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Uruguay's economy ranking: GDP & GDP per capita, debt

Updated on by Georank team

Uruguay ranked 80/197 by economy size with a GDP of $81B and 51/197 by GDP per capita at $23,907. Uruguay has $55.6B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 68.5%.

In 2025, Uruguay made up 0.07% of the world's economy, compared to 0.09% in 1960.

The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.

GDP, current $
GDP, constant 2015 $
GDP growth
Year GDP GDP growth
Current $ Constant $
1960 $1,242,289,239 $16,784,217,051 -
1961 $1,547,388,781 $17,202,653,947 24.6%
1962 $1,710,004,407 $16,931,789,757 10.5%
1963 $1,539,681,491 $16,960,651,492 -9.96%
1964 $1,975,701,816 $17,374,579,716 28.3%
1965 $1,890,767,156 $17,556,249,026 -4.3%
1966 $1,809,185,094 $18,093,971,641 -4.31%
1967 $1,597,713,469 $17,432,305,114 -11.7%
1968 $1,593,674,185 $17,761,585,972 -0.25%
1969 $2,004,435,484 $18,803,256,922 25.8%
1970 $2,137,096,774 $19,241,977,028 6.62%
1971 $2,807,258,065 $19,193,542,753 31.4%
1972 $2,189,418,689 $18,940,270,548 -22%
1973 $3,964,296,443 $18,992,394,100 81.1%
1974 $4,090,209,682 $19,542,289,357 3.18%
1975 $3,538,278,047 $20,733,765,994 -13.5%
1976 $3,667,161,241 $21,549,737,170 3.64%
1977 $4,114,670,014 $21,863,385,229 12.2%
1978 $4,910,254,566 $23,038,320,348 19.3%
1979 $7,181,182,224 $24,466,492,719 46.2%
1980 $10,163,020,116 $25,896,167,975 41.5%
1981 $11,048,301,421 $26,300,034,208 8.71%
1982 $9,178,780,077 $23,733,710,676 -16.9%
1983 $5,102,276,308 $21,295,214,497 -44.4%
1984 $4,850,238,550 $21,051,891,661 -4.94%
1985 $4,732,017,873 $21,360,625,237 -2.44%
1986 $5,880,112,788 $23,242,455,371 24.3%
1987 $7,367,494,080 $25,100,256,718 25.3%
1988 $8,213,538,369 $25,471,975,823 11.5%
1989 $8,438,951,476 $25,753,161,225 2.74%
1990 $9,298,807,850 $25,829,737,832 10.2%
1991 $11,206,176,651 $26,743,802,791 20.5%
1992 $12,878,148,791 $28,865,011,155 14.9%
1993 $15,002,136,971 $29,632,112,135 16.5%
1994 $17,474,588,896 $31,789,727,752 16.5%
1995 $19,297,663,097 $31,329,539,981 10.4%
1996 $20,515,458,114 $33,077,088,489 6.31%
1997 $23,969,739,234 $35,904,413,225 16.8%
1998 $25,385,886,978 $37,526,894,199 5.91%
1999 $23,983,945,191 $36,956,130,432 -5.52%
2000 $22,823,270,892 $36,242,902,750 -4.84%
2001 $20,898,761,742 $34,849,678,467 -8.43%
2002 $13,606,515,723 $32,155,098,813 -34.9%
2003 $12,045,638,352 $32,414,038,652 -11.5%
2004 $13,686,329,890 $34,036,089,124 13.6%
2005 $17,362,857,684 $36,575,226,345 26.9%
2006 $19,741,420,740 $38,074,290,289 13.7%
2007 $23,797,773,024 $40,564,924,117 20.5%
2008 $31,119,602,539 $43,475,921,755 30.8%
2009 $32,708,319,078 $45,320,819,971 5.11%
2010 $41,950,361,212 $48,857,389,210 28.3%
2011 $50,342,406,067 $51,379,472,634 20%
2012 $54,232,266,359 $53,197,370,201 7.73%
2013 $61,337,621,934 $55,664,418,794 13.1%
2014 $61,496,186,974 $57,467,273,108 0.26%
2015 $57,680,327,999 $57,680,327,999 -6.21%
2016 $57,480,787,465 $58,655,009,160 -0.35%
2017 $65,005,997,963 $59,675,827,117 13.1%
2018 $65,344,577,416 $59,774,159,518 0.52%
2019 $62,222,313,619 $60,329,073,610 -4.78%
2020 $53,559,359,262 $55,890,466,349 -13.9%
2021 $60,739,084,241 $59,156,857,854 13.4%
2022 $70,594,110,920 $61,810,768,801 16.2%
2023 $77,991,666,838 $62,269,484,309 10.5%
2024 $80,961,511,074 $64,204,978,532 3.81%

