality rate:** total: 23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 25.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.7 deaths/1,000 live births **Life expectancy at birth:** total population: 73 years (2024 est.) male: 72.2 years female: 73.7 years **Total fertility rate:** 1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.) **Gross reproduction rate:** 0.88 (2025 est.) **Drinking water source:** improved: urban: 90% of population (2022 est.) rural: 91.6% of population (2022 est.) total: 91.2% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 10% of population (2022 est.) rural: 8.4% of population (2022 est.) total: 8.8% of population (2022 est.) **Health expenditure:** 5.4% of GDP (2021) 8% of national budget (2022 est.) **Physician density:** 1.01 physicians/1,000 population (2023) **Hospital bed density:** 0.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.) **Sanitation facility access:** improved: urban: 96.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 89.2% of population (2022 est.) total: 90.7% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 3.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 10.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 9.3% of population (2022 est.) **Obesity - adult prevalence rate:** 4.1% (2016) **Alcohol consumption per capita:** total: 0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) **Tobacco use:** total: 22.9% (2025 est.) male: 40.3% (2025 est.) female: 7.6% (2025 est.) **Children under the age of 5 years underweight:** 18.3% (2022 est.) **Currently married women (ages 15-49):** 75.1% (2022 est.) **Child marriage:** women married by age 15: 5.8% (2022) women married by age 18: 34.9% (2022) men married by age 18: 7% (2022) **Education expenditure:** 3.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 10.8% national budget (2025 est.) **Literacy:** total population: 68.7% (2019 est.) male: 79.8% (2019 est.) female: 59.4% (2019 est.) **School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):** total: 14 years (2023 est.) male: 14 years (2023 est.) female: 14 years (2023 est.) ### Environment **Environmental issues:** deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); forest degradation; soil erosion; contaminated water from human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents; unmanaged solid waste; wildlife conservation; air pollution from vehicular emissions **International environmental agreements:** party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation **Climate:** varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south **Land use:** agricultural land: 26.1% (2023 est.) arable land: 12.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 12.5% (2023 est.) forest: 43.5% (2023 est.) other: 27.7% (2023 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 21.9% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Carbon dioxide emissions:** 11.357 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 2.025 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 9.332 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) **Particulate matter emissions:** 36.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) **Waste and recycling:** municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.769 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 4.6% (2022 est.) **Total water withdrawal:** municipal: 147.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 29.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 9.32 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) **Total renewable water resources:** 210.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) ### Government **Country name:** conventional long form: none conventional short form: Nepal local long form: none local short form: Nepal etymology: the name probably comes from the Sanskrit term nepala, from the words for "fly down" and "house," which would refer to the villages at the base of the mountains **Government type:** federal parliamentary republic **Capital:** name: Kathmandu geographic coordinates: 27 43 N, 85 19 E time difference: UTC+5.75 (10.75 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name comes from the Nepalese words kath (wooden) and mandu (temple), referring to the local temples that are often still built from wood **Administrative divisions:** 7 provinces (pradesh, singular - pradesh); Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, Koshi, Lumbini, Madhesh, Sudurpashchim **Legal system:** English common law and Hindu legal concepts **Constitution:** history: several previous; latest approved by the Second Constituent Assembly 16 September 2015, signed by the president and effective 20 September 2015 amendment process: proposed as a bill by either house of the Federal Parliament; bills affecting a state border or powers delegated to a state must be submitted to the affected state assembly; passage of such bills requires a majority vote of that state assembly membership; bills not requiring state assembly consent require at least two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of the Federal Parliament; parts of the constitution on the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty vested in the people cannot be amended **International law organization participation:** has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt **Citizenship:** citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years **Suffrage:** 18 years of age; universal **Executive branch:** chief of state: President Ram Chandra POUDEL (since 13 March 2023) head of government: Prime Minister Sushila KARKI (since 12 September 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; cabinet positions shared among Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, and various coalition partners election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by an electoral college of the Federal Parliament and the state assemblies for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 9 March 2023 election results: 2023: Ram Chandra POUDEL elected president; electoral college vote - Ram Chandra POUDEL (NC) 33,802, Subash Chandra NEMBANG (CPN-UML) 15,518 expected date of next election: 5 March 2026 note: KARKI was sworn in as interim prime minister on 12 September 2025 after Khadga Prasad Sharma OLI resigned on 9 September following violent protests; KARKI will serve until elections are held in March 2026 **Legislative branch:** legislature name: Federal Parliament (Sanghiya Sansad) legislative structure: bicameral note: violent student-led protests in early September 2025 led to the resignation of the Prime Minister; the President dissolved Parliament on 12 September 2015 following the swearing in of an interim prime minister and set elections for 5 March 2026; the major political parties have demanded reinstatement of the Parliament **Legislative branch - lower chamber:** chamber name: House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha) number of seats: 275 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 11/20/2022 parties elected and seats per party: Nepali Congress (NC) (89); Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist, UML) (78); Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC) (32); Rastriya Swatantra Party (20); Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP) (14); People's Socialist Party, Nepal (12); Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) (10); Janamat Party (6); Democratic Socialist Party, Nepal (4); People's Freedom Party (3); Nepal Workers Peasants Party (1); Rastriya Janamorcha (1); Independents (5) percentage of women in chamber: 0% expected date of next election: 5 March 2026 note: Parliament was dissolved by the President on 12 September following violent protests, the resignation of the Prime Minister, and the appointment of an interim prime minister with new elections set for March 2026 **Legislative branch - upper chamber:** chamber name: National Assembly (Rastriya Sabha) number of seats: 59 (56 indirectly elected; 3 appointed) scope of elections: partial renewal term in office: 6 years most recent election date: 1/25/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 37.3% expected date of next election: January 2026 **Judicial branch:** highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and up to 20 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, a 5-member, high-level advisory body headed by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Council, a 5-member advisory body headed by the chief justice; the chief justice serves a 6-year term; judges serve until age 65 subordinate courts: High Court; district courts **Political parties:** Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) or CPN-MC Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) or CPN-UML Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) or CPN-US Janamat Party Janata Samajbaadi Party or JSP Loktantrik Samajwadi Party or LSP Naya Shakti Party, Nepal Nepali Congress or NC Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party (Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party) or NWPP Rastriya Janamorcha (National People's Front) Rastriya Prajatantra Party (National Democratic Party) or RPP Rastriya Swatantra Party or RSP **Diplomatic representation in the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Sharad Raj ARAN (since November 2025) chancery: 2730 34th Place NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534 email address and website: info@nepalembassyusa.org https://us.nepalembassy.gov.np/ consulate(s) general: New York **Diplomatic representation from the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador Dean R. THOMPSON (since October 2022) embassy: Maharajgunj, Kathmandu mailing address: 6190 Kathmandu Place, Washington DC 20521-6190 telephone: [977] (1) 423-4000 FAX: [977] (1) 400-7272 email address and website: usembktm@state.gov https://np.usembassy.gov/ **International organization participation:** ADB, BIMSTEC, CD, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSOM, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO **Independence:** 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH) **National