Ecuador

total: 2,371,297 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2020 est.)

the Communication Council, an official entity, carried out a media registry in Ecuador in December 2020. It registered 956 media outlets, 89% are private, 5% are public and 6% belong to small communities. The government controls most of the 44 public media, this includes national media and multiple local radio stations. In addition, of the 956 registered media, 58% are radio and 18% print. Two provinces have the largest number of media outlets: Guayas has 172 media outlets and Pichincha has 130 media outlets. (2020) so also sent to the National Assembly a new regulation proposal that is still under discussion. (2022)

.ec

total: 13.68 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 76% (2021 est.) according to 2021 statistics from Ecuador's Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society, 50% of homes do not have access to fixed internet

general assessment: Ecuador has a small telecom market dominated by the mobile sector; the evolution of the market has been influenced by the poor fixed-line infrastructure, which has stymied the development of fixed-line broadband services; to some extent poor infrastructure has been the result of topographical challenges which have rendered the cost of deploying networks to remote and mountainous areas prohibitive; although Ecuador has several fixed-line operators and a large number of ISPs, the state-owned incumbent leads the fixed-line market, and thus also the fixed broadband market; thus far the MVNO sector has been slow to develop, partly because the incumbent operators also have their low-cost brands and thus there is little business case for new market entrants; the government is keen to advance and improve teledensity; from 2022, additional revenue will be earmarked for programs aimed at expanding the reach of internet and mobile services in rural areas of the country; Ecuador lacks a national 5G roadmap; the mobile operators have conducted several 5G pilots, but no progress has been made on allocation spectrum for 5G, or on developing strategies to encourage investment in the sector (2022) domestic: according to 2021 statistics from the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society, 50 percent of Ecuadorian homes do not have access to fixed internet; fixed-line teledensity is about 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular service with a subscribership of nearly 94 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 593; landing points for the SPSC (Mistral Submarine Cable), Panamerican Cable System (PAN-AM), Pacific Caribbean Cable System (PCCS), America Movil-Telxius West Coast Cable and SAm-1 submarine (SAm-1) cables that provide links to South and Central America, and extending onward to the Caribbean and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

total subscriptions: 1,846,666 (2021) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions: 16,789,600 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 94 (2021 est.)

sugar cane, bananas, milk, oil palm fruit, maize, rice, plantains, poultry, cocoa, potatoes

on food: 26.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 0.8% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

revenues: $35.914 billion (2019 est.) expenditures: $39.319 billion (2019 est.)

-4.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Fitch rating: B- (2020) Moody's rating: Caa3 (2020) Standard & Poors rating: B- (2020) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

$2.952 billion (2021 est.) $2.69 billion (2020 est.) -$59.36 million (2019 est.)

$50.667 billion (2019 est.) $43.224 billion (2018 est.)

highly informal South American economy; USD currency user; major banana exporter; hard hit by COVID-19; macroeconomic fragility from oil dependency; successful debt restructuring; China funding budget deficits; social unrest hampering economic activity

1 (2021 est.) 1 (2020 est.) 1 (2019 est.) 1 (2018 est.) 1 (2017 est.) the US dollar became Ecuador's currency in 2001

$29.325 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $22.401 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $26.12 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

crude petroleum, shrimp, bananas, refined petroleum, tuna (2021)

United States 30%, China 13%, Panama 8%, Chile 7% (2019)

calendar year

$107.436 billion (2019 est.)

household consumption: 60.7% (2017 est.) government consumption: 14.4% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 24.3% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 1% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 20.8% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -21.3% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 6.7% (2017 est.) industry: 32.9% (2017 est.) services: 60.4% (2017 est.)

47.3 (2020 est.) note: data are for urban households only

lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 35.4% (2012 est.) note: data are for urban households only

$28.567 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $19.877 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $25.89 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

refined petroleum, coal tar oil, cars, packaged medicines, soybean products (2019)

United States 22%, China 18%, Colombia 9%, Panama 5% (2019)

0.49% (2021 est.) note: excludes oil refining

petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

0.13% (2021 est.) -0.34% (2020 est.) 0.27% (2019 est.)

8.528 million (2021 est.)

25% (2019 est.)