Economic Statistics of Uruguay

Uruguay Rank
Gross domestic product
$81B
2024
80/197
GDP growth
3.81%
2023-2024
131/196
GDP per capita
$23,907
2024
51/197
GDP per capita, PPP
$36,418
2024
61/197
Government debt
$55.6B
2024
70/185
Debt-to-GDP ratio
68.5%
2025
59/185
Government debt per person
$16,423
2024
37/185
Average annual personal income after taxes
$12,053
2025
65/197
Listed domestic companies
17
1999
92/103
Market capitalization of domestic companies
$284M
1996
98/100
Income share by richest 10%
30%
2024
60/169
Income share by poorest 10%
2.2%
2024
125/169
Government expenditure, % of GDP
31.2%
2025
91/195
Consumer prices inflation
4.85%
2023-2024
55/195
Central bank interest rate
8.75%
2025
31/105
Unemployment rate
8.21%
2024
54/196
Population
3384690
133/197

Uruguay's GDP per capita

Uruguay has a GDP per capita of $23,907, ranking 51/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $36,418, ranking 61/197, and a median annual after tax income of $12,053, ranking 65/197.

GDP per capita
GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $491 -
1961 $604 -
1962 $659 -
1963 $587 -
1964 $745 -
1965 $705 -
1966 $668 -
1967 $585 -
1968 $579 -
1969 $723 -
1970 $766 -
1971 $1,000 -
1972 $776 -
1973 $1,397 -
1974 $1,433 -
1975 $1,232 -
1976 $1,268 -
1977 $1,414 -
1978 $1,678 -
1979 $2,443 -
1980 $3,443 -
1981 $3,728 -
1982 $3,085 -
1983 $1,707 -
1984 $1,615 -
1985 $1,568 -
1986 $1,939 -
1987 $2,416 -
1988 $2,677 -
1989 $2,734 -
1990 $2,995 $6,683
1991 $3,589 $7,112
1992 $4,102 $7,808
1993 $4,753 $8,162
1994 $5,508 $8,897
1995 $6,050 $8,906
1996 $6,398 $9,524
1997 $7,436 $10,461
1998 $7,837 $11,002
1999 $7,371 $10,938
2000 $6,988 $10,929
2001 $6,383 $10,719
2002 $4,150 $10,030
2003 $3,671 $10,303
2004 $4,169 $11,103
2005 $5,284 $12,296
2006 $6,001 $13,179
2007 $7,222 $14,397
2008 $9,424 $15,694
2009 $9,881 $16,422
2010 $12,641 $17,873
2011 $15,132 $19,135
2012 $16,260 $19,495
2013 $18,335 $20,661
2014 $18,322 $21,868
2015 $17,126 $22,169
2016 $17,010 $22,841
2017 $19,185 $23,607
2018 $19,250 $24,386
2019 $18,316 $25,783
2020 $15,758 $25,725
2021 $17,882 $29,432
2022 $20,819 $33,001
2023 $23,019 $34,471
2024 $23,907 $36,418

Uruguay's government spending, deficit, and chart

This chart shows Uruguay's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.

Over the past 50 years, Uruguay recorded a fiscal deficit in 45 years — average annual deficit equal to -1.97% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $25.2B (31.2% of GDP), with a deficit of -2.94%.

The national debt reached $55.6B, ranking 70th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 68.5%, ranking 59th.