holiday:** Constitution Day, 20 September (2015) note: replaces the previous Republic Day on 28 May as the official national day in Nepal; the Gregorian date fluctuates based on Nepal’s Hindu calendar **Flag:** description: crimson red with a blue border, in the shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller upper triangle has a stylized white moon, and the larger lower triangle has a 12-pointed white sun meaning: red stands for the rhododendron (the national flower) and victory and bravery, and the blue border for peace and harmony; the two triangles are a combination of two pennants that originally symbolized the Himalaya Mountains, but today they refer to Hinduism and Buddhism, the country's two main religions; the moon stands for the serenity of the people, as well as Himalayan shade and cool weather, and the sun for the heat and higher temperatures in the rest of the country note: Nepal is the only country with a flag that is not rectangular or square **National symbol(s):** rhododendron blossom **National color(s):** red **National anthem(s):** title: "Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka" (Hundreds of Flowers) lyrics/music: Pradeep Kumar RAI/Ambar GURUNG history: adopted 2007 **National heritage:** total World Heritage Sites: 4 (2 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Kathmandu Valley (c); Sagarmatha National Park (n); Chitwan National Park (n); Lumbini, Buddha Birthplace (c) ### Economy **Economic overview:** low-income South Asian economy; post-conflict fiscal federalism increasing stability; COVID-19 hurt trade and tourism; widening current account deficits; environmentally fragile economy from earthquakes; growing Chinese relations and investments **Real GDP (purchasing power parity):** $149.643 billion (2024 est.) $144.352 billion (2023 est.) $141.546 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **Real GDP growth rate:** 3.7% (2024 est.) 2% (2023 est.) 5.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency **Real GDP per capita:** $5,000 (2024 est.) $4,900 (2023 est.) $4,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **GDP (official exchange rate):** $42.914 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate **Inflation rate (consumer prices):** 7.1% (2023 est.) 7.7% (2022 est.) 4.1% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices **GDP - composition, by sector of origin:** agriculture: 21.9% (2024 est.) industry: 11.4% (2024 est.) services: 55.2% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data **GDP - composition, by end use:** household consumption: 86.3% (2024 est.) government consumption: 7.4% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 24.3% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 6.1% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 7.6% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -32.9% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection **Agricultural products:** rice, vegetables, potatoes, sugarcane, maize, wheat, bison milk, milk, mangoes/guavas, bananas (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage **Industries:** tourism, carpets, textiles, small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production **Industrial production growth rate:** 0.1% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency **Labor force:** 8.435 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work **Unemployment rate:** 10.8% (2024 est.) 10.7% (2023 est.) 10.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment **Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24):** total: 20.8% (2024 est.) male: 19.3% (2024 est.) female: 23.6% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment **Population below poverty line:** 20.3% (2022 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line **Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income:** 30 (2022 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality **Household income or consumption by percentage share:** lowest 10%: 3.7% (2022 est.) highest 10%: 24.2% (2022 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population **Remittances:** 33.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 25.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 22% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities **Budget:** revenues: $7.625 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $9.1 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated **Public debt:** 39.9% of GDP (2021 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP **Taxes and other revenues:** 17.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP **Current account balance:** $1.954 billion (2024 est.) $146.66 million (2023 est.) -$3.088 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars **Exports:** $3.744 billion (2024 est.) $2.258 billion (2023 est.) $2.106 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars **Exports - partners:** India 67%, USA 12%, Germany 3%, China 2%, UK 2% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports **Exports - commodities:** knotted carpets, garments, flat-rolled iron, synthetic fibers, palm oil (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars **Imports:** $17.777 billion (2024 est.) $13.877 billion (2023 est.) $15.227 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars **Imports - partners:** India 71%, China 17%, UAE 3%, Singapore 2%, Germany 1% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports **Imports - commodities:** refined petroleum, natural gas, garments, iron reductions, broadcasting equipment (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars **Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:** $12.456 billion (2023 est.) $9.319 billion (2022 est.) $9.639 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars **Debt - external:** $5.719 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars **Exchange rates:** Nepalese rupees (NPR) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 133.727 (2024 est.) 132.115 (2023 est.) 125.199 (2022 est.) 118.134 (2021 est.) 118.345 (2020 est.) ### Energy **Electricity access:** electrification - total population: 91.3% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 97.7% electrification - rural areas: 93.7% **Electricity:** installed generating capacity: 2.853 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 9.806 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 1.1 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 1.846 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 1.638 billion kWh (2023 est.) **Electricity generation sources:** solar: 1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 99% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) **Coal:** production: 9,000 metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 1.091 million metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 100 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 1.076 million metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 8 million metric tons (2023 est.) **Petroleum:** refined petroleum consumption: 71,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) **Energy consumption per capita:** 6.604 million Btu/person (2023 est.) ### Communications **Telephones - fixed lines:** total subscriptions: 408,000 (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2024 est.) **Telephones - mobile cellular:** total subscriptions: 29.6 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 100 (2024 est.) **Broadcast media:** state operates 3 TV stations, as well as national and regional radio stations; 117 television channels are licensed, 71 of which are cable TV, 3 are distributed through Direct-To-Home (DTH) system, and 4 are digital terrestrial; 736 FM radio stations are licensed, and at least 314 of those are community stations (2019) **Internet country code:** .np **Internet users:** percent of population: 56% (2023 est.) **Broadband - fixed subscriptions:** total: 1.44 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.) ### Transportation **Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:** 9N **Airports:** 51 (2025) **Heliports:** 14 (2025) **Railways:** total: 59 km (2018) narrow gauge: 59 km (2018) 0.762-m gauge ### Military and Security **Military and security forces:** Nepalese Armed Forces (Ministry of Defense): Nepali Army (includes Air Wing) Ministry of Home Affairs: Nepal Police, Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) (2025) note: the Nepal Police are responsible for enforcing law and order across the country; the Armed Police Force is responsible for combating terrorism, providing security during riots and public disturbances, assisting in natural disasters, and protecting vital infrastructure, public officials, and the borders; it also conducts counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations and would assist the Army in the event of an external invasion **Military expenditures:** 1% of GDP (2024 est.) 1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.) **Military and security service personnel strengths:** approximately 95,000 active Armed Forces (2025) **Military equipment inventories and acquisitions:** the Army's inventory includes a mix of mostly older equipment largely of British, Chinese, Indian, Russian, and South African origin; in recent years, Nepal has received limited amounts of newer hardware from several countries, including China, Indonesia, Italy, and Russia (2025) **Military service age and obligation:** 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; upper age limit varies; no conscription (2025) **Military deployments:** 1240 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 440 Golan Heights (UNDOF); 875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 225 Liberia (UNSMIL); 100 South Sudan/Sudan (UNISFA); 1,750 (plus about 200 police) South Sudan (UNMISS) (2025) **Military - note:** the Nepali Army is responsible for territorial defense, fulfilling Nepal's commitments to UN peacekeeping, and some domestic duties such as disaster relief/humanitarian assistance, social services, and nature conservation efforts; during the 10-year