Peru

People & Society

Nationality:
noun: Peruvian(s)
adjective: Peruvian

Ethnic groups:
Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

Languages:
Spanish (official) 84.1%, Quechua (official) 13%, Aymara (official) 1.7%, Ashaninka 0.3%, other native languages (includes a large number of minor Amazonian languages) 0.7%, other (includes foreign languages and sign language) 0.2% (2007 est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 81.3%, Evangelical 12.5%, other 3.3%, none 2.9% (2007 est.)

Demographic profile:
Peru’s urban and coastal communities have benefited much more from recent economic growth than rural, Afro-Peruvian, indigenous, and poor populations of the Amazon and mountain regions. The poverty rate has dropped substantially during the last decade but remains stubbornly high at about 30% (more than 55% in rural areas). After remaining almost static for about a decade, Peru’s malnutrition rate began falling in 2005, when the government introduced a coordinated strategy focusing on hygiene, sanitation, and clean water. School enrollment has improved, but achievement scores reflect ongoing problems with educational quality. Many poor children temporarily or permanently drop out of school to help support their families. About a quarter to a third of Peruvian children aged 6 to 14 work, often putting in long hours at hazardous mining or construction sites.
Peru was a country of immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but has become a country of emigration in the last few decades. Beginning in the 19th century, Peru brought in Asian contract laborers mainly to work on coastal plantations. Populations of Chinese and Japanese descent – among the largest in Latin America – are economically and culturally influential in Peru today. Peruvian emigration began rising in the 1980s due to an economic crisis and a violent internal conflict, but outflows have stabilized in the last few years as economic conditions have improved. Nonetheless, more than 2 million Peruvians have emigrated in the last decade, principally to the US, Spain, and Argentina.

Population:
30,147,935 (July 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.3% (male 4,184,330/female 4,040,096)
15-24 years: 19.2% (male 2,894,168/female 2,889,409)
25-54 years: 39.4% (male 5,715,542/female 6,161,540)
55-64 years: 7.3% (male 1,071,688/female 1,125,100)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 979,854/female 1,086,208) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 53.7 %
youth dependency ratio: 43.6 %
elderly dependency ratio: 10 %
potential support ratio: 10 (2014 est.)

Median age:
total: 27 years
male: 26.3 years
female: 27.7 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.99% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

Birth rate:
18.57 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99

Death rate:
5.99 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165

Net migration rate:
-2.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175

Urbanization:
urban population: 77.3% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 1.55% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas – population:
LIMA (capital) 9.13 million; Arequipa 804,000 (2011)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mother’s mean age at first birth:
22.2
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)

Maternal mortality rate:
67 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 90

Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.21 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 90
male: 22.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.23 years
country comparison to the world: 127
male: 71.23 years
female: 75.33 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.22 children born/woman (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
68.9% (2011)

Health expenditures:
4.8% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 145

Physicians density:
0.92 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density:
1.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 91.2% of population
rural: 71.6% of population
total: 86.8% of population
unimproved:
urban: 8.8% of population
rural: 28.4% of population
total: 13.2% of population (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 81.2% of population
rural: 44.8% of population
total: 73.1% of population
unimproved:
urban: 18.8% of population
rural: 55.2% of population
total: 26.9% of population (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS:
75,500 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51

HIV/AIDS – deaths:
4,100 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever, malaria, and Bartonellosis (Oroya fever) (2013)

Obesity – adult prevalence rate:
15.7% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 117

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
4.5% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 93

Education expenditures:
2.8% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 145

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.6%
male: 94.9%
female: 84.6% (2007 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2010)

Child labor – children ages 5-14:
total number: 2,545,855
percentage: 34 %
note: data represents children ages 5-17 (2007 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 9.5%
country comparison to the world: 111
male: 9.4%
female: 9.7% (2011)

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Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Peru
conventional short form: Peru
local long form: Republica del Peru
local short form: Peru

Government type:
constitutional republic

Capital:
name: Lima
geographic coordinates: 12 03 S, 77 03 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
25 regions (regiones, singular – region) and 1 province* (provincia); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali
note: Callao, the largest port in Peru, is also referred to as a constitutional province, the only province of the the Callao region

Independence:
28 July 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 July (1821)

Constitution:
several previous; latest promulgated 29 December 1993, enacted 31 December 1993; amended several times, last in 2009 (2009)

