Venezuela — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Venezuela: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Venezuela — in Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana. Political status: federal presidential republic. It covers 912,050 sq km. Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast. Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands.
| Capital | Caracas |
|---|---|
| Population | 31,755,435 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $110.943 billion (2023 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $4,900 (2023 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -19.67% (2018 est.) |
| Inflation | 200.9% (2022 est.) |
| Unemployment | 5.5% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 38.9% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $83.401 billion (2018 est.) |
| Imports | $18.432 billion (2018 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 74.5 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 31.3 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 88.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | federal presidential republic |
| Independence | 5 July 1811 (from Spain) |
| Languages | Spanish (official) 98.2%, indigenous 1.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.4% (2023 est.) |
Venezuela’s GDP is $110.943 billion (2023 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $139.395 billion (2023 est.). Real GDP grew -19.67% (2018 est.). See where Venezuela 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).
No single event defined Jul–Sep 2026. The country's position is the product of long-cycle forces — geography, trade, neighbours — all of which held steady.
Momentum at zero is not stagnation; it is the accurate record of a quarter without a catalyst.
- What our model rewards: unemployment near 5.5% — work for whoever wants it; the economy grew 19.7% last year — genuine momentum
- What drags it down: inflation running at 200.9% — eating paychecks
Oil, Natural gas, Iron ore, Gold, Bauxite, Hydropower, Diamonds.
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: 21.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 78.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 54.474 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 698.5 TWh (2024) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 83.3 TWh (2024) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 24,592 kWh per person (2024) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Hydro 87.4%, Wind 0.0%, Solar 0.0% (2024) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 87.4% (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 | $83.401 billion (2018 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $18.432 billion (2018 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Surplus of $65.0 billion (2018), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products, crude oil and petroleum products |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Delcy Rodríguez — Interim President. Interim President Delcy Eloína RODRÍGUEZ Gómez (since 5 January 2026)
Venezuela maintains 89 embassies and 21 consulates abroad, hosts 57 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 | 89 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 21 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 57 |
| 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 — 2800 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 509 + 88 heliports (registration prefix YV) |
| Major seaports | Amuay (Bahia de Amuay), Bahia de Pertigalete, Ciudad Bolivar, Guanta, La Guaira, La Salina, Las Piedras, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Puerto de Hierro, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Miranda, Puerto Ordaz, Punta Cardon |
| Railways | 447 km |
| Pipelines | 981 km extra heavy crude, 5941 km gas, 7,588 km oil, 1,778 km refined products (2013) |
Major airports
Arturo Michelena International Airport (VLN) — Valencia; Del Caribe Santiago Mariño International Airport (PMV) — Isla Margarita; General José Antonio Anzoategui International Airport (BLA) — Barcelona; General Manuel Carlos Piar International Airport (PZO) — Guyana City; Jacinto Lara International Airport (BRM) — Barquisimeto; La Chinita International Airport (MAR) — Maracaibo; Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS) — Maiquetía; Antonio José de Sucre Airport (CUM) — Cumaná; Barinas Airport (BNS) — Barinas; Canaima Airport (CAJ) — Canaima.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
Terminals
| Oil terminals | Jose terminal |
|---|
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 | federal presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Venezuela.
Historical timeline of Venezuela
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Venezuela — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Venezuela's power score?
Venezuela has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.