civil war that ended in 2006, it conducted counterinsurgency operations against Maoist guerrillas; the Army has a long history of supporting UN missions, having sent its first UN observers to Lebanon in 1958 and its first troop contingent to Egypt in 1974; as of 2025, 150,000 Nepali military personnel have deployed on over 40 UN missions; Nepal's key security partners are China, India, and the US the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816); the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army and by 1914, there were 10 Gurkha regiments, collectively known as the Gurkha Brigade; following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies; four regiments were transferred to the British Army, where they have since served continuously as the Brigade of Gurkhas; six Gurkha (aka Gorkha in India) regiments went to the new Indian Army; a seventh regiment was later added; Gurkhas are also recruited into the Singaporean Police and a special guard in the Sultanate of Brunei known as the Gurkha Reserve Unit (2025) ### Terrorism **Terrorist group(s):** Terrorist group(s): Indian Mujahedeen note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide ### Transnational Issues **Refugees and internally displaced persons:** refugees: 19,874 (2024 est.) IDPs: 18,671 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 467 (2024 est.) **Trafficking in persons:** tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Nepal remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/nepal/ --- ## Pakistan **Slug:** pakistan **Region:** South Asia **Flag:** 🇵🇰 **Codes:** cek: pk, iso2: PK, iso3: PAK, iso_num: 586, genc: PAK, stanag: PAK, internet: .pk ### Introduction **Background:** The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of modern-day Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The partition in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India created lasting tension between the two countries. They have fought two wars and a limited conflict -- in 1947-48, 1965, and 1999 respectively -- over the Kashmir territory, a dispute that continues to this day. A third war in 1971 -- in which India assisted an indigenous movement reacting to Bengali marginalization in Pakistani politics -- resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. Pakistan has been engaged in a decades-long armed conflict with militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant networks that target government institutions and civilians. ### Geography **Location:** Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north **Geographic coordinates:** 30 00 N, 70 00 E **Map references:** Asia **Area:** total : 796,095 sq km land: 770,875 sq km water: 25,220 sq km **Area - comparative:** slightly more than five times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of California **Land boundaries:** total: 7,257 km border countries (4): Afghanistan 2,670 km; China 438 km; India 3,190 km; Iran 959 km **Coastline:** 1,046 km **Maritime claims:** territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin **Climate:** mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north **Terrain:** divided into three major geographic areas: the northern highlands, the Indus River plain in the center and east, and the Balochistan Plateau in the south and west **Elevation:** highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m mean elevation: 900 m **Natural resources:** arable land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone **Land use:** agricultural land: 46.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 39.3% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 6.5% (2023 est.) forest: 4.1% (2023 est.) other: 49.2% (2023 est.) **Irrigated land:** 194,200 sq km (2022) **Major rivers (by length in km):** Indus river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 3,610 km; Sutlej river mouth (shared with China [s] and India) - 1,372 km; Chenab river mouth (shared with India [s]) - 1,086 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth **Major watersheds (area sq km):** Indian Ocean drainage: Indus (1,081,718 sq km) Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km), (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km) **Major aquifers:** Indus Basin **Population distribution:** the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated **Natural hazards:** frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August) **Geography - note:** controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and India ### People and Society **Population:** total: 257,047,044 (2025 est.) male: 130,727,015 female: 126,320,029 **Nationality:** noun: Pakistani(s) adjective: Pakistani **Ethnic groups:** Punjabi 44.7%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.4%, Sindhi 14.1%, Saraiki 8.4%, Muhajirs 7.6%, Baloch 3.6%, other 6.3% **Languages:** Punjabi 38.8%, Pashto (alternate name, Pashtu) 18.2%, Sindhi 14.6%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 12.2%, Urdu 7.1%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2.4%, Brahui 1.2%, other 2.4% major-language sample(s): دنیا کا قاموس، ایک لازمی زریہ بنیادی معلومات کا (Urdu) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: data represent population by mother tongue; English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries) **Religions:** Muslim 96.4%, Hindu 1.6%, Christian 1.4%; less than 1%: scheduled castes, Qadiani/Ahmadi, other, Sikh. (2020 est.) **Age structure:** 0-14 years: 34.4% (male 44,330,669/female 42,529,007) 15-64 years: 60.7% (male 78,321,834/female 74,833,003) 65 years and over: 4.9% (2024 est.) (male 5,735,294/female 6,613,764) **Dependency ratios:** total dependency ratio: 64 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 55.8 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 8.2 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 12.1 (2025 est.) **Median age:** total: 23.2 years (2025 est.) male: 22.8 years female: 23 years **Population growth rate:** 1.82% (2025 est.) **Birth rate:** 25.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Death rate:** 5.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Net migration rate:** -1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Population distribution:** the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated **Urbanization:** urban population: 38% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Major urban areas - population:** 17.236 million Karachi, 13.979 million Lahore, 3.711 million Faisalabad, 2.415 million Gujranwala, 2.412 million Peshawar, 1.232 million ISLAMABAD (capital) (2023) **Sex ratio:** at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.) **Mother's mean age at first birth:** 22.8 years (2017/18 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49 **Maternal mortality ratio:** 155 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.) **Infant mortality rate:** total: 50.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 46.8 deaths/1,000 live births **Life expectancy at birth:** total population: 70.3 years (2024 est.) male: 68.2 years female: 72.5 years **Total fertility rate:** 3.25 children born/woman (2025 est.) **Gross reproduction rate:** 1.59 (2025 est.) **Drinking water source:** improved: urban: 92.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 89.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 90.6% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 7.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 10.7% of population (2022 est.) total: 9.4% of population (2022 est.) **Health expenditure:** 2.9% of GDP (2021) 5.6% of national budget (2022 est.) **Physician density:** 1.16 physicians/1,000 population (2021) **Hospital bed density:** 0.5 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.) **Sanitation facility access:** improved: urban: 90.5% of population (2022 est.) rural: 76.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 81.5% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 9.5% of population (2022 est.) rural: 23.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 18.5% of population (2022 est.) **Obesity - adult prevalence rate:** 8.6% (2016) **Alcohol consumption per capita:** total: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) **Tobacco use:** total: 15.5% (2025 est.) male: 25.7% (2025 est.) female: 5.4% (2025 est.) **Children under the age of 5 years underweight:** 23.1% (2018 est.) **Currently married women (ages 15-49):** 63.4% (2018 est.) **Child marriage:** women married by age 15: 3.6% (2018) women married by age 18: 18.3% (2018) men married by age 18: 4.7% (2018) **Education expenditure:** 1.9% of GDP (2023 est.) 9.8% national budget (2023 est.) **Literacy:** total population: 58.9% (2021 est.) male: 69.1% (2021 est.) female: 48.5% (2021 est.) **School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):** total: 8 years (2022 est.) male: 8 years (2022 est.) female: 7 years (2022 est.) ### Environment **Environmental issues:** water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural freshwater resources; most of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution and noise pollution in urban areas **International environmental agreements:** party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation **Climate:** mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north **Land use:** agricultural land: 46.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 39.3% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 1% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 6.5% (2023 est.) forest: 4.1% (2023 est.) other: 49.2% (2023 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 38% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Carbon dioxide emissions:** 212.655 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 59.937 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 93.713 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 59.006 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) **Particulate matter emissions:** 50.