Latin America & Caribbean · Lower middle income
Venezuela: the economy in numbers
Per person: $3,495. Population: 28.5 million (2025).
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #78 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +5.0%.
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $83.5 billion in 1960, $99.7 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $10,232 per person in 1960, $3,495 in 2025.
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: −10.1% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 18 of 65.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 44.6 times from 2008 to 2016. Highest annual inflation: 65,374% in 2018. Years with inflation above 100%: 12. The chart cuts the scale at 100%; “Full scale” shows everything.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2002 listed domestic companies were worth $3.98 billion, or 4.3% of GDP.
Population
1960: 8.16 million · 2025: 28.5 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 9.4% · 2025: 5.3%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 58.4 years · 2024: 72.7 years.
Exports of goods and services
1960: 30.4% · 2025: 14.9%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 7.0%f | 174.7%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | 5.0%f | 467.9%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | $99.7B | $3,495 | 1.6% | 252.0% | 28.5M | 5.3% | 14.9% | |||
| 2024 | $121B | $4,244 | 5.5% | 49.4% | 28.4M | 5.3% | 72.7 | 16.7% | ||
| 2023 | $102B | $3,617 | 4.0% | 337.5% | 28.3M | 5.4% | 72.5 | 18.1% | ||
| 2022 | $89B | $3,155 | 8.1% | 186.5% | 28.2M | 5.6% | 72.6 | 16.3% | ||
| 2021 | $56.6B | $2,005 | 0.6% | 1,588% | 28.2M | 7.0% | 71.5 | 15.4% | ||
| 2020 | $42.8B | $1,506 | −29.8% | 2,355% | 28.4M | 7.5% | 72.4 | 13.0% | ||
| 2019 | $73B | $2,523 | −27.6% | 19,906% | 28.9M | 5.9% | 72.8 | 47.2% | ||
| 2018 | $102B | $3,422 | −19.6% | 65,374% | 29.8M | 5.5% | 72.6 | 42.5% | ||
| 2017 | $116B | $3,792 | −15.7% | 438.1% | 30.6M | 5.0% | 71.9 | 33.3% | ||
| 2016 | $113B | $3,671 | −17.1% | 254.9% | 30.8M | 5.3% | 72.0 | 31.2% | ||
| 2015 | $125B | $4,097 | −6.2% | 121.7% | 30.6M | 6.1% | 73.0 | 40.8% | ||
| 2014 | $215B | $7,101 | −3.9% | 62.2% | 30.3M | 6.8% | 72.8 | 43.5% | ||
| 2013 | $259B | $8,642 | 1.3% | 40.6% | 29.9M | 7.5% | 73.1 | 30.2% | ||
| 2012 | $372B | $12,582 | 5.7% | 21.1% | 29.6M | 6.6% | 73.1 | 29.6% | ||
| 2011 | $316B | $10,844 | $21,283 | 4.1% | 26.1% | 29.2M | 6.9% | 73.1 | ||
| 2010 | $393B | $13,646 | $20,286 | −1.6% | 28.2% | 28.8M | 7.1% | 73.1 | ||
| 2009 | $330B | $11,597 | $20,634 | −3.1% | 27.1% | 28.4M | 6.1% | 72.8 | ||
| 2008 | $316B | $11,262 | $21,448 | 5.2% | 31.4% | 28.1M | 6.2% | 72.6 | ||
| 2007 | $230B | $8,332 | $20,292 | 8.8% | 18.7% | 27.6M | 7.3% | 73.3 | ||
| 2006 | $183B | $6,739 | $18,441 | 9.9% | 13.7% | 27.2M | 8.6% | 73.0 | ||
| 2005 | $146B | $5,432 | $16,546 | 10.2% | 16.0% | 26.8M | 10.7% | 73.1 | ||
| 2004 | $112B | $4,269 | $14,805 | 18.2% | 21.7% | 26.3M | 15.1% | 72.8 | ||
| 2003 | $83.6B | $3,230 | $12,408 | −7.8% | 31.1% | 25.9M | 16.8% | 72.1 | ||
| 2002 | $92.9B | $3,652 | $13,427 | −8.7% | 22.4% | 25.4M | 16.2% | 4.3% | 72.8 | |
| 2001 | $123B | $4,920 | $14,750 | 3.4% | 12.5% | 25M | 13.0% | 5.1% | 71.0 | |
| 2000 | $117B | $4,776 | $14,207 | 3.5% | 16.2% | 24.5M | 14.0% | 6.9% | 72.4 | |
| 1999 | $98B | $4,071 | $13,674 | −5.9% | 23.6% | 24.1M | 14.5% | 7.6% | 72.1 | |