45.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 43.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

$189.88 billion (2021 est.) $182.165 billion (2020 est.) $197.549 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

4.24% (2021 est.) -7.79% (2020 est.) 0.01% (2019 est.)

$10,700 (2021 est.) $10,400 (2020 est.) $11,400 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$7.912 billion (31 December 2021 est.) $7.137 billion (31 December 2020 est.) $2.939 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

12.54% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

6.43% (2021 est.) 6.11% (2020 est.) 3.81% (2019 est.)

total: 14.2% (2021 est.) male: 11.4% female: 18.8%

36.051 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 45,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 35.329 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 677,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 10,000 metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 10,000 metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 24 million metric tons (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity: 9.354 million kW (2020 est.) consumption: 26,353,430,000 kWh (2019 est.) exports: 1.826 billion kWh (2019 est.) imports: 6 million kWh (2019 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 4.303 billion kWh (2019 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2021)

fossil fuels: 21% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 77.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) biomass and waste: 1.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

42.564 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

production: 342.407 million cubic meters (2019 est.) consumption: 342.407 million cubic meters (2019 est.) exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) proven reserves: 10.902 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 478,000 bbl/day (2021 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 259,000 bbl/day (2019 est.) crude oil and lease condensate exports: 349,400 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 8.273 billion barrels (2021 est.)

25,870 bbl/day (2015 est.)

153,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)

137,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 16.55 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 41.15 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 23.51 megatons (2020 est.)

tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

agricultural land: 29.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 5.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 19.4% (2018 est.) forest: 38.9% (2018 est.) other: 31.4% (2018 est.)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

0.27% of GDP (2018 est.)

442.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal: 1.29 billion cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 550 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 8.8 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

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

municipal solid waste generated annually: 5,297,211 tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 683,340 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 12.9% (2015 est.)

total: 283,561 sq km land: 276,841 sq km water: 6,720 sq km note: includes Galapagos Islands

slightly smaller than Nevada

tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

2,237 km

highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 1,117 m note: because the earth is not a perfect sphere and has an equatorial bulge, the highest point on the planet farthest from its center is Mount Chimborazo not Mount Everest, which is merely the highest peak above sea level

2 00 S, 77 30 W

note 1: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world note 2: genetic research indicates that the cherry-sized tomato originated in Ecuador without any human domestication; later domestication in Mexico transformed the plant into the large modern tomato; archeological research indicates that the cacao tree, whose seeds are used to make chocolate and which was long thought to have originated in Mesoamerica, was first domesticated in the upper Amazon region of northwest South America - present-day Ecuador - about 3,300 B.C.

10,000 sq km (2020)

total: 2,237 km border countries (2): Colombia 708 km; Peru 1529 km

agricultural land: 29.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 5.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 19.4% (2018 est.) forest: 38.9% (2018 est.) other: 31.4% (2018 est.)

Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Amazon (6,145,186 sq km)

South America

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm note: Ecuador has declared its right to extend its continental shelf to 350 nm measured from the baselines of the Galapagos Archipelago

frequent earthquakes; landslides; volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts volcanism: volcanic activity concentrated along the Andes Mountains; Sangay (5,230 m), which erupted in 2010, is mainland Ecuador's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes in the Andes include Antisana, Cayambe, Chacana, Cotopaxi, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, Sumaco, and Tungurahua; Fernandina (1,476 m), a shield volcano that last erupted in 2009, is the most active of the many Galapagos volcanoes; other historically active Galapagos volcanoes include Wolf, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Pinta, Marchena, and Santiago

petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

nearly half of the population is concentrated in the interior in the Andean intermontane basins and valleys, with large concentrations also found along the western coastal strip; the rainforests of the east remain sparsely populated

coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

24 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora Chinchipe

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 indigenous people credited with founding the city; the name is also a combination of two Tsafiki words: quitso (meaning "center" or "half") + to or tu ("the world"); the combination roughly translates as "center of the world" and reflects the fact that native peoples recognized that at the two annual equinoxes, the overhead sun in that area (only about 20 km (12 mi) north of the equator) did not display any shade and thus must be in the middle of the world

citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years

history: many previous; latest approved 20 October 2008 amendments: 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; amended 2011, 2015, 2018

conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador conventional short form: Ecuador local long form: Rep blica del Ecuador local short form: Ecuador etymology: the country's position on the globe, straddling the Equator, accounts for its Spanish name

