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Bolivia
(information)
Population as of 2020: 11 million 83 of 193
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Region: South America
Nominal G.D.P. in 2024: $49.67 billion 93 of 193
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Top Exports
Total exports: **~$9.0–9.1 billion (2024)** **Resource-heavy economy:** natural gas, minerals, and metals dominate the export structure | Rank | Export Category | Notes | | ---- | --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Mineral fuels (natural gas)** ⭐ | Largest export (~18% of total) | | 2 | **Ores, slag & ash** ⭐ | Includes zinc, silver, lead (~23% combined) | | 3 | **Precious metals (gold)** | Major export category | | 4 | **Food industry residues (soy cake)** | Animal feed exports | | 5 | **Animal/vegetable oils (soybean oil)** | Key agricultural export | | 6 | **Tin & tin products** | Traditional mining sector | | 7 | **Fertilizers (urea)** | Fast-growing export | | 8 | **Oilseeds (soybeans)** | Core agricultural export | | 9 | **Meat & beef products** | Expanding sector | | 10 | **Fruits & nuts (Brazil nuts)** | Niche but important | Key individual export products (by value) | Rank | Product | Notes | | ---- | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | 11 | **Natural gas (pipeline gas)** | #1 export (~$1.6B) | | 12 | **Zinc ores & concentrates** | Major mineral export (~15%+) | | 13 | **Silver ores & concentrates** | Large mining export | | 14 | **Gold (unwrought & refined)** | Key precious metal export | | 15 | **Soybean oilcake (animal feed)** | Major agro-export | | 16 | **Unprocessed tin** | Important industrial metal | | 17 | **Soybean oil** | Value-added agriculture | | 18 | **Lead ores & concentrates** | Secondary mining export | | 19 | **Jewelry (precious metals)** | Small but notable | | 20 | **Brazil nuts & coconuts** | Signature agricultural product | Key Takeaways * 🛢️ **Natural gas is the backbone export:** * Bolivia is a major regional supplier of pipeline gas * ⛏️ **Mining dominates overall exports:** * Zinc, silver, gold, and tin are core export drivers * 🌱 **Strong agricultural component:** * Soybeans and derivatives are the **main non-mineral exports** * ⚠️ **Moderate concentration:** * Top products (gas + minerals) make up **~75%+ of exports** * 🌍 **Commodity-based economy:** * Exports are heavily tied to **global commodity prices** Top Importers of Bolivia’s Exports (2024) | Rank | Country | Notes | | ---- | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Brazil** | By far the largest buyer; natural gas via pipelines. | | 2 | **Argentina** | Major gas importer (though declining volumes). | | 3 | **China** | Minerals (zinc, silver, gold). | | 4 | **India** | Precious metals and minerals. | | 5 | **Japan** | Industrial metals (zinc, silver). | | 6 | **United Arab Emirates** | Gold trading hub. | | 7 | **Peru** | Regional trade and mineral flows. | | 8 | **South Korea** | Metals for manufacturing. | | 9 | **Colombia** | Agricultural and regional trade. | | 10 | **United States** | Metals, minerals, and niche agricultural products. | Key Patterns * 🛢️ **Regional gas trade dominates**: * **Brazil and Argentina** are top buyers due to **pipeline natural gas exports** * ⛏️ **Mining links Bolivia to Asia**: * Countries like **China, India, Japan, and South Korea** import minerals * 🪙 **Gold trade flows through hubs**: * UAE plays a key role as a **global gold trading center** * 🌎 **Mixed regional + global structure**: * Strong ties to **neighboring South America** plus **global commodity markets**
