Bolivia
A Country in Progress
With the right to food enshrined its the constitution, Bolivia is committed to ending extreme poverty and hunger by 2025. We’re on the ground helping Bolivia meet this goal, and we need your help.
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Make a difference in Bolivia
Hunger in Bolivia
Bolivia has made great strides in improving food security and reducing extreme poverty – but it’s still one of the poorest countries in South America.
1/3
of Bolivians in rural areas cannot afford a basic food basket
40%
of women in Bolivia live in poverty and many face gender-based violence
16%
of children under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished
1/3
of Bolivians in rural areas cannot afford a basic food basket
40%
of women in Bolivia live in poverty and many face gender-based violence
16%
of children under the age of 5 are chronically malnourished
1/3
of Bolivians in rural areas cannot afford a basic food basket
Bolivia Facts
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Population: 12.2 million people.
Background: 42% of Bolivia’s population is Indigenous, with 36 Indigenous-recognized nations and 36 official languages. Despite sustained economic growth, there is still significant inequality between urban and rural areas, especially among Indigenous groups and women.
Geography & Climate: Bolivia is landlocked and shares borders with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Peru. The country has high plateaus, temperate and semitropical valleys, and the tropical lowlands of the Amazon River Basin.
Economy: From petroleum and natural gas to mineral deposits and agricultural products, Bolivia is rich in natural resources. However, economic development is limited by high production costs, poor transportation infrastructure, inequality and the country’s landlocked status. In the last decade, Bolivia has made significant progress on improving food and nutrition security and reducing extreme poverty, but it remains among the poorest countries in South America.
Causes of Hunger
Extreme Weather
Bolivia is considered the most vulnerable country in South America to the effects of climate change. In 2016, the government declared a national emergency due to drought, and again in 2018 due to floods. Recurring droughts, floods, frosts and hail hurt the country’s agricultural sector. Analysts predict that people’s vulnerability to hunger will increase by 22% by the 2050 unless serious measures are taken to adapt to a changing climate.
Learn More Poverty
More than half of Bolivia’s population lives in rural areas where poverty rates are the highest. Rural communities lack access to vital resources like running water and electricity. 75% of Bolivian families don’t have access to regular access to food. Rural households heavily depend on small-scale farming to survive. They eat only what they can grow themselves and have little to no access to other stable food sources. These families often go hungry during lean seasons, while recurring natural disasters increasingly make farming an unreliable source of income.
Learn More Inequality
Four out of ten women still live in poverty in Bolivia, and gender-based violence indicators are worryingly high. 35% of the country’s Indigenous population still lives in poverty.
Learn More 
Recent History
1993-2003

Resource Privatization & Protests
In 1993, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada became president of Bolivia and began a capitalization program. Through...
2005-2014

Transition to Nationalization
As the economy entered a recession and violent protests for nationalization grew, Juan Evo Morales Ayma...
2015-2019

Turmoil
In 2015, natural gas prices plummeted internationally, taking a heavy toll on Bolivia’ economy. This...
2020-Present

COVID-19 & Recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic hit Bolivia particularly hard and overwhelmed hospitals. Strict lockdown measures...
WFP’s Work in Bolivia
WFP has worked in Bolivia since 1963. Since then, our role has evolved from providing food aid to supporting the government’s efforts to address food insecurity and malnutrition through technical support, advocacy and communications.

Nutrition
We work across Bolivia to raise awareness on nutritional issues and promote healthy diets, especially for women and Indigenous communities.

Small-Scale Farmers
Small-scale farmers receive cash assistance to meet their food and nutritional needs in exchange for building or rehabilitating infrastructure.

Technical Assistance
We provide technical assistance to government institutions to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and equity of national programs for food security.