Venezuela

federal presidential republic

name: Caracas geographic coordinates: 10 29 N, 66 52 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: named for the Caracas tribe that originally settled in the area; the origin of their name is unknown

chief of state: Interim President Delcy Elo na RODR GUEZ G mez (since 5 January 2026) head of government: Interim President Delcy Elo na RODR GUEZ G mez (since 5 January 2026) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits) most recent election date: 28 July 2024 election results: 2024: official results disputed; Nicolas MADURO Moros was declared the winner by the MADURO-controlled National Electoral Council; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 52%, Edmundo GONZ LEZ Urrutia (Independent) 43.2%, Luis Eduardo MART NEZ (AD) 1.2%, other 3.6% 2018: Nicolas MADURO Moros reelected president; percent of vote - Nicolas MADURO Moros (PSUV) 67.9%, Henri FALCON (AP) 20.9%, Javier BERTUCCI 10.8% expected date of next election: unknown note 1: the president is both chief of state and head of government note 2: in January 2026, the United States removed Nicolas MADURO Moros from his position as leader; Interim President RODR GUEZ has been sworn in and is expected to remain during a transition period note 3: the United States did not recognize Nicolas MADURO Moros as president of Venezuela; the United States recognized that Edmundo GONZ LEZ won the most votes in the 28 July 2024 presidential election because of overwhelming evidence, including more than 80% of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations that indicated GONZ LEZ received the most votes by an insurmountable margin

legislature name: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 277 (all directly elected) electoral system: mixed system scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 12/6/2020 percentage of women in chamber: 32.1% expected date of next election: May 2025 note: in 2020, the National Electoral Council increased the number of seats in the National Assembly from 167 to 277 for the December 2020 election

highest court(s): Supreme Tribunal of Justice (consists of 32 judges organized into constitutional, political-administrative, electoral, civil appeals, criminal appeals, and social divisions) judge selection and term of office: judges proposed by the Committee of Judicial Postulation (an independent body of organizations dealing with legal issues and of the organs of citizen power) and appointed by the National Assembly; judges serve nonrenewable 12-year terms subordinate courts: Superior or Appeals Courts (Tribunales Superiores); District Tribunals (Tribunales de Distrito); Courts of First Instance (Tribunales de Primera Instancia); Parish Courts (Tribunales de Parroquia); Justices of the Peace (Justicia de Paz) Network

history: many previous; latest adopted 15 December 1999, effective 30 December 1999 amendment process: proposed through agreement by at least 39% of the National Assembly membership, by the president of the republic in session with the cabinet of ministers, or by petition of at least 15% of registered voters; passage requires simple majority vote by the Assembly and simple majority approval in a referendum

ACS, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

0.6% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, FANB): Bolivarian Army (Ejercito Bolivariano, EB), Bolivarian Navy (Armada Bolivariana, AB; includes marines, Coast Guard), Bolivarian Military Aviation (Aviacion Militar Bolivariana, AMB), Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana), Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivaria, GNB), Presidential Honor Guard Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace: Bolivarian National Police (Polic a Nacional Bolivariana, PNB) (2025) note 1: the Bolivarian Militia and the Presidential Honor Guard are considered special/secondary components of the FANB; the Militia is composed of the Military Reserve and the Territorial Militia and is comprised of armed civilians who receive periodic training in exchange for a small stipend note 2: the National Guard was made part of the FANB in 2007 and is responsible for maintaining public order, guarding the exterior of key government installations and prisons, conducting counter-narcotics operations, monitoring borders, and providing law enforcement in remote areas; it reports to both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace note 3: the PNB is a federal force created by Hugo CHAVEZ in 2008 as a preventative police force, separate from state and local ones; the PNB largely focuses on policing Caracas Libertador municipality, patrolling Caracas-area highways, railways, and metro system, and protecting diplomatic missions; the PNB includes the Special Action Forces (Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales, FAES), a paramilitary unit created by President MADURO to bolster internal security after the 2017 anti-government protests note 4: there are also pro-government armed groups known as colectivos operating in Caracas and other cities

18-30 (25 for women) for voluntary service; the minimum service obligation is 24-30 months; 17-39 for Militia service; all citizens of military service age (18-50) are obligated to register for military service and subject to military training (2025)

the armed forces (FANB) are responsible for ensuring Venezuela s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; they also have a domestic role, including assisting with maintaining internal security, conducting counter-narcotics missions, contributing to national socio-economic development, and providing disaster relief/humanitarian assistance; the military has been deployed against illegal armed groups operating in the Colombian border region and other areas to combat organized crime gangs involved in narcotics trafficking and illegal mining; it has ties with the militaries of China, Cuba, Iran, and Russia the FANB has a role in the country s economy and political sectors; military officers hold key positions in state-owned companies, government ministries, and funding agencies; the FANB runs corporation involved in agriculture, banking, communications, energy, insurance, mining, and transportation (2025)

$110.943 billion (2023 est.) $106.672 billion (2022 est.) $98.768 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars

$4,900 (2023 est.) $4,600 (2022 est.) $4,000 (2021 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars

-19.67% (2018 est.) -14% (2017 est.) -15.76% (2017 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

200.9% (2022 est.) 1,588.5% (2021 est.) 2,355.1% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

38.9% of GDP (2017 est.) note: data cover central government debt, as well as the debt of state-owned oil company PDVSA; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include some debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; some debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions

$83.401 billion (2018 est.) $93.485 billion (2017 est.) $28.684 billion (2016 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$18.432 billion (2018 est.) $18.376 billion (2017 est.) $25.81 billion (2016 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

5.5% (2024 est.) 5.5% (2023 est.) 5.8% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $30 million (2017 est.) expenditures: $76 million (2017 est.)

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

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

total: 31,755,435 (2025 est.) male: 15,808,263 female: 15,947,172

0.88% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 25% (male 3,987,361/female 3,811,307) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 10,264,353/female 10,330,376) 65 years and over: 9.1% (2024 est.) (male 1,303,737/female 1,553,172)

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

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

-1.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 74.5 years (2024 est.) male: 71.5 years female: 77.7 years

urban population: 88.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

unspecified Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, Indigenous

Spanish (official) 98.2%, indigenous 1.3%, Portuguese 0.1%, other 0.4% (2023 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.

Roman Catholic 48.1%, Protestant 31.6% (Evangelical 31.4%, Adventist 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, African American/umbanda 0.7%, other 0.1%, believer 3.5%, agnostic 0.1%, atheist, 0.4%, none 13.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2023 est.)

total population: 97.2% (2017 est.) male: 97.2% (2017 est.) female: 97.3% (2017 est.)

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

National Liberation Army (ELN); Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP); Segundo Marquetalia (SM); Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

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

tier rating: Tier 3 Venezuela does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making any efforts to do so, therefore, Venezuela remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/venezuela/

refugees: 20,911 (2024 est.) IDPs: 2,338 (2024 est.)

509 (2025)

total: 447 km (2014) standard gauge: 447 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (41.4 km electrified)

total: 272 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 3, container ship 1, general cargo 26, oil tanker 17, other 225

total subscriptions: 20.2 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 71 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 62% (2017 est.)