Legal system:
civil law system

International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ollanta HUMALA Tasso (since 28 July 2011); First Vice President Marisol ESPINOZA Cruz (since 28 July 2011); Second Vice President (vacant); note – the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ollanta HUMALA Tasso (since 28 July 2011); First Vice President Marisol ESPINOZA Cruz (since 28 July 2011); Second Vice President (vacant)
note: Prime Minister Rene CORNEJO (since 24 February 2014) does not exercise executive power; this power rests with the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for nonconsecutive reelection); presidential election last held on 10 April 2011 with run-off election held on 6 June 2011 (next to be held in April 2016)
election results: Ollanta HUMALA Tasso elected president; percent of vote – Ollanta HUMALA Tasso 51.5%, Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi 48.5%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la Republica del Peru (130 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 10 April 2011 with run-off election on 6 June 2011 (next to be held in April 2016)
election results: percent of vote by party – Gana Peru 25.3%, Fuerza 2011 23%, PP 14.8%, Alliance for Great Change 14.4%, National Solidarity 10.2%, Peruvian Aprista Party 6.4%, other 5.9%; seats by party – Gana Peru 47, Fuerza 2011 37, PP 21, Alliance for Great Change 12, National Solidarity 9, Peruvian Aprista Party 4; note – as of 10 March 2014, the composition of the legislature is as follows: seats by bloc party – Gana Peru 43, Fuerza Popular (formerly Fuerza 2011) 36, PP 10, Accion Popular-Frente Amplio 10, National Solidarity 9, Union Regional 8, Partido Popular Cristiano-Alianza Para el Progreso 7, Concertacion Parlamentaria 6, Independent 1; note – defections by members of the National Assembly are commonplace, resulting in the formation of new blocs and frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various blocs

Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 16 judges and divided into civil, criminal, and constitutional-social sectors)
judge selection and term of office: justices proposed by the National Council of the Judiciary or National Judicial Council (a 7-member independent body), nominated by the president, and confirmed by the Congress (all appointments reviewed by the Council every 7 years; justices appointed for life or until age 70
subordinate courts: Court of Constitutional Guarantees; Superior Courts or Cortes Superiores; specialized civil, criminal, and mixed courts; two types of peace courts in which professional judges and selected members of the local communities preside

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Progress (Alianza para el Progreso) or APP [Cesar ACUNA Peralta]
Fuerza Popular (formerly Fuerza 2011) [Keiko FUJIMORI Higuchi]
National Solidarity (Solidaridad Nacional) or SN [Luis CASTANEDA Lossio]
Peru Posible or PP (a coalition of Accion Popular and Somos Peru) [Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique]
Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano) or PAP [Alan GARCIA Perez] (also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana or APRA)
Peruvian Nationalist Party [Nadine HEREDIA Alarcon]
Popular Christian Party (Partido Popular Cristiano) or PPC [Lourdes FLORES Nano]
Wide Front (Frente Amplio), a coalition of left-of-center parties including Tierra y Libertad [Marco ARANA Zegarra], Ciudadanos por el Gran Cambio [Salomon LERNER Ghitis], and Fuerza Social [Susana VILLARAN de la Puente]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
General Workers Confederation of Peru (Confederacion General de Trabajadores del Peru) or CGTP [Mario HUAMAN]
Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) or SL [Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Victor QUISPE Palomino (top leader at-large)] (leftist guerrilla group)

International organization participation:
APEC, BIS, CAN, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Harold Winston FORSYTH Mejia (since 29 August 2011)
chancery: 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869
FAX: [1] (202) 659-8124
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (NJ), San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Michael J. Fitzpatrick (since 20 September 2013)
embassy: Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17 s/n, Surco, Lima 33
mailing address: P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031-5000
telephone: [51] (1) 618-2000
FAX: [51] (1) 618-2397

Flag description:
three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a vicuna (representing fauna), a cinchona tree (the source of quinine, signifying flora), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out coins (denoting mineral wealth); red recalls blood shed for independence, white symbolizes peace

National symbol(s):
vicuna (a camelid related to the llama)

National anthem:
name: “Himno Nacional del Peru” (National Anthem of Peru)

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Economy

Economy – overview:
Peru’s economy reflects its varied topography – an arid lowland coastal region, the central high sierra of the Andes, the dense forest of the Amazon, with tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil. A wide range of important mineral resources are found in the mountainous and coastal areas, and Peru’s coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. Peru is the world’s second largest producer of silver and third largest producer of copper. The Peruvian economy has been growing by an average of 5.6% for the past five years with a stable exchange rate and low inflation, which in 2013 was just below the upper limit of the Central Bank target range of 1 to 3%. For the last three years, this growth was due partly to high international prices for Peru’s metals and minerals exports, which account for almost 60% of the country’s total exports. Despite Peru’s strong macroeconomic performance, dependence on minerals and metals exports and imported foodstuffs makes the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices.

