GeoRealityMatch

The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country. FCDO travel advice, read 29 October 2026.

A stunning aerial view of the hillside towns and lush greenery in Quito, Ecuador.Aerial view of Quito with city buildings and the majestic Andes in the background.

Ecuador

South America

Low safetyVery affordable cost of livingHigh development

The air is clean. It is less peaceful than most countries.

vs Peruvs Colombia
Safety

134th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
2.539lower is more peacefulLow safety
#134 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
45.7per 100,000 people a yearVery highUNODC / World Bank · 2023
Safety index
38.1Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferLowNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes below the median country

GNI per person
$6,890national income per person, US dollarsModerate
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
8.7New York = 100Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
11.6years of median income to buy a median flatModerateNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 120% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 31% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$10K$20K$16,757 PPP$7,125Inflation, % a year10%0200620102015202020252006, $3,244 a person, $7,885 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2007, $3,479 a person, $8,112 at PPP, inflation 2.3%2008, $4,195 a person, $8,663 at PPP, inflation 8.4%2009, $4,053 a person, $8,662 at PPP, inflation 5.2%2010, $4,520 a person, $8,969 at PPP, inflation 3.6%2011, $5,154 a person, $9,769 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2012, $5,634 a person, $10,245 at PPP, inflation 5.1%2013, $6,109 a person, $11,296 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2014, $6,406 a person, $11,836 at PPP, inflation 3.6%2015, $5,976 a person, $10,878 at PPP, inflation 4%2016, $5,918 a person, $10,881 at PPP, inflation 1.7%2017, $6,233 a person, $11,793 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2018, $6,304 a person, $12,187 at PPP, inflation -0.2%2019, $6,205 a person, $12,543 at PPP, inflation 0.3%2020, $5,464 a person, $11,527 at PPP, inflation -0.3%2021, $6,061 a person, $13,507 at PPP, inflation 0.1%2022, $6,516 a person, $15,196 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2023, $6,718 a person, $15,907 at PPP, inflation 2.2%2024, $6,827 a person, $15,848 at PPP, inflation 1.5%2025, $7,125 a person, $16,757 at PPP, inflation 0.7%$0$10K$20KInflation, % a year10%0200620102015202020252006, $3,244 a person, $7,885 at PPP, inflation 3.3%2007, $3,479 a person, $8,112 at PPP, inflation 2.3%2008, $4,195 a person, $8,663 at PPP, inflation 8.4%2009, $4,053 a person, $8,662 at PPP, inflation 5.2%2010, $4,520 a person, $8,969 at PPP, inflation 3.6%2011, $5,154 a person, $9,769 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2012, $5,634 a person, $10,245 at PPP, inflation 5.1%2013, $6,109 a person, $11,296 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2014, $6,406 a person, $11,836 at PPP, inflation 3.6%2015, $5,976 a person, $10,878 at PPP, inflation 4%2016, $5,918 a person, $10,881 at PPP, inflation 1.7%2017, $6,233 a person, $11,793 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2018, $6,304 a person, $12,187 at PPP, inflation -0.2%2019, $6,205 a person, $12,543 at PPP, inflation 0.3%2020, $5,464 a person, $11,527 at PPP, inflation -0.3%2021, $6,061 a person, $13,507 at PPP, inflation 0.1%2022, $6,516 a person, $15,196 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2023, $6,718 a person, $15,907 at PPP, inflation 2.2%2024, $6,827 a person, $15,848 at PPP, inflation 1.5%2025, $7,125 a person, $16,757 at PPP, inflation 0.7%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Above-average life expectancy

Life expectancy
77.6years, at birthHigh
#63 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
78WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100HighWHO · 2023
Air pollution
8.1PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageVery lowWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Very fast home internet

Unemployment rate
3.3%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
163 Mbpsmedian download speedVery fastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
466EF English Proficiency Index scoreLowEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet163 MbpsVery fast
Mobile70 MbpsSlow

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Visas and moving

Digital nomad visaEasy

Minimum income
$1,275 a month
Duration
24 months
Renewable
Yes
Application fee
$460
  • Tax treatmentLocal rates apply
  • Processing timeAbout 15 days
  • Health insuranceRequired
  • DependantsAllowed
  • Apply onlineYes
  • Path to residencyYes
  • NationalitiesOpen to all
Official page
Aerial view of Quito with city buildings and the majestic Andes in the background.
How it changed

Ecuador's Human Development Index

0.777High human development

88th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 7th of 12 in South America.