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. FITZPATRICK (since 3 July 2019) embassy: E12-170 Avenida Avigiras y Avenida Eloy Alfaro, Quito mailing address: 3420 Quito Place, Washington DC 20521-3420 telephone: [593] (2) 398-5000 email address and website: ACSQuito@state.gov https://ec.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Guayaquil

chief of mission: Ambassador Ivonne Leila Juez De A-BAKI (since 6 February 2020) chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200 FAX: [1] (202) 333-2893 email address and website: embassy@ecuador.org http://www.ecuador.org/ consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Haven (CT), New York, Newark (NJ), Phoenix, San Francisco

chief of state: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023); Vice President Ver nica ABAD Rojas (since 23 November 2023); the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023); Vice President Ver nica ABAD Rojas (since 23 November 2023) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections/appointments: 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); election last held on 20 August 2023 with a runoff on 15 October 2023 (next to be held on 28 February 2025); note 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 (with a runoff election held 15 October 2023) after President Guillermo LASSO dissolved the National Assembly by decree on 17 May 2023; though eligible for a second term, LASSO announced that he would not run in the 2023 election; President Daniel NOBOA Azin will serve out the remainder of the current presidential term (2021 2025) election results: 2023: Daniel NOBOA Azin elected president; first round results: percent of vote - 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%; second round results: percent of vote - Daniel NOBOA Azin (ADN) 51.8%, Luisa GONZ LEZ Alcivar (MRC) 48.2% 2021: Guillermo LASSO Mendoza elected president; first round election results: percent of vote - Andres ARAUZ (UNES) 32.72%, Guillermo LASSO Mendoza (CREO) 19.74%, Yaku PEREZ Guartambel (MUPP) 19.38%, Xavier HERVAS Mora (ID) 15.68%, other 12.48%; second round election results: percent of vote - Guillermo LASSO Mendoza (CREO) 52.5%, Andres ARAUZ (UNES) 47.5%

three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; the flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Colombia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830; the yellow color represents sunshine, grain, and mineral wealth, blue the sky, sea, and rivers, and red the blood of patriots spilled in the struggle for freedom and justice note: similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms

presidential republic

24 May 1822 (from Spain)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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

civil law based on the Chilean civil code with modifications; traditional law in indigenous communities

description: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (137 seats; 116 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 15 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by open-list proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies for Ecuadorians living abroad by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - all Assembly members have alternates from the same party who cast votes when a primary member is absent, resigns, or is removed from office elections: last held on 20 August 2023 (next to be held on 28 February 2025); note 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 election results: percent of vote by party - MRC 39.7%, Construye 20.4%, ADN 14.6%, PSC 11.9%, Actuemos 4.5%, PSP 3.2%, other 5.7%; seats by party - NA; note - defections by National Assembly members are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties

name: "Salve, Oh Patria!" (We Salute You, Our Homeland) lyrics/music: Juan Leon MERA/Antonio NEUMANE note: adopted 1948; Juan Leon MERA wrote the lyrics in 1865; only the chorus and second verse are sung

total World Heritage Sites: 5 (3 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Quito (c); Gal pagos Islands (n); Historic Cuenca (c); Qhapaq an/Andean Road System (c); Sangay National Park (n)

Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)

Andean condor; national colors: yellow, blue, red

Actuemos Ecuador or Actuemos Avanza Party or AVANZA [Javier ORTI Torres] Central Democratic Movement or CD [Jimmy JAIRALA] Citizen Revolution Movement or MRC or RC5 [Marcela AGUI AGA] Creating Opportunities Movement or CREO [Guido CHIRIBOGA] Democratic Left or ID [Enrique CH VEZ] For A Country Without Fear (Por Un Pa s Sin Miedo) Movimiento Construye or Construye National Democratic Action (Acci n Democr tica Nacional) or ADN [Daniel NOBOA] Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement or MUPP [Guillermo CHURUCHUMBI] Patriotic Society Party or PSP [Lucio GUTIERREZ Borbua] Social Christian Party or PSC [Alfredo SERRANO] Socialist Party [Gustavo VALLEJO] Society United for More Action or SUMA [Guillermo CELI]

18-65 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16-18, over 65, and other eligible voters, voluntary

What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 30 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period was marred by political instability. Protests in Quito contributed to the mid-term ouster of three of Ecuador's last four democratically elected presidents. In late 2008, voters approved a new constitution, Ecuador's 20th since gaining independence. Guillermo LASSO was elected president in April 2021 becoming the country's first center-right president in nearly two decades when he took office the following month.