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) **Methane emissions:** energy: 1,625.2 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 5,381.3 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 700.4 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 128.7 kt (2019-2021 est.) **Waste and recycling:** municipal solid waste generated annually: 30.76 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 13.8% (2022 est.) **Total water withdrawal:** municipal: 9.65 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 1.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 172.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) **Total renewable water resources:** 246.8 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) ### Government **Country name:** conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Pakistan conventional short form: Pakistan local long form: Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan local short form: Pakistan former: West Pakistan etymology: the name is said to have been proposed in the early 1930s by Muslim students at Cambridge University, created from the initials of Punjab, Afghanistan, and Kashmir; the word pak also means "pure" in Persian or Pashto, and the Persian suffix -stan means "place of" or "country," so Pakistan literally means "Land of the Pure" **Government type:** federal parliamentary republic **Capital:** name: Islamabad geographic coordinates: 33 41 N, 73 03 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name means "city of Islam" and derives from the Arabic islam, referring to the Islamic faith, and the Persian suffix -abad, meaning "inhabited place" or "city" **Administrative divisions:** 4 provinces, 2 Pakistan-administered areas*, and 1 capital territory**; Azad Kashmir*, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh **Legal system:** common law system with Islamic law influence **Constitution:** history: several previous; latest endorsed 12 April 1973, passed 19 April 1973, entered into force 14 August 1973 (suspended and restored several times) amendment process: proposed by the Senate or by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses **International law organization participation:** accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt **Citizenship:** citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Pakistan dual citizenship recognized: yes, but limited to select countries residency requirement for naturalization: 4 out of the previous 7 years and including the 12 months preceding application **Suffrage:** 18 years of age; universal note: women and non-Muslims have joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats **Executive branch:** chief of state: President Asif Ali ZARDARI (since 10 March 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz SHARIF (since 3 March 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister election/appointment process: president indirectly elected for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms) by the Electoral College, which consists of members of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies; prime minister elected for a 5-year term by the National Assembly most recent election date: 9 March 2024 election results: 2024: Asif Ali ZARDARI elected president; National Assembly vote - Asif Ali ZARDARI (PPP) 411 votes, Mehmood Khan ACHAKZALI (PMAP) 181 votes; Shehbaz SHARIF elected prime minister; National Assembly vote - Shehbaz SHARIF (PML-N) 201, Omar AYUB (PTI) 92 expected date of next election: 2029 **Legislative branch:** legislature name: Parliament (Majlis-E-Shoora) legislative structure: bicameral **Legislative branch - lower chamber:** chamber name: National Assembly number of seats: 336 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 2/8/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) (75); Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) (54); Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan (MQMP) (17); Independents (101); Other (16) percentage of women in chamber: 17% expected date of next election: February 2029 **Legislative branch - upper chamber:** chamber name: Senate number of seats: 96 (all indirectly elected) scope of elections: partial renewal term in office: 6 years most recent election date: 4/2/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 18.8% expected date of next election: March 2027 **Judicial branch:** highest court(s): Supreme Court of Pakistan (consists of the chief justice and 16 judges) judge selection and term of office: justices nominated by an 8-member parliamentary committee on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission, a 9-member body of judges and other judicial professionals, and appointed by the president; justices can serve until age 65 subordinate courts: High Courts; Federal Shariat Court; provincial and district civil and criminal courts; specialized courts for issues, such as taxation, banking, and customs **Political parties:** Awami National Party or ANP Awami Muslim League or AML Balochistan Awami Party or BAP Balochistan National Party-Awami or BNP-A Balochistan National Party-Mengal or BNP-M Grand Democratic Alliance or GDA (alliance of several parties) Hazara Democratic Party or HDP Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party Jamaat-e-Islami or JI Jamhoori Wattan Party or JWP Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl or JUI-F Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan or MWM Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or MMA (alliance of several parties) Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan or MQM-P National Party or NP Pakistan Muslim League or PML-Z Pakistan Muslim League-Functional or PML-F Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam or PML-Q Pakistan Peoples Party or PPP Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party or PRHP Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaaf or PTI (Pakistan Movement for Justice) Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party or PMAP or PKMAP Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan or TLP **Diplomatic representation in the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador Rizwan Saeed SHEIKH (since 18 September 2024) chancery: 3517 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 243-6500 FAX: [1] (202) 686-1534 email address and website: consularsection@embassyofpakistanusa.org https://embassyofpakistanusa.org/ consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York **Diplomatic representation from the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. BAKER (since January 2025) embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad mailing address: 8100 Islamabad Place, Washington, DC 20521-8100 telephone: [92] 051-201-4000 FAX: [92] 51-2338071 email address and website: ACSIslamabad@state.gov https://pk.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar **International organization participation:** ADB, AIIB, ARF, ASEAN (sectoral dialogue partner), C, CERN (associate member), CICA, CP, D-8, ECO, FAO, G-11, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNSOS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO **Independence:** 14 August 1947 (from British India) **National holiday:** Pakistan Day, 23 March, also referred to as Pakistan Resolution Day (1940) or Republic Day (1956) note: commemorates the adoption of the Lahore Resolution on 23 March 1940, which called for the creation of independent Muslim states, and also the adoption of Pakistan's first constitution on 23 March 1956, during the transition to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan **Flag:** description: green with a vertical white band on the left side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field meaning: the crescent, star, and color green are all traditional Islamic symbols; the white band symbolizes the role of religious minorities **National symbol(s):** five-pointed star between the horns of a waxing crescent moon, jasmine **National color(s):** green, white **National anthem(s):** title: "Qaumi Tarana" (National Anthem) lyrics/music: Abu-Al-Asar Hafeez JULLANDHURI/Ahmed Ghulamali CHAGLA history: adopted 1954; also known as "Pak sarzamin shad bad" (Blessed Be the Sacred Land) **National heritage:** total World Heritage Sites: 6 (all cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro; Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi; Taxila; Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore; Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta; Rohtas Fort ### Economy **Economic overview:** lower middle-income South Asian economy; extremely high debt; endemic corruption; regional disputes with India and Afghanistan hinder investment; falling inflation, IMF relief programs, and strong agricultural output slowly contributing to economic recovery **Real GDP (purchasing power parity):** $1.39 trillion (2024 est.) $1.346 trillion (2023 est.) $1.347 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **Real GDP growth rate:** 3.2% (2024 est.) 0% (2023 est.) 4.8% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency **Real GDP per capita:** $5,500 (2024 est.) $5,400 (2023 est.) $5,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **GDP (official exchange rate):** $373.072 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate **Inflation rate (consumer prices):** 12.6% (2024 est.) 30.8% (2023 est.) 19.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices **GDP - composition, by sector of origin:** agriculture: 23.5% (2024 est.) industry: 20% (2024 est.) services: 50.5% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data **GDP - composition, by end use:** household consumption: 85.2% (2024 est.) government consumption: 8.5% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 11.2% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 1.7% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 10.4% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -17.1% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection **Agricultural products:** sugarcane, bison milk, wheat, milk, rice, maize, potatoes, cotton, mangoes/guavas, chicken (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage **Industries:** textiles and apparel, food processing, pharmaceuticals, surgical instruments, construction materials, paper products, fertilizer, shrimp **Industrial production growth rate:** -1.7% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency **Labor force:** 83.644 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work **Unemployment rate:** 5.5% (2024 est.) 5.5% (2023 est.) 5.5% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment **Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24):** total: 9.9% (2024 est.) male: 9.8% (2024 est.) female: 10.1% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment **Population below poverty line:** 21.9% (2018 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line **Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income:** 29.6 (2018 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality **Average household expenditures:** on food: 37.