| 1998 | $91.3B | $3,870 | $14,617 | 0.5% | 35.8% | 23.6M | 11.2% | 8.3% | 72.4 | |
| 1997 | $85.8B | $3,711 | $14,678 | 6.3% | 50.0% | 23.1M | 11.2% | 17.0% | 72.6 | |
| 1996 | $70.5B | $3,113 | $13,850 | −0.3% | 99.9% | 22.7M | 11.8% | 14.3% | 71.9 | |
| 1995 | $77.4B | $3,487 | $13,923 | 3.9% | 59.9% | 22.2M | 10.2% | 5.5% | 71.7 | |
| 1994 | $58.4B | $2,689 | $13,402 | −2.3% | 60.8% | 21.7M | 8.6% | 8.4% | 71.3 | |
| 1993 | $60B | $2,825 | $13,730 | 0.3% | 38.1% | 21.3M | 6.6% | 13.0% | 71.4 | |
| 1992 | $60.4B | $2,907 | $13,682 | 6.0% | 31.4% | 20.8M | 7.7% | 71.2 | ||
| 1991 | $53.5B | $2,633 | $12,915 | 9.6% | 34.2% | 20.3M | 9.4% | 71.2 | ||
| 1990 | $48.6B | $2,452 | $11,675 | 6.7% | 40.7% | 19.8M | 71.0 | 38.2% | ||
| 1989 | $43.5B | $2,250 | −14.0% | 84.5% | 19.3M | 70.8 | 33.0% | |||
| 1988 | $60.2B | $3,191 | 6.4% | 29.5% | 18.9M | 70.8 | 20.0% | |||
| 1987 | $48B | $2,611 | 4.9% | 28.1% | 18.4M | 70.7 | 20.2% | |||
| 1986 | $60.5B | $3,376 | 6.2% | 11.5% | 17.9M | 70.5 | 19.3% | |||
| 1985 | $62B | $3,549 | 0.7% | 11.4% | 17.5M | 70.0 | 22.5% | |||
| 1984 | $59.9B | $3,520 | 5.2% | 12.2% | 17M | 69.7 | 25.1% | |||
| 1983 | $67.6B | $4,079 | −9.7% | 6.2% | 16.6M | 69.5 | 22.7% | |||
| 1982 | $67.7B | $4,202 | 2.6% | 9.6% | 16.1M | 69.0 | 25.1% | |||
| 1981 | $66.3B | $4,228 | −1.3% | 16.2% | 15.7M | 68.7 | 30.5% | |||
| 1980 | $59.1B | $3,874 | −4.4% | 21.4% | 15.3M | 68.2 | 32.6% | |||
| 1979 | $48.3B | $3,257 | 0.8% | 14.8M | 68.2 | 29.9% | ||||
| 1978 | $39.3B | $2,727 | 2.3% | 14.4M | 68.1 | 24.1% | ||||
| 1977 | $36.2B | $2,585 | 6.3% | 14M | 67.7 | 27.1% | ||||
| 1976 | $31.4B | $2,309 | 7.7% | 13.6M | 67.3 | 29.7% | ||||
| 1975 | $27.5B | $2,078 | 2.9% | 13.2M | 66.7 | 32.9% | ||||
| 1974 | $26.1B | $2,034 | 2.1% | 12.8M | 66.2 | 42.9% | ||||
| 1973 | $17B | $1,367 | 7.1% | 12.5M | 65.7 | 28.7% | ||||
| 1972 | $14B | $1,155 | 1.3% | 12.1M | 65.6 | 23.3% | ||||
| 1971 | $13B | $1,106 | 1.5% | 11.7M | 65.2 | 25.2% | ||||
| 1970 | $11.6B | $1,015 | 7.7% | 11.4M | 64.8 | 23.3% | ||||
| 1969 | $10.3B | $932 | 0.7% | 11M | 63.8 | 24.5% | ||||
| 1968 | $10B | $938 | 7.3% | 10.7M | 63.9 | 25.3% | ||||
| 1967 | $9.25B | $893 | 2.8% | 10.4M | 63.5 | 27.2% | ||||
| 1966 | $8.78B | $876 | 1.5% | 10M | 62.9 | 27.7% | ||||
| 1965 | $8.43B | $869 | 4.2% | 9.7M | 61.9 | 29.1% | ||||
| 1964 | $8.19B | $874 | 11.1% | 9.38M | 61.2 | 30.2% | ||||
| 1963 | $9.61B | $1,060 | 3.9% | 9.06M | 60.5 | 32.0% | ||||
| 1962 | $8.81B | $1,007 | 8.5% | 8.76M | 59.7 | 32.7% | ||||
| 1961 | $8.07B | $954 | 3.2% | 8.46M | 59.1 | 31.7% | ||||
| 1960 | $7.66B | $939 | 8.16M | 58.4 | 30.4% |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Inflation: IMF data for 1980–2008, 2017–2025, World Bank for the other years.
Nearby economies in Latin America & Caribbean
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Aruba · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Bolivia · Brazil · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Chile · Colombia · Costa Rica · Cuba · Curaçao · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Puerto Rico · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Martin (French part) · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Sint Maarten · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago · Turks and Caicos Islands · U.S. Virgin Islands · Uruguay · Venezuela
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)