While Argentina's vast plains hold one of the world's lowest population densities, its dynamic cities pulse with the energy of a youthful, highly urbanized society that is as complex as it is culturally rich.
Key Takeaways
- Argentina's population in 2023 was estimated at 46,044,703 inhabitants according to the official census projection
- The population density of Argentina is 17.15 people per square kilometer as of 2023 estimates
- Argentina's median age is 32.6 years, with 25.6% under 15 and 11.2% over 65 in 2023
- Argentina's nominal GDP in 2023 was $621.83 billion USD
- GDP per capita (nominal) reached $13,430 USD in 2023 IMF estimates
- GDP growth rate was -1.6% in 2023 according to official data
- Total land area of Argentina is 2,780,400 square kilometers
- Arable land constitutes 10.9% or 278,000 sq km of total land in 2022
- Highest point is Aconcagua at 6,960 meters above sea level
- Argentina is a federal presidential representative democratic republic
- President Javier Milei assumed office on December 10, 2023
- National Congress has 257 deputies in lower house and 72 senators in upper house
- Literacy rate 99.0% but functional illiteracy affects 20% adults per 2022 study
- Football is national sport with 5 World Cup titles: 1978, 1986, 2021, 2022, 2024 Copa America
- 96.6% primary school enrollment rate for ages 6-11 in 2022
Argentina is a largely urban, young country with a high literacy rate but significant economic challenges.
Economy and Trade
- Argentina's nominal GDP in 2023 was $621.83 billion USD
- GDP per capita (nominal) reached $13,430 USD in 2023 IMF estimates
- GDP growth rate was -1.6% in 2023 according to official data
- Inflation rate (CPI) averaged 211.4% in 2023 per INDEC
- Unemployment rate stood at 6.2% in Q4 2023 INDEC survey
- Public debt-to-GDP ratio was 85.3% at end of 2023
- Exports totaled $66.6 billion USD in 2023, led by soybean products
- Imports were $66.4 billion USD in 2023, mainly machinery and vehicles
- Agriculture contributes 6.1% to GDP but 54% of exports in 2023
- Industrial sector accounts for 24.6% of GDP in 2023 estimates
- Services sector is 54.3% of GDP per 2023 World Bank data
- Foreign direct investment inflow was $5.2 billion USD in 2023
- Current account balance deficit was 1.9% of GDP in 2023 IMF data
- Central bank reserves reached $21.2 billion USD in December 2023
- Soybean exports volume was 11.2 million tons in 2022/23 season
- Tourism receipts were $5.7 billion USD in 2023 with 6.1 million visitors
- Minimum wage was ARS 234,315 monthly in December 2023 nominal terms
- Poverty rate affected 41.7% of population in first half 2023 per INDEC
- Tax revenue was 27.8% of GDP in 2023 fiscal year
- Corn production hit record 52.7 million tons in 2022/23 campaign
- Automotive industry produced 522,000 vehicles in 2023
- Energy production from Vaca Muerta shale gas was 70 billion m3 in 2023
- Stock market capitalization (BCBA) was $50 billion USD end 2023
- Remittances inflow $1.3 billion USD in 2023 WB data
- Labor force participation rate 64.5% for ages 15+ in Q4 2023
- Informal employment covers 36.8% of workforce in urban areas 2023
- Wheat exports reached 12.5 million tons valued at $4.2 billion in 2023
- GDP PPP total $1.45 trillion international dollars in 2023 IMF
- GDP per capita PPP $31,410 in 2023 estimates
Economy and Trade Interpretation
Argentina boasts the productive capacity of a wealthy nation, as evidenced by its robust agricultural exports and vast shale gas reserves, yet its economy is currently being strangled by hyperinflation that has pushed four in ten citizens into poverty, turning the country into a tragic case of immense potential squandered by financial chaos.