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 1.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.) **Household income or consumption by percentage share:** lowest 10%: 4.2% (2018 est.) highest 10%: 25.5% (2018 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population **Remittances:** 9.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 7.9% of GDP (2023 est.) 8% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities **Budget:** revenues: $40.774 billion (2015 est.) expenditures: $49.558 billion (2015 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated **Current account balance:** $699.22 million (2024 est.) -$1.039 billion (2023 est.) -$12.216 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars **Exports:** $40.219 billion (2024 est.) $36.215 billion (2023 est.) $38.967 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars **Exports - partners:** USA 14%, UAE 10%, China 9%, Germany 7%, UK 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports **Exports - commodities:** garments, fabric, refined petroleum, rice, cotton fabric (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars **Imports:** $66.844 billion (2024 est.) $58.069 billion (2023 est.) $76.594 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars **Imports - partners:** China 25%, Qatar 11%, UAE 9%, Saudi Arabia 8%, Indonesia 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports **Imports - commodities:** natural gas, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, palm oil, plastics (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars **Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:** $18.408 billion (2024 est.) $13.73 billion (2023 est.) $9.927 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars **Debt - external:** $89.148 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars **Exchange rates:** Pakistani rupees (PKR) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 278.581 (2024 est.) 280.356 (2023 est.) 204.867 (2022 est.) 162.906 (2021 est.) 161.838 (2020 est.) ### Energy **Electricity access:** electrification - total population: 95% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 93% **Electricity:** installed generating capacity: 43.512 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 145.357 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 481.25 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 25.811 billion kWh (2023 est.) **Electricity generation sources:** fossil fuels: 60.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) nuclear: 14.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 3.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) **Nuclear energy:** Number of operational nuclear reactors: 6 (2025) Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 1 (2025) Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 3.26GW (2025 est.) Percent of total electricity production: 17.4% (2023 est.) Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 1 (2025) **Coal:** production: 13.765 million metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 30.191 million metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 900 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 16.185 million metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 2.857 billion metric tons (2023 est.) **Petroleum:** total petroleum production: 91,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 645,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 540 million barrels (2021 est.) **Natural gas:** production: 27.476 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 36.323 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) imports: 8.847 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 592.219 billion cubic meters (2021 est.) **Energy consumption per capita:** 14.076 million Btu/person (2023 est.) ### Communications **Telephones - fixed lines:** total subscriptions: 2.54 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2024 est.) **Telephones - mobile cellular:** total subscriptions: 193 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 77 (2024 est.) **Broadcast media:** 120 satellite TV stations; 42 media companies/channels; state-run Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is the largest TV network, serves over 85 percent of the population with 9 TV channels; over 100 private cable and satellite channels; state-owned Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC or Radio Pakistan) has the largest radio audience, particularly in rural areas, with AM/SW/FM stations covering most of the country (2022) **Internet country code:** .pk **Internet users:** percent of population: 27% (2023 est.) **Broadband - fixed subscriptions:** total: 3.36 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2023 est.) ### Transportation **Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:** AP **Airports:** 117 (2025) **Heliports:** 48 (2025) **Railways:** total: 11,881 km (2021) narrow gauge: 389 km (2021) 1.000-m gauge broad gauge: 11,492 km (2021) 1.676-m gauge (286 km electrified) **Merchant marine:** total: 60 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 5, oil tanker 9, other 46 **Ports:** total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 2 small: 1 very small: 0 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Gwadar, Karachi, Muhamamad Bin Qasim ### Military and Security **Military and security forces:** Pakistan Armed Forces: Pakistan Army (includes National Guard), Pakistan Navy (includes Pakistan Marines, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency), Pakistan Air Force Ministry of Interior: Frontier Constabulary, Frontier Corps, National Police, Pakistan Coast Guard, Punjab (Pakistan) Rangers, Sindh (Pakistan) Rangers (2025) note: the National Guard is a paramilitary force and one of the Army's reserve forces; other Army reserves include the Pakistan Army Reserve, the Frontier Corps, and the Pakistan Rangers **Military expenditures:** 2.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 3% of GDP (2023 est.) 4% of GDP (2022 est.) 4% of GDP (2021 est.) 4% of GDP (2020 est.) **Military and security service personnel strengths:** approximately 650,000 active Armed Forces (2025) **Military equipment inventories and acquisitions:** the military's inventory is a mix of mostly imported and some domestically produced armaments; the majority of its imported weapons are from China; other suppliers include France, Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine, the UK, and the US; Pakistan also has a domestic defense industry, which produces or co-produces such items as armored vehicles, aircraft, missiles, naval vessels (2025) **Military service age and obligation:** 16-28 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; lower and upper age limits vary by military branch, position, and role; personnel cannot be deployed for combat until age 18 (2025) **Military deployments:** 1,400 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 300 MONUSCO; 300 South Sudan (UNMISS); 575 Sudan (UNISFA) (2025) **Military - note:** the Pakistan military is responsible for external defense but also has a domestic security role; its chief external focus is India; the military is the lead security agency in many areas of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and has for decades conducted operations against various internal militant groups; it is also one of the longest serving and largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions; China is its closest security partner the military operates largely independently and without effective civilian oversight; it has ruled the country for more than 30 years since independence in 1947 and continues to play a significant role in Pakistan's political arena; it also has a large stake in the country’s economic sector and is involved in a diverse array of commercial activities, including banking, construction of public projects, employment services, energy and power generation, fertilizer, food, housing, real estate, and security services Pakistan has fought four wars and several skirmishes with India; three of the wars have been over the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, the status of which has been unsettled since the UK's 1947 withdrawal and the partition and independence of India and Pakistan; a fragile cease-fire was reached in 2003, revised in 2018, and reaffirmed in 2021, although the militarized Line of Control which serves as the border remains contested, and India has accused Pakistan of backing armed separatists and terrorist organizations in the territory New Delhi controls; in the Spring of 2025, Indian held Pakistan responsible for a terrorist attack in India-controlled Kashmir and retaliated, sparking a brief cross-border conflict involving aircraft, artillery, drone, and missile strikes the Kashmir dispute also includes the Siachen Glacier, located in the Karakoram Mountain Range, which was seized by India in 1984 with Pakistan attempting to retake the area several times between 1985 and 1995; despite the 2003 cease-fire, both sides continue to maintain a permanent military presence there with outposts at altitudes above 20,000 feet (over 6,000 meters) where most casualties are due to extreme weather and the hazards of operating in the high mountain terrain