Peru’s rapid expansion coupled with cash transfers and other programs have helped to reduce the national poverty rate by 28 percentage points since 2002, but inequality persists and continues to pose a challenge for the Ollanta HUMALA administration, which has championed a policy of social inclusion and a more equitable distribution of income. Poor infrastructure hinders the spread of growth to Peru’s non-coastal areas. Peru’s free trade policy has continued under the HUMALA administration; since 2006, Peru has signed trade deals with the US, Canada, Singapore, China, Korea, Mexico, Japan, the EU, the European Free Trade Association, Chile, Thailand, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, concluded negotiations with Guatemala, and begun trade talks with Honduras and El Salvador, Turkey and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Peru also has signed a trade pact with Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, called the Pacific Alliance, that rivals Mercosur. Since the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force in February 2009, total trade between Peru and the United States has doubled. Although Peru has continued to attract foreign investment, political activism and protests are hampering development of some projects related to natural resource extraction.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$344 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
$327.3 billion (2012 est.)
$308 billion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):
$210.3 billion (2013 est.)

GDP – real growth rate:
5.1% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
6.3% (2012 est.)
6.9% (2011 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP):
$11,100 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
$10,700 (2012 est.)
$10,300 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars

Gross national saving:
22.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
23.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
23.4% of GDP (2011 est.)

GDP – composition, by end use:
household consumption: 62.4%
government consumption: 10.8%
investment in fixed capital: 27%
investment in inventories: 0.1%
exports of goods and services: 24.4%
imports of goods and services: -24.7%
(2013 est.)

GDP – composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 6.2%
industry: 37.5%
services: 56.3% (2013 est.)

Agriculture – products:
asparagus, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, pineapples, guavas, bananas, apples, lemons, pears, coca, tomatoes, mangoes, barley, medicinal plants, palm oil, marigold, onion, wheat, dry beans; poultry, beef, pork, dairy products; guinea pigs; fish

Industries:
mining and refining of minerals; steel, metal fabrication; petroleum extraction and refining, natural gas and natural gas liquefaction; fishing and fish processing, cement, glass, textiles, clothing, food processing, beer, soft drinks, rubber, machinery, electrical machinery, chemicals, furniture

Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58

Labor force:
16.16 million
country comparison to the world: 38
note: individuals older than 14 years of age (2012 est.)

Labor force – by occupation:
agriculture: 25.8%
industry: 17.4%
services: 56.8% (2011)

Unemployment rate:
3.6% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
3.9% (2011 est.)
note: data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment

Population below poverty line:
25.8% (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 36.1% (2010 est.)

Distribution of family income – Gini index:
48.1 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 25
51 (2005)

Budget:
revenues: $60.95 billion
expenditures: $58.91 billion (2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues:
29% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
1% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29

Public debt:
14.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
16.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data exclude treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
3.4% (2011 est.)
note: data are for metropolitan Lima, annual average

Central bank discount rate:
5.05% (31 December 2012)
country comparison to the world: 68
5.05% (31 December 2011)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
20.3% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
19.23% (31 December 2012 est.)
note: domestic currency lending rate, 90 day maturity

Stock of narrow money:
$32.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
$32.61 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of broad money:
$80.91 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
$77.62 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of domestic credit:
$37.96 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
$36.76 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2012)
country comparison to the world: 37
$121.6 billion (31 December 2011)
$160.9 billion (31 December 2010)

Current account balance:
-$10.31 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
-$7.137 billion (2012 est.)

Exports:
$41.48 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
$45.64 billion (2012 est.)

Exports – commodities:
copper, gold, lead, zinc, tin, iron ore, molybdenum, silver; crude petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas; coffee, asparagus and other vegetables, fruit, apparel and textiles, fishmeal, fish, chemicals, fabricated metal products and machinery, alloys

Exports – partners:
China 19.9%, US 15.7%, Canada 9.5%, Japan 6.6%, Spain 5.2%, Chile 4.9% (2012)

Imports:
$42.13 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
$41.11 billion (2012 est.)

Imports – commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, plastics, machinery, vehicles, color TV sets, power shovels, front-end loaders, telephones and telecommunication equipment, iron and steel, wheat, corn, soybean products, paper, cotton, vaccines and medicines

Imports – partners:
US 24.6%, China 14%, Brazil 6.4%, Argentina 5%, Chile 4.8%, Colombia 4.2%, Ecuador 4.1%, Mexico 4% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$65.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
$64.17 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Debt – external:
$50.15 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
$50.47 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
note: public debt component of total: $20.6 billion (31 December 2009)

Stock of direct foreign investment – at home:
$76.57 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
$63.51 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad:
$3.165 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$3.041 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Exchange rates:
nuevo sol (PEN) per US dollar –
2.699 (2013 est.)
2.6376 (2012 est.)
2.8251 (2010 est.)
3.0115 (2009)
2.91 (2008)

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