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 trains regularly, participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises, and sends troops on UN peacekeeping missions; the military has defense ties to regional countries, such as Chile, Colombia, and Peru, and security ties with the US have been revived in recent years 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 the Joint Command of the Armed Forces (El Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas or CCFFAA) is the military s highest body for planning, preparation, and strategic conduct of military operations; the chief of the CCFFAA is appointed by the president; the military is deployed throughout the country in five joint service operational commands or task forces; it also has a cyber defense command; the Army is organized into four regionally based divisions and approximately 12 combat brigades, including armored cavalry, artillery, aviation, infantry (including specialized jungle infantry), and special forces; the Navy is a compact force comprised of two frigates, six corvettes, three missile attack boats, and two attack submarines; it also has a small aviation force and a Marine Corps with about 2,000 amphibious infantry and commandos; the Air Force has small numbers of operational jet fighters and light ground attack aircraft, as well as some multirole helicopters the military has had a large role in Ecuador s political history; it 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 (2023)

Ecuadorian Armed Forces: the Ecuadorian Army (Ej rcito Ecuatoriano), Ecuadorian Navy (Armada del Ecuador, Fuerza Naval del Ecuador, FNE; includes naval infantry, naval aviation, coast guard), Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana, FAE) (2023) note: the National Police of Ecuador (Polic a Nacional del Ecuador) is under the Ministry of Government/Interior

approximately 40,000 active military personnel (25,000 Army; 9,000 Navy; 6,000 Air Force) (2023)

the military's inventory includes a wide mix of mostly older equipment derived from a variety of sources such as Brazil, China, Russia, and the US; in recent years, Ecuador has received limited amounts of more modern material from several countries, including Germany and Spain (2023)

2% of GDP (2022 est.) 2% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.3% of GDP (2020 est.) 2.2% of GDP (2019) 2.4% of GDP (2018)

18-22 years of age for selective conscript military service for men, although conscription was suspended in 2008; 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 12-month service obligation (2023) note: in 2022, women made up an estimated 3-4% of the military

0-14 years: 24.49% (male 2,183,293/female 2,098,856) 15-64 years: 66.44% (male 5,739,156/female 5,876,090) 65 years and over: 9.07% (2023 est.) (male 745,170/female 840,761)

total: 3.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 2.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

18 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

women married by age 15: 3.8% women married by age 18: 22.2% (2018 est.)

5.2% (2018/19)

77.9% (2018/19) note: percent of women aged 15-50

8.5% of GDP (2020)

55.1% (2023 est.)

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Ecuador s high poverty and income inequality most affect indigenous, mixed race, and rural populations. The government has increased its social spending to ameliorate these problems, but critics question the efficiency and implementation of its national development plan. Nevertheless, the conditional cash transfer program, which requires participants children to attend school and have medical check-ups, has helped improve educational attainment and health care among poor children. Ecuador s total fertility rate the average number of children born per woman is just below replacement level as of 2023, but its population is continuing to grow. Ecuador continues to be both a country of emigration and immigration. The first large-scale emigration of largely undocumented Ecuadorians occurred between 1980 and 2000, when an economic crisis drove Ecuadorians from southern provinces to New York City, where they had connections from the earlier Panama hat trade. Emigration from all parts of Ecuador in the late 1990s was caused by another economic downturn, political instability, and a currency crisis. Spain was the logical destination because of its shared language and the wide availability of low-skilled, informal jobs at a time when increased border surveillance made illegal migration to the US difficult. Ecuador became Spain s second largest immigrant source country. The bulk of Ecuadorian emigration, however, occurred between 2000 and 2007, largely to the US, Spain, and Italy. Emigration has again surged since 2017, as economic problems, high unemployment, poverty, and violence have lead thousands of Ecuadorian migrants and refugees to head to the US. As of 2021, Ecuadorians were the fourth-highest nationality coming into contact with US Customs and Border Protection at the US-Mexico border. Most Ecuadorian migrants and refugees traverse the dangerous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama to reach Mexico. Although Mexico reinstated a visa requirement in September 2021, Ecuadorians continue to enter Mexico illegally and then travel to the US or Canada. Some wind up staying in Mexico if their journeys north fail. Emigrants represent 8-10% of Ecuador s population, as of 2021. Ecuador hosts one of the region s largest refugee populations. From 2000-2005, Colombians arrived in growing numbers to escape armed conflict, and they have continued to immigrate to Ecuador steadily. Between 2008, when Ecuador lifted visa requirements for all countries, and 2016, immigrants entered from Haiti, Cuba, and other continents. The influx of Venezuelans began in 2017, and, as of May 2022, Ecuador was home to the third-largest community of Venezuelan migrants and refugees in the world at over half a million. Immigrants and refugees account for 3-5% of the Ecuador s population, as of 2021.

