Uruguay — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Uruguay: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Uruguay is in Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil. It covers 176,215 sq km. Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland. Climate: warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown.
| Capital | Montevideo |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,449,444 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $108.502 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $32,000 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.1% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 4.8% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 8.5% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 62.4% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Exports | $23.329 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $19.117 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 78.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 37.4 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 95.8% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 25 August 1825 (from Brazil) |
| Languages | Spanish (official, Rioplatense is the most widely spoken dialect) |
Uruguay’s GDP is $108.502 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $80.962 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 3.1% (2024 est.). See where Uruguay ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
- What our model rewards: 95% of its electricity from low-carbon sources; GDP per capita of $32,000 (PPP) — prosperity far above the world average
- What drags it down: fertility of 1.3 children per woman — below replacement, the cradle is emptying
Hydropower.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 3.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 37% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 27.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 45.755 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 17.3 TWh (2024) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Hydro 42.2%, Wind 27.5%, Oil 5.4%, Solar 3.1% (2024) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 94.6% (2024) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 96.7 gCO2/kWh (2024) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $23.329 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $19.117 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Surplus of $4.2 billion (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Yamandú Orsi — President. President Yamandú ORSI Martínez (since 1 March 2025)
Uruguay maintains 51 embassies and 41 consulates abroad, hosts 44 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, OAS Washington. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 51 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 41 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 44 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, OAS Washington |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, diplomatic & consular networks database, Mar 2026 report (of-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18917562 ; Jan 2026 report (in-country ranking) https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 660 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 65 + 4 heliports (registration prefix CX) |
| Major seaports | Colonia, Fray Bentos, Jose Ignacio, La Paloma, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Paysandu, Puerto Sauce |
| Railways | 1673 km |
| Pipelines | 257 km gas, 160 km oil (2013) |
Major airports
Carrasco General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport (MVD) — Ciudad de la Costa; Capitan Corbeta CA Curbelo International Airport (PDP) — Punta del Este; Pres. Gral. Óscar D. Gestido Binational Airport (RVY) — Rivera/Santana do Livramento.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Last election | 2024 — general (presidential + parliamentary); 2024-11-24 (runoff; first round 2024-10-27); winner: Yamandú Orsi (Broad Front (Frente Amplio)); Broad Front returns to power after 5 years of Lacalle Pou government AP News |
| Next election | 2029 — general (scheduled) |
Source: constitutional schedule / public election calendar
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Uruguay.
Historical timeline of Uruguay
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Uruguay — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Uruguay's power score?
Uruguay has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.