Geography and Climate
- Total land area of Argentina is 2,780,400 square kilometers
- Arable land constitutes 10.9% or 278,000 sq km of total land in 2022
- Highest point is Aconcagua at 6,960 meters above sea level
- Longest river is the Paraná at 4,880 km flowing through Argentina
- Coastline length is 5,302 km along Atlantic and minor Pacific segments
- Forest cover is 10.4% or 289,000 sq km per 2020 FAO data
- Average annual precipitation in Pampas region is 800-1,200 mm
- Patagonia desert receives less than 200 mm rainfall annually on average
- Protected areas cover 7.2% of land territory with 40 national parks in 2023
- Iguazú Falls has 275 drops averaging 64 meters height
- Perito Moreno Glacier spans 250 sq km and advances 2m per day
- Renewable water resources total 814 billion cubic meters per year
- Mean annual temperature in Buenos Aires is 18.1°C with 140 rainy days
- Andes mountains stretch 3,100 km along western border averaging 4,000m elevation
- Pampas plains cover 750,000 sq km ideal for cattle ranching
- Mesopotamia region between Paraná and Uruguay rivers spans 300,000 sq km
- Earthquake-prone due to Andean subduction, with 1944 San Juan quake killing 10,000
- Biodiversity: 9,000 plant species, 1,100 birds, 400 mammals recorded
- Sea level rise threatens 1.5 million people in coastal areas by 2050 projections
- Wind power potential estimated at 300 GW across Patagonia
- Drought frequency increased 20% in last 50 years affecting 70% of territory
- Glacial area reduced 30% since 1980s, from 13,000 to 9,000 sq km
- Gran Chaco woodland covers 650,000 sq km with high deforestation rate of 0.5%/year
- Atacama Desert extension in northwest receives <50 mm rain annually
- Colorado River basin irrigates 1.2 million hectares of farmland
- Tierra del Fuego archipelago has 48,100 sq km largest island 47,000 sq km
- Annual mean temperature in Ushuaia is 5.4°C with 200 windy days >100 km/h
- Flood-prone areas cover 10% of territory, affecting 5 million people periodically
- Volcanic activity in Andean Volcanic Belt with 28 active volcanoes
- Exclusive economic zone spans 3,596,817 sq km rich in fisheries
- Salado River floods historically displace 100,000 people every decade
Geography and Climate Interpretation
Argentina's vast lands reveal a nation of stark contrasts, where the relentless march of Patagonian glaciers meets the thirsty expanse of its deserts, and where fertile plains that feed the world coexist with fragile forests and flood-prone cities, all under a sky that is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
Government and Politics
- Argentina is a federal presidential representative democratic republic
- President Javier Milei assumed office on December 10, 2023
- National Congress has 257 deputies in lower house and 72 senators in upper house
- There are 23 provinces and 1 autonomous city (Buenos Aires) as federal units
- Supreme Court has 5 justices led by President Horacio Rosatti since 2021
- Last presidential election held October 22 and November 19, 2023, with Milei winning 55.7%
- Freedom House rates Argentina as Free with 84/100 score in 2023 report
- Corruption Perceptions Index score 37/100 ranking 98/180 in 2023 Transparency Intl
- Military personnel active: 83,000 with reserves 200,000 in 2023
- Defense budget $4.5 billion USD or 0.8% GDP in 2023
- Next legislative elections scheduled for October 2025
- Peronist party (Union por la Patria) holds 101/257 lower house seats post-2023
- La Libertad Avanza party has 38 deputies after 2023 elections
- Human Rights Watch notes ongoing issues with indigenous land rights in 2023 report
- Argentina recognized same-sex marriage nationwide since July 2010
- Abortion legalized up to 14 weeks gestation since December 2020 law
- 48% voter turnout in August 2023 PASO primaries
- Central Bank independence reformed under Milei administration in late 2023
- Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty claim upheld in 2023 UN resolutions support
- Provincial governors: 15 Peronist, 6 Radical, 3 others post-2023
- Press Freedom Index rank 87/180 score 63.42 in 2023 RSF
- Gender parity in Congress: 40% women deputies, 45% senators in 2023
- Judicial reform protests peaked with 100,000 demonstrators in April 2023
- Foreign relations: Member of G20, OAS, Mercosur since 1991
- 2023 budget deficit targeted at 1.9% GDP but overshot to 4.4%
- Indigenous representation: 12/257 indigenous deputies elected in 2021
- Emergency decree DNU 70/2023 deregulated 366 economic norms in December
- Rule of Law Index score 0.52 ranking 75/142 in 2023 World Justice Project
Government and Politics Interpretation
Argentina presents itself as a robust democracy on paper, boasting high freedom scores and progressive social laws, yet its chronic struggles with corruption, economic instability, and contested governance reveal a nation perpetually wrestling with the gap between its institutional ideals and its turbulent reality.