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. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #86Moldova0.785
  2. #87Ukraine0.779
  3. #88Ecuador0.777
  4. #89Dominican Republic0.776
  5. #89Guyana0.776
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.646 in 1990 to 0.777 in 2023.

0.600.700.800.77719902000201020231990: 0.6461991: 0.6491992: 0.6541993: 0.6601994: 0.6671995: 0.6721996: 0.6771997: 0.6821998: 0.6841999: 0.6822000: 0.6832001: 0.6912002: 0.6982003: 0.7032004: 0.7092005: 0.7142006: 0.7182007: 0.7222008: 0.7292009: 0.7312010: 0.7372011: 0.7432012: 0.7502013: 0.7552014: 0.7602015: 0.7642016: 0.7612017: 0.7642018: 0.7672019: 0.7652020: 0.7402021: 0.7532022: 0.7732023: 0.7770.600.700.8019902000201020231990: 0.6461991: 0.6491992: 0.6541993: 0.6601994: 0.6671995: 0.6721996: 0.6771997: 0.6821998: 0.6841999: 0.6822000: 0.6832001: 0.6912002: 0.6982003: 0.7032004: 0.7092005: 0.7142006: 0.7182007: 0.7222008: 0.7292009: 0.7312010: 0.7372011: 0.7432012: 0.7502013: 0.7552014: 0.7602015: 0.7642016: 0.7612017: 0.7642018: 0.7672019: 0.7652020: 0.7402021: 0.7532022: 0.7732023: 0.777

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
77.6 years2024at birthUp 3.7 years from 73.9 years in 2005
Internet users
77%2024of people onlineUp 70 points from 7% in 2006
Urban population
63%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 1 point from 62% in 2006
Births per woman
1.812024births per womanDown 0.99 from 2.80 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
19%2021of energy usedUp 2 points from 17% in 2004
Access to electricity
99%2024of people with electricityUp 3 points from 96% in 2005
Infant mortality
112024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 9 from 20 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
2.6 t2024of CO2 per person a yearUp 0.6 t from 2.1 t in 2005
Forest area
50%2023of land under forestDown 5 points from 54% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Dollar economy and cheap living, but security has deteriorated fast in recent years. The case for living here is clean air. The case against is a low peace ranking and little English among locals.

About Ecuador

Ecuador is a compact South American country that packs remarkable geographic and biological diversity into a small area, from the Amazon jungle and the high Andean páramo to the Pacific coast and the extraordinary Galápagos Islands. The indigenous cultures of the highlands are vibrant and visible in the markets and festivals of cities like Otavalo. Quito, high in the Andes, is one of the best-preserved colonial capitals in the Americas.

Practical facts

  • CapitalQuito
  • LanguagesSpanish
  • CurrencyUnited States dollar (USD)
  • Area248,360 km²
  • Plug typeType A/B
  • Drives on theright
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Quick answers

What is Ecuador's Human Development Index?

Ecuador's Human Development Index is 0.777 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #88 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Ecuador safe?

Ecuador scores 2.54 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #134 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is Ecuador?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Ecuador at 30.9 (New York = 100); that is #34 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Ecuador?

Life expectancy at birth in Ecuador is 77.6 yrs (World Bank), ranked #63 of 195 countries.

What is the quality of life in Ecuador?

Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Ecuador at 128.7, ranked #53 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.