Ecuador

presidential republic

name: Quito geographic coordinates: 0 13 S, 78 30 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Ecuador has two time zones, including the Galapagos Islands (UTC-6) etymology: named after the Quitu, a Pre-Columbian people who lived in the area; the meaning of their name is unknown

chief of state: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023) head of government: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 9 February 2025, with a runoff on 13 April 2025 election results: 2025: Daniel NOBOA Azin reelected president; percent of vote in the first round - Daniel NOBOA Azin (ADN) 44.2%, Luisa GONZ LEZ Alcivar (MRC) 44%, Leonidas IZA (MUPP) 5.3%, other 6.5%; percent of vote in the second round - Daniel NOBOA Azin 55.6%, Luisa GONZ LEZ Alcivar 44.4% 2023: Daniel NOBOA Azin elected president; percent of vote in the first round - Luisa GONZ LEZ Alcivar (MRC) 33.6%, Daniel NOBOA Azin (ADN) 23.5%, Christian Gustavo ZURITA Ron (Construye) 16.4%, Jan Tomislav TOPIĆ Feraud (Por Un Pa s Sin Miedo) 14.7%, Otto Ram n SONNENHOLZNER Sper (Avanza) 7.1%, other 4.7%; percent of vote in the second round - Daniel NOBOA Azin 51.8%, Luisa GONZ LEZ Alcivar 48.2% 2021: Guillermo LASSO Mendoza elected president; percent of vote in the first round - Andres ARAUZ (UNES) 32.7%, Guillermo LASSO Mendoza (CREO) 19.7%, Yaku PEREZ Guartambel (MUPP) 19.4%, Xavier HERVAS Mora (ID) 15.7%, other 12.5%; percent of vote in the second round - Guillermo LASSO Mendoza (CREO) 52.5%, Andres ARAUZ (UNES) 47.5% expected date of next election: 28 February 2029 note 1: the president is both chief of state and head of government note 2: though eligible for a second term, former president Guillermo LASSO announced that he would not run in the 2023 election; President Daniel NOBOA Azin is serving out the remainder of the presidential term (2021 2025)

legislature name: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 151 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 2/9/2025 parties elected and seats per party: Citizen Revolution Movement (RC) - Renewal Movement (RETO) (67); National Democratic Action (ADN) (66); Pachakutik (9); Other (9) percentage of women in chamber: 45% expected date of next election: February 2029 note 1: all Assembly members have alternates from the same party who cast votes when a primary member is absent, resigns, or is removed from office note 2: on 18 May 2023, Ecuador s National Electoral Council announced that the legislative and presidential elections - originally scheduled for February 2025 - would be held on 20 August 2023 after President Guillermo LASSO dissolved the National Assembly by decree on 17 May 2023; a return to a regular election cycle will occur in February 2025

highest court(s): National Court of Justice or Corte Nacional de Justicia (consists of 21 judges, including the chief justice and organized into 5 specialized chambers); Constitutional Court or Corte Constitucional (consists of the court president and 8 judges) judge selection and term of office: candidates for the National Court of Justice evaluated and appointed justices by the Judicial Council, a 9-member independent body of law professionals; justices elected for 9-year, non-renewable terms, with one third of the membership renewed every 3 years; candidates for the Constitutional Court evaluated and appointed judges by a 6-member independent body of law professionals; judges appointed for 4-year renewable terms subordinate courts: provincial courts (one for each province except Galapagos); fiscal, criminal, and administrative tribunals; Election Dispute Settlement Courts; cantonal courts

history: many previous; latest approved 20 October 2008 amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic through a referendum, by public petition of at least 1% of registered voters, or by agreement of at least one-third membership of the National Assembly; passage requires two separate readings a year apart and approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, and approval by absolute majority in a referendum; amendments such as changes to the structure of the state, constraints on personal rights and guarantees, or constitutional amendment procedures are not allowed

CAN, CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

2.2% of GDP (2024 est.) 2.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ecuadorian Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador): Ground Force (Fuerza Terrestre), Naval Force (Fuerza Naval; includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast guard), Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza A rea Ecuatoriana) (2025) note: the National Police of Ecuador (Polic a Nacional del Ecuador) is under the Ministry of Government/Interior

