Bolivia
South America · South America
Landlocked Andean nation, ultra cheap, with the highest capital city in the world.
Backpacker
Ideal destination
At a Glance
📈Bolivia's Human Development Index
0.698
Medium human development#118 of 191 countries worldwide, #11 of 12 in South America.
Higher than 38% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →Bolivia
Bolivia is a landlocked South American country of extreme geographic contrasts, from the world's highest capital city to the surreal white expanse of the Salar de Uyuni salt flats, Amazonian jungle, and altiplano highlands. The indigenous Aymara and Quechua cultures remain powerfully present in daily life, markets, festivals, and cuisine. Altitude is a real factor and infrastructure can be basic, but those willing to adapt will find a country of raw, unforgettable beauty.
- Two capital cities — La Paz (administrative) and Sucre (constitutional).
- La Paz is the highest capital city in the world at 3,650 metres.
- Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat — and contains roughly half the world's lithium.
Quick Facts
Capital
Sucre
Languages
Aymara, Guaraní, Quechua, Spanish
Currency
Bs. BOB
Area
1.08M km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
64Mbps
Mobile
16Mbps
GDP / Capita
$5K
PPP / Capita
$13K
Inflation
19.5%
Unemployment
3.0%
Innovation (GII)
19.6
GNI / Capita
$4K
FDI Inflows
1.0%
Education Spend
7.5%
Cost of Living
27.3
Price Level Index
59th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.546 → 0.698 (+0.152)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
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💬Quick answers
What is Bolivia's Human Development Index?
Bolivia's Human Development Index is 0.698 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #118 of 191 countries.
Is Bolivia safe?
Bolivia scores 2.05 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #91 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is Bolivia?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Bolivia at 27.3 (New York = 100); that is #16 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in Bolivia?
Life expectancy at birth in Bolivia is 68.7 yrs (World Bank), ranked #141 of 195 countries.