Capital

Ecuador

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

Ecuador

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years

Legal system

Ecuador

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

Suffrage

Ecuador

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

Area

Ecuador

total: 283,561 sq km

land: 276,841 sq km

water: 6,720 sq km

note: includes Galapagos Islands

Land use

Ecuador

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.)

Location

Ecuador

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

Age structure

Ecuador

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)

Birth rate

Ecuador

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

Death rate

Ecuador

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

Languages

Ecuador

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 información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Ecuador

total population: 74.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 69.7 years

female: 80.4 years

Major urban areas - population

Ecuador

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

Median age

Ecuador

total: 27.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 26.8 years

female: 28.7 years

Net migration rate

Ecuador

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

Population distribution

Ecuador

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

Population growth rate

Ecuador

0.99% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Ecuador

2.24 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Ecuador

urban population: 64.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.62% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Ecuador

3.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Ecuador

total: 15 years

male: 14 years

female: 15 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Ecuador

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

Industrial production growth rate

Ecuador

0.49% (2021 est.)

note: excludes oil refining

Labor force

Ecuador

8.528 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Ecuador

25% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Ecuador

6.43% (2021 est.)

6.11% (2020 est.)

3.81% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Ecuador

45.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

43.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Ecuador

0.13% (2021 est.)

-0.34% (2020 est.)

0.27% (2019 est.)

Exports

Ecuador

$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

Exports - partners

Ecuador

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

Imports

Ecuador

$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

Imports - partners

Ecuador

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

Airports

Ecuador

432 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Ecuador

total: 2,371,297 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Ecuador

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

Railways

Ecuador

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

Roadways

Ecuador

total: 43,950 km (2022)

paved: 8,895 km (2022)

unpaved: 35,055 km (2022)

Telephones - fixed lines

Ecuador

total subscriptions: 1,846,666 (2021)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Ecuador

total subscriptions: 16,789,600 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 94 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Ecuador

1,500 km (2012) (most inaccessible)

Disputes - international

Ecuador

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