18-22 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 12-month service obligation; conscription abolished in 2008 (2025) note: in 2024, women made up about 5% of the active military

the military is responsible for preserving Ecuador s national sovereignty and defending the integrity of the state; it also has some domestic security responsibilities and may complement police operations in maintaining public order if required; the military shares responsibility for border enforcement with the National Police; it participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises and has sent troops on UN peacekeeping missions; the military has defense ties to regional countries, such as Chile, Colombia, and Peru border conflicts with Peru dominated the military s focus until the late 1990s and border security remains a priority, but in more recent years, security challenges have included counterinsurgency and counternarcotics operations, particularly in the northern border area where violence and other criminal activity related to terrorism, insurgency, and narco-trafficking in Colombia, as well as refugees from Venezuela, have spilled over the border; the military has established a joint service task force for counterinsurgency and counternarcotics operations and boosted troop deployments along those borders; other missions include countering illegal mining, smuggling, and maritime piracy; since 2012, the Ecuadorian Government has expanded the military s role in general public security and domestic crime operations, in part due to rising violence, police corruption, and police ineffectiveness; in 2024, Ecuador passed a constitutional amendment formally authorizing the military to participate in complementary security roles such as supporting law enforcement in high-risk areas, conducting joint operations against organized crime, and providing logistical assistance in maintaining public order the military ruled the country from 1963-1966 and 1972-1979, and supported a dictatorship in 1970-1972; during the 1980s, the military remained loyal to the civilian government, but civilian-military relations were at times tenuous, and the military had considerable autonomy from civilian oversight; it was involved in coup attempts in 2000 and 2010 (2025)

$252.728 billion (2024 est.) $257.889 billion (2023 est.) $252.861 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$13,900 (2024 est.) $14,300 (2023 est.) $14,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

-2% (2024 est.) 2% (2023 est.) 5.9% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

1.5% (2024 est.) 2.2% (2023 est.) 3.5% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

43.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

$38.468 billion (2024 est.) $35.687 billion (2023 est.) $36.588 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$33.97 billion (2024 est.) $35.421 billion (2023 est.) $36.644 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

4.8% (2024 est.) 3.6% (2023 est.) 3.8% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $35.962 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $35.969 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

bananas, sugarcane, milk, oil palm fruit, maize, rice, plantains, chicken, pineapples, cocoa beans (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 18,479,841 (2025 est.) male: 9,097,614 female: 9,382,227

0.91% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 26.8% (male 2,505,729/female 2,395,198) 15-64 years: 64.1% (male 5,771,234/female 5,972,938) 65 years and over: 9.1% (2024 est.) (male 746,207/female 918,678)

17.42 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.12 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 74.9 years (2024 est.) male: 69.7 years female: 80.4 years

urban population: 64.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.62% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 77.5%, Montubio 7.7%, Indigenous 7.7%, White 2.2%, Afroecuadorian 2%, Mulatto 1.4%, Black 1.3%, other 0.1% (2022 est.)

Spanish (Castilian; official) 98.6%, indigenous 3.9% (Quechua 3.2%, other indigenous 0.7%), foreign 2.8%, other 0.6% (includes Ecuadorian sign language) (2022 est.) major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note 1: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census note 2: Quechua and Shuar are official languages of intercultural relations; other indigenous languages are in official use by indigenous peoples in the areas they inhabit

Roman Catholic 68.2%, Protestant 19% (Evangelical 18.3%, Adventist 0.6%, other Protestant 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other 2.3%, none 8.2% don't know/no response 1% (2023 est.)

total population: 96.3% (2022 est.) male: 96.8% (2022 est.) female: 95.7% (2022 est.)

petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Los Choneros; Los Lobos

USG identification: major illicit drug-producing and/or drug-transit country major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 30,241 (2024 est.) IDPs: 57,402 (2024 est.)

317 (2025)

total: 965 km (2022) narrow gauge: 965 km (2022) 1.067-m gauge note: passenger service limited to certain sections of track, mostly for tourist trains

total: 154 (2023) by type: container ship 1, general cargo 8, oil tanker 28, other 117

total subscriptions: 18.4 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 102 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 77% (2024 est.) according to 2021 statistics from Ecuador's Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society, 50% of homes do not have access to fixed internet