of the world’s highest conflict, including avalanches, exposure, and altitude sickness (2025) ### Space **Space agency/agencies:** Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO; established 1961) (2025) **Space launch site(s):** none; missile test sites at Somiani (Balochistan) and Tilla Jogian (Punjab) (2025) **Space program overview:** space program dates back to the early 1960s, but funding shortfalls and shifts in priority toward ballistic missile development in the 1980s and 1990s hampered the program’s development; now has a strengthened focus on acquiring satellites and reaching agreements with other space powers for additional capabilities; manufactures and operates satellites; researching and developing other space-related capabilities and technologies, such as satellite payloads; also conducts research in areas such as astronomy, astrophysics, environmental monitoring, and space sciences; works with China, Russia, and Turkey (cooperated with the UK and US prior to the 1990s) (2025) **Key space-program milestones:** 1962-1972 - launched about 200 sounding rockets with some US assistance 1990 - first domestically built experimental satellite (Badr-1) launched by China 2001 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (Badr-2) built jointly with the UK and launched by Russia 2011 - first digital communications satellite (PakSat-1R) launched by China 2017 - successfully test-launched ballistic missile system (Shaheed-III) 2023 - joined China’s International Lunar Research Station program 2024 - first lunar orbiter/satellite (iCube Qamar) launched by China and deployed from China's Chang'e-6 spacecraft 2025 - first fully domestic RS satellite (PRSC-EO1) launched by China; selected country's first astronauts to be trained by China for mission to China's space station ### Terrorism **Terrorist group(s):** Terrorist group(s): al-Qa’ida; al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS); Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA); Haqqani Network (HQN); Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI); Harakat ul-Mujahidin; Hizbul Mujahideen; Indian Mujahedeen; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – India (ISI); Islamic State of ash-Sham – Pakistan (ISP); Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU); Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM); Jaysh al Adl (Jundallah); Lashkar i Jhangvi (LJ); Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT); The Resistance Front (TRF); Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) note 1: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide note 2: the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), an armed separatist group that targets security forces and civilians, has been active in Pakistan since the 2000s, mainly in ethnic Baloch areas of the country; in 2019, the US designated BLA as Specially Designated Global Terrorists ### Transnational Issues **Refugees and internally displaced persons:** refugees: 1,759,332 (2024 est.) IDPs: 224,813 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 60 (2024 est.) **Illicit drugs:** USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025) --- ## Sri Lanka **Slug:** sri-lanka **Region:** South Asia **Flag:** 🇱🇰 **Codes:** cek: ce, iso2: LK, iso3: LKA, iso_num: 144, genc: LKA, stanag: LKA, internet: .lk ### Introduction **Background:** The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced circa 250 B.C., and the first kingdoms developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (from about 200 B.C. to about A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about A.D. 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a South Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The Portuguese controlled the coastal areas of the island in the 16th century, followed by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; the name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Prevailing tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. Fighting between the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continued for over a quarter-century. Although Norway brokered peace negotiations that led to a cease-fire in 2002, the fighting slowly resumed and was again in full force by 2006. The government defeated the LTTE in 2009. During the post-conflict years under then-President Mahinda RAJAPAKSA, the government initiated infrastructure development projects, many of which were financed by loans from China. His regime faced allegations of human rights violations and a shrinking democratic space for civil society. In 2015, a new coalition government headed by President Maithripala SIRISENA of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Prime Minister Ranil WICKREMESINGHE of the United National Party came to power with pledges to advance economic, political, and judicial reforms. However, implementation of these reforms was uneven. In 2019, Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA won the presidential election and appointed his brother Mahinda prime minister. Civil society raised concerns about the RAJAPAKSA administration’s commitment to pursuing justice, human rights, and accountability reforms, as well as the risks to foreign creditors that Sri Lanka faced given its ongoing economic crisis. A combination of factors including the COVID-19 pandemic; severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel; and power outages triggered increasingly violent protests in Columbo beginning in 2022. In response, WICKREMESINGHE -- who had already served as prime minister five times -- was named to replace the prime minister, but he became president within a few months when Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA fled the country. ### Geography **Location:** Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India **Geographic coordinates:** 7 00 N, 81 00 E **Map references:** Asia **Area:** total : 65,610 sq km land: 64,630 sq km water: 980 sq km **Area - comparative:** slightly larger than West Virginia **Land boundaries:** total: 0 km **Coastline:** 1,340 km **Maritime claims:** territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin **Climate:** tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) **Terrain:** mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior **Elevation:** highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 228 m **Natural resources:** limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower, arable land **Land use:** agricultural land: 48.6% (2023 est.) arable land: 22.2% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 19.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 7.1% (2023 est.) forest: 34.4% (2023 est.) other: 16.7% (2023 est.) **Irrigated land:** 5,700 sq km (2012) **Population distribution:** the population is primarily concentrated within a broad wet zone in the southwest, urban centers along the eastern coast, and on the Jaffna Peninsula in the north **Natural hazards:** occasional cyclones and tornadoes **Geography - note:** strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes; Adam's Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals between the southeastern coast of India and the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka; geological evidence suggests that this 50-km (31-mi) bridge once connected India and Sri Lanka; ancient records seem to indicate that a foot passage was possible between the two land masses until the 15th century, when the land bridge broke up in a cyclone ### People and Society **Population:** total: 22,050,561 (2025 est.) male: 10,668,528 female: 11,382,033 **Nationality:** noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan **Ethnic groups:** Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, other 0.5% (2012 est.) **Languages:** Sinhala (official) 87%, Tamil (official) 28.5%, English 23.8% (2012 est.) note: data represent main languages spoken by the population aged 10 years and older; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; English is commonly used in government and is referred to as the "link language" in the constitution **Religions:** Buddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.) **Age structure:** 0-14 years: 22.6% (male 2,537,918/female 2,423,615) 15-64 years: 65% (male 6,954,869/female 7,336,897) 65 years and over: 12.4% (2024 est.) (male 1,149,256/female 1,580,053) **Dependency ratios:** total dependency ratio: 53.9 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 34.2 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 19.7 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 5.1 (2025 est.) **Median age:** total: 34.2 years (2025 est.) male: 32.2 years female: 35.8 years **Population growth rate:** 0.22% (2025 est.) **Birth rate:** 14.38 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Death rate:** 7.65 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Net migration rate:** -4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.) **Population distribution:** the population is primarily concentrated within a broad wet zone in the southwest, urban centers along the eastern coast, and on the Jaffna Peninsula in the north **Urbanization:** urban population: 19.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Major urban areas - population:** 103,000 Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) (2018), 633,000 COLOMBO (capital) (2023) **Sex ratio:** at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.) **Mother's mean age at first birth:** 25.6 years (2016 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 30-34 **Maternal mortality ratio:** 18 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.) **Infant mortality rate:** total: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 7.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births **Life expectancy at birth:** total population: 76.8 years (2024 est.) male: 73.7 years female: 79.9 years **Total fertility rate:** 2.12 children born/woman (2025 est.) **Gross reproduction rate:** 1.03 (2025 est.) **Drinking water source:** improved: urban: 98.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 87.2% of population (2022 est.) total: 89.3% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 1.