total dependency ratio: 50.9 youth dependency ratio: 39.4 elderly dependency ratio: 11.5 potential support ratio: 8.7 (2021 est.)

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 87.1% of population total: 95.4% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 12.9% of population total: 4.6% of population (2020 est.)

3.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and White) 71.9%, Montubio 7.4%, Amerindian 7%, White 6.1%, Afroecuadorian 4.3%, Mulatto 1.9%, Black 1%, other 0.4% (2010 est.)

1.09 (2023 est.)

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2016)

total: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.) male: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Spanish (Castilian) 93% (official), Quechua 4.1%, other indigenous 0.7%, foreign 2.2%; note - (Quechua and Shuar are official languages of intercultural relations; other indigenous languages are in official use by indigenous peoples in the areas they inhabit) (2010 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.

total population: 74.9 years (2023 est.) male: 69.7 years female: 80.4 years

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94.5% male: 94.9% female: 94% (2021)

degree of risk: high (2023) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

3.142 million Guayaquil, 1.957 million QUITO (capital) (2023)

66 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

total: 27.7 years (2023 est.) male: 26.8 years female: 28.7 years

noun: Ecuadorian(s) adjective: Ecuadorian

-1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

19.9% (2016)

2.22 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

17,483,326 (2023 est.)

nearly half of the population is concentrated in the interior in the Andean intermontane basins and valleys, with large concentrations also found along the western coastal strip; the rainforests of the east remain sparsely populated

0.99% (2023 est.)

Roman Catholic 68.8%, Evangelical 15.4%, Adventist 1.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, other 1.3%, agnostic or atheist 1.4%, none 10.1%, don't know/no response 1% (2020 est.) note: data represent persons at least 16 years of age from five Ecuadoran cities

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 96.9% of population total: 98.9% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 3.1% of population total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)

total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2020)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

total: 11.3% (2020 est.) male: 18.4% (2020 est.) female: 4.2% (2020 est.)

2.24 children born/woman (2023 est.)

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

Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA; a private research and development institution in charge of the administration and execution of Ecuador s space program, established 2007); Ecuadorian Space Institute (established 2012, disbanded 2018) (2023)

has a small program focused on acquiring or manufacturing satellites; builds scientific satellites; conducts research and develops some space-related technologies; has established relations with the space agencies and industries of China and Russia, as well as the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) and its member states (2023) note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across Ecuador's shared border

Ecuador is a major transit country for cocaine destined for the United States and other international destinations; criminal groups traffic cocaine precursor chemicals for drug gangs; not a major drug producing country; a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

refugees (country of origin): 65,854 (Colombia) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2021); 502,214 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay) (2022)

432 (2021)

104 note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the typical length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

328 note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

HC

2 (2021)

total: 147 (2022) by type: container ship 1, general cargo 8, oil tanker 28, other 110

number of registered air carriers: 7 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 35 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 5,365,261 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 64.2 million (2018) mt-km

485 km extra heavy crude, 123 km gas, 2,131 km oil, 1,526 km refined products (2017)

major seaport(s): Esmeraldas, Manta, Puerto Bolivar container port(s) (TEUs): Guayaquil (2,163,151) (2021) river port(s): Guayaquil (Guayas)

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: 43,950 km (2022) paved: 8,895 km (2022) unpaved: 35,055 km (2022)

1,500 km (2012) (most inaccessible)