Bolivia

Bolivia: High Debt Load Against a Mid-Sized Economy

Bolivia's GDP was $54.88 billion in 2024, per World Bank WDI, against a population of 12,413,315 the same year and source. GDP per capita came to $4,421.17 in 2024 (World Bank WDI).

Government debt is projected at 102.7 percent of GDP in 2026 by the IMF's World Economic Outlook, a high ratio that stands out against the other figures in this bundle. Foreign reserves were $1.98 billion in 2024, per World Bank WDI — a comparatively thin cushion next to that debt projection.

Defense spending reached $688.3 million in 2025, per SIPRI's Military Expenditure Database, or 1.215 percent of GDP by SIPRI's own GDP series for that year; this ratio should not be recalculated against the World Bank's 2024 GDP figure cited above. The Correlates of War National Material Capabilities dataset recorded 34,000 active personnel in 2022 and a Composite Index of National Capability score of 0.000956, also 2022.

V-Dem's 2025 release shows an electoral democracy index of 0.605 alongside a markedly lower liberal democracy index of 0.352 and a state capacity score of 0.281 — a gap between the two democracy measures and a comparatively low capacity score.

Data gaps

Energy data shows a clear vintage split. Primary energy consumption was 0.379 exajoules in 2023 and electricity generation 13.63 terawatt-hours in 2025, both per Our World in Data's Energy dataset, and reasonably current. Gas production, at 119.065 terawatt-hours, is also current, dated 2024. Oil production, however, is listed at 40.733 terawatt-hours but dated to 2016 — nearly a decade old — and should be read only as the latest available OWID entry for oil, not as a current output figure; it is not comparable in currency to the 2024 gas number next to it.

The debt projection (2026, IMF WEO) and reserves figure (2024, World Bank WDI) are drawn from different years and should each be read against the year attributed to it rather than combined into a single snapshot of fiscal conditions.

Sources: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, SIPRI Milex, Correlates of War National Material Capabilities, V-Dem v15, Our World in Data (Energy).