Ecuador profile

Demography and Health

In 2024, Ecuador’s population stands at about 18.1 million (18,135,478), placing the country around the 70th most populous globally. The birth rate is 15.0 births per 1,000 people in 2023, suggesting a gradual population growth that benefits from a relatively high life expectancy and improving health indicators but also raises demands on schooling, housing, and employment. Life expectancy at birth is 77.4 years in 2023, reflecting substantial gains in health outcomes over the past decades, while the crude death rate is 5.13 per 1,000 people (2023). The mortality burden on young children remains notable, with under-5 mortality at 13.1 per 1,000 live births (2023), signaling progress in child health yet leaving room for further improvement in neonatal and early childhood care. The country faces persistent poverty, with 26.0% of the population living below national poverty lines in 2023, underscoring the intersection of health outcomes with income security, access to nutrition, and social protection. The prevalence of undernourishment is 13.9% (2022), illustrating ongoing nutrition challenges that can affect development, learning, and productivity across generations. On the health financing front, current health expenditure accounts for 7.53% of GDP in 2022, and domestic general government health expenditure per capita, PPP, is 604 international US dollars (2022), indicating a government commitment to health services but also highlighting constraints in service capacity and equity. The health system’s capacity is evident in hospital beds per 1,000 people at 1.3 (2021), a figure that points to potential congestion in facilities during health surges or emergencies. Mental health dimensions surface in the suicide mortality rate of 7.56 per 100,000 population (2021), signaling the need for integrated behavioral health programs and social support. The digital landscape is favorable for health information and service delivery, with 77.2% of the population using the Internet in 2024, enabling telemedicine, remote diagnostics, and public health campaigns to reach urban and rural communities alike. Taken together, these demography and health indicators show a country with solid life expectancy and improving child health, but with ongoing challenges in poverty alleviation, nutrition, healthcare access, and mental health that policy makers must address through inclusive social protection, targeted nutrition programs, and investments in primary care and health infrastructure.

Economy, Trade and Investment

Ecuador’s economy in 2024 presents a lower-middle-income profile with modest external integration and a relatively stable price environment. GDP per capita is US$6,875 in current US$ terms (2024), ranking around 101st, which reflects a material standard of living below many regional peers and indicates substantial scope for inclusive growth. By contrast, GDP per capita in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms is US$15,840 (2024), ranking 107th, highlighting that domestic purchasing power is higher than the nominal figure suggests when considering local price levels. The external sector shows export performance at 30.3% of GDP (2024) and imports at 26.9% of GDP (2024), indicating a moderately open economy with a dependence on external markets for certain goods and inputs. The current account balance stands at +5.68% of GDP (2024), signaling a favorable external position that supports investment and macro stability, provided commodity prices and terms of trade remain favorable. Inflation runs at 1.55% (2024), implying price stability that helps households and firms plan for the medium term. The unemployment rate is 3.51% (2023), a relatively low figure that may mask underemployment or informality unless complemented by stronger labor market data. Foreign direct investment net inflows are 0.186% of GDP (2024), indicating modest inflows that could be expanded through governance reforms, investment incentives, and improved infrastructure. Innovation and technology indicators show high-technology exports at about US$107 million (2023), suggesting a developing but narrow high-tech sector. Patent applications by residents stood at 35 in 2021, signaling limited domestic innovation capacity relative to peers but potential for growth with targeted R&D support and skilled labor. Poverty remains a structural concern, with 26% of the population living in poverty (2023), underscoring the importance of inclusive growth strategies and social protection to translate macro stability into improved living standards. The combination of a stable macro environment, a positive current account, and modest FDI inflows points to opportunities for policy-driven growth, particularly if investment climates are improved, export diversification is pursued, and social programs expand productivity gains for the broad population.