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 12.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 10.7% of population (2022 est.) **Health expenditure:** 4.1% of GDP (2021) 9.5% of national budget (2022 est.) **Physician density:** 1.14 physicians/1,000 population (2023) **Hospital bed density:** 4 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.) **Sanitation facility access:** improved: urban: 97.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 99.2% of population (2022 est.) total: 99% of population (2022 est.) unimproved: urban: 2.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 1% of population (2022 est.) **Obesity - adult prevalence rate:** 5.2% (2016) **Alcohol consumption per capita:** total: 2.58 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 2.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) **Tobacco use:** total: 18.2% (2025 est.) male: 36.3% (2025 est.) female: 2% (2025 est.) **Children under the age of 5 years underweight:** 17.1% (2024 est.) **Currently married women (ages 15-49):** 66.3% (2016 est.) **Child marriage:** women married by age 15: 0.9% (2016) women married by age 18: 9.8% (2016) **Education expenditure:** 1.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 7.2% national budget (2024 est.) **Literacy:** total population: 92.7% (2023 est.) male: 93.4% (2023 est.) female: 92% (2023 est.) **School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):** total: 13 years (2023 est.) male: 12 years (2023 est.) female: 14 years (2023 est.) ### Environment **Environmental issues:** deforestation; soil erosion; poaching; effects of urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and pollution; coral reef destruction; freshwater resources polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo **International environmental agreements:** party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation **Climate:** tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) **Land use:** agricultural land: 48.6% (2023 est.) arable land: 22.2% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 19.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 7.1% (2023 est.) forest: 34.4% (2023 est.) other: 16.7% (2023 est.) **Urbanization:** urban population: 19.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) **Carbon dioxide emissions:** 19.153 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 5.15 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 14.003 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) **Particulate matter emissions:** 24.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) **Waste and recycling:** municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.632 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 24.5% (2022 est.) **Total water withdrawal:** municipal: 805 million cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 831 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 11.31 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) **Total renewable water resources:** 52.8 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) ### Government **Country name:** conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka conventional short form: Sri Lanka local long form: Shri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya (Sinhala)/ Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu (Tamil) local short form: Shri Lanka (Sinhala)/ Ilankai (Tamil) former: Serendib, Ceylon etymology: the name is composed of the Sanskrit words shri (happiness or holiness) and lanka (island); the former name Serendib was an Arabic derivation of the Sanskrit word simhaladvipa, or "island of the place of lions;" the former name Ceylon came from the Sanskrit simha, or "lion" **Government type:** presidential republic **Capital:** name: Colombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 79 50 E time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the origin of Colombo's name is unclear; it may derive from the Sinhalese words kola (leaves) and amba (mango), referring to local mango trees, or from the name Kelantotta, referring to a ferry that crossed the Kelani River; the name was corrupted to Kolambu by Arab traders, and 16th-century Portuguese settlers then called it Colombo, possibly referring to explorer Christopher COLUMBUS; the legislative capital's name, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, is composed of the Sanskrit honorific sri, the name of Sri Lankan President J.R. JAYEWARDENE, and the Hindi word pura (town) **Administrative divisions:** 9 provinces; Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western **Legal system:** mixed system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law **Constitution:** history: several previous; latest adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978 amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of its total membership, certification by the president of the republic or the Parliament speaker, and in some cases approval in a referendum by absolute majority of valid votes **International law organization participation:** has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt **Citizenship:** citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Sri Lanka dual citizenship recognized: no, except in cases where the government rules it is to the benefit of Sri Lanka residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years **Suffrage:** 18 years of age; universal **Executive branch:** chief of state: President Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (since 23 September 2024) head of government: President Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (since 23 September 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister election/appointment process: president directly elected by preferential majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 21 September 2024 election results: 2024: Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE elected president; percent of vote after reallocation - Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (JVP) 55.9%, Sajith PREMADASA (SJB) 44.1% expected date of next election: 2029 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government **Legislative branch:** legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 225 (196 directly elected; 29 indirectly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 11/14/2024 parties elected and seats per party: National People's Power (Jathika Jana Balawegaya, NPP) (159); Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) (40); Other (26) percentage of women in chamber: 9.8% expected date of next election: November 2029 **Judicial branch:** highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 9 justices); has exclusive jurisdiction to review legislation judge selection and term of office: chief justice nominated by the Constitutional Council (CC), a 9-member high-level advisory body, and appointed by the president; other justices nominated by the CC and appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice; all justices can serve until age 65 subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; municipal and primary courts **Political parties:** Crusaders for Democracy or CFD Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi or ITAK Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP Jathika Hela Urumaya or JHU National People's Power or NPP (also known as Jathika Jana Balawegaya or JJB) People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE Samagi Jana Balawegaya or SJB Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance or SLPFA (includes SLPFP, SLPP, and several smaller parties) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (Sri Lanka's People's Front) or SLPP Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO Tamil National Alliance or TNA (includes ITAK, PLOTE, TELO) Tamil National People's Front or TNPF Tamil People's National Alliance or TPNA United National Front for Good Governance or UNFGG (coalition includes JHU, UNP) United National Party or UNP **Diplomatic representation in the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador Mahinda SAMARASINGHE (since 13 January 2022) chancery: 3025 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 FAX: [1] 202-232-2329 email address and website: slemb.washington@mfa.gov.lk https://slembassyusa.org/ consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York **Diplomatic representation from the US:** chief of mission: Ambassador Julie J. CHUNG (since 17 February 2022) embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 03 mailing address: 6100 Colombo Place, Washington DC 20521-6100 telephone: [94] (11) 249-8500 FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345 email address and website: colomboacs@state.gov https://lk.usembassy.gov/ **International organization participation:** ABEDA, ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO **Independence:** 4 February 1948 (from the UK) **National holiday:** Independence Day (National Day), 4 February (1948) **Flag:** description: yellow with two panels; the smaller panel on the left has two equal vertical bands of green (left side) and orange; the larger panel has a yellow lion holding a sword on a maroon field, with a yellow bo leaf in each corner meaning: the sword stands for national sovereignty; the lion for Sinhalese ethnicity, the strength of the nation, and bravery; the four bo leaves for Buddhism and the four virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and equanimity; orange stands for Tamils, green for Moors, and maroon for the Sinhalese majority; yellow represents other ethnic groups note: the banner is sometimes referred to as the Lion Flag **National symbol(s):** lion, water lily **National color(s):** maroon, yellow **National anthem(s):** title: "Sri Lanka Matha" (Mother Sri Lanka) lyrics/music: Ananda SAMARKONE (Sinhala),M. NALLATHAMBY (Tamil)/Ananda SAMARKONE history: adopted 1951 **National heritage:** total World Heritage Sites: 8 (6 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Ancient City of Polonnaruwa (c); Ancient City of Sigiriya (c); Sacred City of Anuradhapura (c); Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications (c); Sacred City of Kandy (c); Sinharaja Forest Reserve (n); Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple (c); Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (n) ### Economy **Economic overview:** economic contraction in 2022-23 marked by increased poverty and significant inflation; IMF two-year debt relief program following 2022 sovereign default; structural challenges from non-diversified economy and rigid labor laws; heavy dependence on tourism receipts and remittances **Real GDP (purchasing power parity):** $301.407 billion (2024 est.) $287.031 billion (2023 est.) $293.878 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **Real GDP growth rate:** 5% (2024 est.) -2.3% (2023 est.) -7.3% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency **Real GDP per capita:** $13,800 (2024 est.) $13,000 (2023 est.) $13,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars **GDP (official exchange rate):** $98.963 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate **Inflation rate (consumer prices):** -0.4% (2024 est.) 16.5% (2023 est.) 49.