Population and Demographics
- Argentina's population in 2023 was estimated at 46,044,703 inhabitants according to the official census projection
- The population density of Argentina is 17.15 people per square kilometer as of 2023 estimates
- Argentina's median age is 32.6 years, with 25.6% under 15 and 11.2% over 65 in 2023
- The total fertility rate in Argentina was 1.91 children per woman in 2022
- Life expectancy at birth in Argentina is 76.62 years for males and 82.70 years for females as of 2023
- Urban population in Argentina constitutes 92.1% of the total population in 2023
- Argentina's net migration rate is -0.08 migrants per 1,000 population annually as of 2023 est.
- Ethnic composition: 97.2% European and Mestizo, 2.4% Indigenous, 0.4% other in 2023
- 62.9% of Argentines identify as Roman Catholic, 18.9% no religion, 13.8% Evangelical in 2022 surveys
- Spanish is spoken by 98% of the population, with 37% bilingual in other languages like Italian or English
- Literacy rate for adults (15+) in Argentina is 99% as of latest 2022 data
- Buenos Aires Province has the largest population at 17,571,225 residents in 2022 census
- Infant mortality rate is 8.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022
- 51.0% of Argentina's population is female, 49.0% male as of 2023 census data
- Population growth rate was 0.93% annually from 2018-2022 average
- Indigenous population represents 2.43% or about 1.1 million people per 2022 census
- Argentina has 6.5 million people aged 65+ , comprising 14.2% of population in 2023
- Youth unemployment affects 18.7% of 15-24 year olds in Q4 2022
- 24.8% of households are single-person in urban areas per 2022 INDEC survey
- Cuyo region population growth was highest at 1.2% annually 2010-2022
- 88% of population resides in the Pampas and littoral regions combined in 2023
- Argentina's dependency ratio is 53.2 dependents per 100 working-age people in 2023
- 37% of population has tertiary education or higher per 2022 ENCU survey
- Obesity rate among adults is 28.3% in 2022 WHO data
- Buenos Aires city proper has 2,891,082 inhabitants per 2022 census
- 15.3% of population is foreign-born, mainly from neighboring countries in 2023 est.
- Age dependency ratio: 42.5 youth and 19.8 elderly per 100 working-age in 2023
- 4.7 million people live in slums or informal settlements per 2022 data
- Northwest region has 15.1% indigenous self-identification rate in 2022 census
- Total population projection for 2050 is 55.5 million per UN medium variant
Population and Demographics Interpretation
Argentina is a country of continental scale and urban soul, where a surprisingly young and literate population lives mostly in bustling cities, wrestling with modern growing pains while still managing to enjoy one of the longest lifespans in the region.
Society and Culture
- Literacy rate 99.0% but functional illiteracy affects 20% adults per 2022 study
- Football is national sport with 5 World Cup titles: 1978, 1986, 2021, 2022, 2024 Copa America
- 96.6% primary school enrollment rate for ages 6-11 in 2022
- Homicide rate 4.6 per 100,000 in 2022 UNODC data
- Tango UNESCO intangible heritage since 2009, danced by 1.5 million annually
- Obesity prevalence 36.2% among adults 18+ in 2022
- University enrollment 2.1 million students in 1,800 institutions 2023
- Mate consumption: 70% daily drinkers, average 1kg/person/year
- COVID-19 vaccination: 80% fully vaccinated with 104 million doses administered by 2023
- Gender pay gap 22.4% average in formal sector 2023 INDEC
- Nobel laureates: 5 including 3 Peace (Perón wife, etc.) and 2 Science
- Asado barbecue tradition weekly for 85% families per surveys
- Internet penetration 89.4% or 41 million users in 2023
- Suicide rate 7.7 per 100,000 population in 2019 WHO latest
- Carnival celebrated by 10 million in Gualeguaychú annually
- Female labor participation 47.2% in urban areas Q4 2023
- Gaucho culture UNESCO heritage with 500,000 traditional riders
- Cinema: 150 feature films produced yearly, 50 million tickets sold 2022
- Teen birth rate 62.5 per 1,000 women 15-19 in 2022
- Social media users 37.4 million or 81% population Jan 2024
- Divorce rate 2.5 per 1,000 population since 2010 no-fault law
- Polo sport: 6 world championships won by Argentine teams
- PISA 2022 scores: Reading 401, Math 378, Science 406 OECD average below
Society and Culture Interpretation
Argentina is a nation of profound contrasts: it can teach the world to tango and win World Cups with a magical left foot, yet still struggles to ensure all its citizens can truly read the rulebook, bridging a deep gap between its celebrated cultural spirit and its uneven social realities.
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