Governance and Institutions

Ecuador’s governance landscape exhibits notable challenges across several standard index dimensions. Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism is recorded at -0.338 (2023), with a rank around 130, suggesting ongoing concerns about security, internal political dynamics, and potential risks to social cohesion and investor confidence. Regulatory Quality stands at -0.718 (2023), rank 151, indicating that policy formulation and regulatory environments may be inconsistent, cumbersome, or insufficiently protective of property rights and market efficiency. The Rule of Law is notably weak at -0.958 (2023), rank 161, hinting at weaknesses in judicial independence, contract enforcement, and the reliability of legal processes that support business and civic life. Control of Corruption is -0.647 (2023), rank 139, while Government Effectiveness is -0.494 (2023), rank 131; together these metrics reflect persistent governance and institutional risks that can elevate the costs and risks of doing business, complicate procurement and public service delivery, and dampen trust in state institutions. Despite these governance gaps, positive macro indicators such as a favorable current account and export activity exist, implying that there are institutional pockets—across ministries, agencies, or regional governments—that can implement reforms with sustained political will. The data underscore the importance of targeted anti-corruption measures, stronger judiciary independence, transparent procurement, and predictable regulatory processes to attract investment, ensure competitive markets, and improve service delivery for citizens. Enhancing governance quality is thus central to unlocking private-sector growth, improving social protection, and boosting confidence in public institutions.

Infrastructure and Technology

Ecuador benefits from notably high digital connectivity, with 77.2% of the population using the Internet in 2024, ranking 9th globally on this metric. This digital backbone supports e-government services, online education, telemedicine, financial technology, and broader participation in the digital economy, providing a platform for innovation and productivity growth. However, physical infrastructure has its limitations: hospital beds per 1,000 people are 1.3 (2021), indicating capacity constraints in health facilities that can affect emergency response and routine care. The country’s high-technology exports amount to about US$107 million (2023), reflecting a developing but relatively modest footprint in advanced manufacturing, software, and services that could be expanded with targeted investment and infrastructure upgrades. Patent activity by residents is 35 applications (2021), signaling room to strengthen the domestic innovation ecosystem, improve technology transfer, and foster a more dynamic research and development environment. The governance and regulatory environment, particularly around ease of doing business and contract enforcement, interacts with infrastructure outcomes: while digital connectivity is strong, investors and firms may face regulatory burdens and inefficiencies that slow capital-project execution or deter private investment in infrastructure and technology. Overall, Ecuador’s infrastructure and technology profile shows strong digital access as a strength, with opportunities to expand healthcare capacity, accelerate innovation, and upgrade physical infrastructure through policy reforms and strategic investments.

Environment and Sustainability

Ecuador’s environmental and sustainability profile reflects a mix of natural-resource dependence, climate challenges, and pathways toward cleaner growth. Renewable energy consumption accounts for 18.9% of total final energy consumption in 2021, indicating a shift toward cleaner energy sources but with substantial room to expand renewables, particularly given the country’s rich natural resources and climate commitments. Total greenhouse gas emissions per capita excluding LULUCF are 4.09 tCO2e per person in 2023, a moderate per-capita footprint that can rise with growth unless decarbonization is accelerated. The level of water stress, measured as freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources, is 6.78 (2021), signaling a relatively moderate relationship between extraction and supply that could become more stressed with population growth, climate variability, and agricultural demand. The health and development implications of environmental conditions are evident in the life expectancy figures and the persistent undernourishment rate of 13.9% (2022), underscoring the need for resilient food systems and climate-smart agriculture. The poverty headcount remains at 26.0% (2023), illustrating that environmental vulnerability disproportionately affects lower-income households, and calls for integrated policies that couple sustainability with social protection and rural development. Taken together, Ecuador’s environment profile points to meaningful progress in renewable energy and a manageable but non-negligible climate-risk exposure, with an emphasis on expanding clean-energy deployment, improving water-resource management, reducing emissions in line with growth, and supporting sustainable livelihoods in rural and coastal regions through climate adaptation and green investment.