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices **GDP - composition, by sector of origin:** agriculture: 8.3% (2024 est.) industry: 25.5% (2024 est.) services: 57.5% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data **GDP - composition, by end use:** household consumption: 68.7% (2024 est.) government consumption: 7% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 18.8% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: 8.2% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 19.9% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -22.5% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection **Agricultural products:** rice, coconuts, tea, sugarcane, plantains, milk, fiber crops, cassava, chicken, pumpkins/squash (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage **Industries:** processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; tourism; clothing and textiles; mining **Industrial production growth rate:** 11% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency **Labor force:** 8.499 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work **Unemployment rate:** 5% (2024 est.) 6% (2023 est.) 4.6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment **Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24):** total: 22.3% (2024 est.) male: 18.4% (2024 est.) female: 29.6% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment **Population below poverty line:** 14.3% (2019 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line **Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income:** 37.7 (2019 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality **Average household expenditures:** on food: 27.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 3.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.) **Household income or consumption by percentage share:** lowest 10%: 3.1% (2019 est.) highest 10%: 30.8% (2019 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population **Remittances:** 7.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 5.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 6.2% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities **Budget:** revenues: $9.387 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $17.144 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated **Public debt:** 79.1% of GDP (2017 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP **Taxes and other revenues:** 9.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP **Current account balance:** $1.559 billion (2023 est.) -$1.448 billion (2022 est.) -$3.284 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars **Exports:** $17.327 billion (2023 est.) $16.169 billion (2022 est.) $14.974 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars **Exports - partners:** USA 22%, India 7%, Germany 7%, UK 7%, Italy 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports **Exports - commodities:** garments, tea, precious stones, used rubber tires, rubber products (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars **Imports:** $18.823 billion (2023 est.) $19.244 billion (2022 est.) $21.526 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars **Imports - partners:** India 21%, China 19%, UAE 10%, Singapore 5%, Malaysia 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports **Imports - commodities:** refined petroleum, fabric, crude petroleum, packaged medicine, cotton fabric (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars **Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:** $6.094 billion (2024 est.) $4.405 billion (2023 est.) $1.896 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars **Debt - external:** $42.198 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars **Exchange rates:** Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 327.507 (2023 est.) 322.633 (2022 est.) 198.764 (2021 est.) 185.593 (2020 est.) 178.745 (2019 est.) ### Energy **Electricity access:** electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.) **Electricity:** installed generating capacity: 5.326 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 15.763 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 1.457 billion kWh (2023 est.) **Electricity generation sources:** fossil fuels: 49.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 4.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 4.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 40.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) **Coal:** consumption: 2.323 million metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 2.238 million metric tons (2023 est.) **Petroleum:** refined petroleum consumption: 100,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) **Energy consumption per capita:** 12.372 million Btu/person (2023 est.) ### Communications **Telephones - fixed lines:** total subscriptions: 1.707 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2023 est.) **Telephones - mobile cellular:** total subscriptions: 30.6 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 133 (2024 est.) **Broadcast media:** government operates 5 TV channels and 19 radio channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services available; 25 private TV stations and about 43 radio stations; 6 non-profit TV stations and 4 radio stations **Internet country code:** .lk **Internet users:** percent of population: 51% (2023 est.) **Broadband - fixed subscriptions:** total: 2.01 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2023 est.) ### Transportation **Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:** 4R **Airports:** 18 (2025) **Heliports:** 1 (2025) **Railways:** total: 1,562 km (2016) broad gauge: 1,562 km (2016) 1.676-m gauge **Merchant marine:** total: 96 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 5, general cargo 15, oil tanker 11, other 65 **Ports:** total ports: 6 (2024) large: 0 medium: 2 small: 1 very small: 1 size unknown: 2 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Batticaloa Roads, Colombo, Galle Harbor, Hambantota, Kankesanturai, Trincomalee Harbor ### Military and Security **Military and security forces:** Sri Lanka Armed Forces: Sri Lanka Army (includes National Guard and the Volunteer Force), Sri Lanka Navy (includes Marine Corps), Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard; Civil Security Department (Home Guard) Ministry of Public Security: Sri Lanka Police (2025) note: the Civil Security Department, also known as the Civil Defense Force, is an auxiliary force administered by the Ministry of Defense **Military expenditures:** 1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.9% of GDP (2021 est.) 2% of GDP (2020 est.) **Military and security service personnel strengths:** estimated 210,000 active Armed Forces (140,000 Army; 25,000 Air Force; 45,000 Navy) (2025) note: the Sri Lankan military has been downsizing for several years; in 2025, the Sri Lankan Government announced its intent to decrease the size of the Army to 100,000, the Air Force to 18,000, and the Navy to 40,000 by 2030 **Military equipment inventories and acquisitions:** the military's armaments are mostly of Chinese, Indian, Russian/Soviet, and US origin (2025) **Military service age and obligation:** generally 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women, although upper age limits may vary by branch of service, roles, specialties, etc; no conscription (2026) **Military deployments:** 120 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 130 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025) **Military - note:** the military of Sri Lanka is responsible for external defense, maritime security, and maintaining internal security; it has sent small numbers of personnel on UN peacekeeping missions; from 1983 to 2009, the military fought against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a conflict that involved both guerrilla and conventional warfare, as well as acts of terrorism and human rights abuses, and cost the military nearly 30,000 killed; since the end of the war, a large portion of the Army reportedly remains deployed in the majority Tamil-populated northern and eastern provinces; the military over the past decade also has increased its role in a range of commercial sectors including agriculture, hotels, leisure, and restaurants Sri Lanka traditionally has had close security ties to India; the Sri Lankan and Indian militaries conduct exercises together, and India trains approximately 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers per year; in recent years, Sri Lanka has increased military ties with China, including acquiring military equipment, hosting naval port calls, and sending personnel to China for training (2025) ### Terrorism **Terrorist group(s):** Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide ### Transnational Issues **Refugees and internally displaced persons:** refugees: 500 (2024 est.) IDPs: 5,549 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 229 (2024 est.) ---