Government spending
Government debt
Deficit/surplus
Year % of GDP
Government spending Government debt Government deficit/surplus
1955 11% - -1.24%
1956 9.99% - 0.04%
1957 11.6% - -0.72%
1958 12% - -1.38%
1959 9.51% - 0.64%
1960 9.9% - 0.79%
1961 13% - -0.86%
1962 16% - -5.02%
1963 14.6% - -4.4%
1964 14.3% - -3.61%
1965 15.6% - -5.14%
1966 14.1% - -2.01%
1967 14.7% - -4.12%
1968 14.1% - -2.93%
1969 14.6% - -2.37%
1970 15.1% 6.11% -1.33%
1971 20.1% 9.3% -5.86%
1972 24.6% 9.12% -2.25%
1973 22.6% 7% -1.09%
1974 23.8% 7.61% -3.74%
1975 23% 8.13% -4.38%
1976 24.2% 8.67% -2.01%
1977 23.5% 7.26% -0.69%
1978 22.9% 5.64% -0.47%
1979 20.2% 3.98% 0.99%
1980 21.8% 4.59% 0.43%
1981 25% 4.32% -1.15%
1982 29.5% 13.5% -8.22%
1983 26.5% 21.2% -3.54%
1984 25.6% 39.5% -4.94%
1985 24.6% 29% -1.88%
1986 25.1% 34.6% -0.34%
1987 24.4% 37.3% -0.66%
1988 26% 34.8% -1.47%
1989 37% - -13.1%
1990 21.1% 26.2% 0.49%
1991 22.2% 20.4% 0.88%
1992 23.6% 22.2% 0.6%
1993 27.7% 20% -0.47%
1994 29.5% 19.3% -2.37%
1995 26.2% 18.5% -1.08%
1996 26.5% 18.3% -1.32%
1997 27.6% 18.8% -0.97%
1998 27.3% 19.4% -0.76%
1999 27.2% 24.1% -2.76%
2000 26.6% 30.5% -2.76%
2001 27.8% 39.4% -2.85%
2002 27.6% 90.1% -3.19%
2003 27.7% 91.9% -2.19%
2004 26.6% 73.7% -0.87%
2005 26.3% 66.2% -0.28%
2006 26.8% 61.1% -0.64%
2007 26.8% 52.8% -0.16%
2008 26.3% 46.2% -1.31%
2009 27.2% 46.2% -1.39%
2010 27.4% 40.9% -0.39%
2011 26.3% 41.3% -0.33%
2012 27.7% 49.8% -2.17%
2013 28.8% 50% -1.72%
2014 29.1% 51.1% -2.6%
2015 28.4% 57.8% -1.86%
2016 29.7% 56.4% -2.68%
2017 29.7% 55.8% -2.51%
2018 30.4% 57.9% -1.91%
2019 30.6% 59.6% -2.74%
2020 32.8% 68.2% -4.66%
2021 30.2% 64.1% -2.62%
2022 30% 59.9% -2.52%
2023 30.5% 64% -3.13%
2024 31.1% 68.7% -3.2%
2025 31.2% 68.5% -2.94%

Inflation rate by year

Over the past 20 years, Uruguay has had an average annual inflation rate of 7.59%. In 2024, inflation was 4.85%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.

Year Inflation
1960 38.5%
1961 22.7%
1962 10.9%
1963 21.3%
1964 42.4%
1965 56.6%
1966 73.5%
1967 89.3%
1968 125.3%
1969 21%
1970 16.3%
1971 24%
1972 76.5%
1973 97%
1974 77.2%
1975 81.4%
1976 50.6%
1977 58.2%
1978 44.5%
1979 66.8%
1980 63.5%
1981 34%
1982 19%
1983 49.2%
1984 55.3%
1985 72.2%
1986 76.4%
1987 63.6%
1988 62.2%
1989 80.4%
1990 112.5%
1991 102%
1992 68.5%
1993 54.1%
1994 44.7%
1995 42.2%
1996 28.3%
1997 19.8%
1998 10.8%
1999 5.66%
2000 4.76%
2001 4.36%
2002 14%
2003 19.4%
2004 9.16%
2005 4.7%
2006 6.4%
2007 8.11%
2008 7.88%
2009 7.06%
2010 6.7%
2011 8.09%
2012 8.1%
2013 8.58%
2014 8.88%
2015 8.67%
2016 9.64%
2017 6.22%
2018 7.61%
2019 7.88%
2020 9.76%
2021 7.75%
2022 9.1%
2023 5.87%
2024 4.85%

Balance of trade

Uruguay Rank
Current account balance
-$837M
2024
118/189
Current account balance, % of GDP
-1.03%
2024
87/189
Goods imports
$12.9B
2024
100/188
Goods exports
$16.4B
2024
82/188
Service imports
$6.22B
2024
83/188
Service exports
$6.87B
2024
81/188
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
23.7%
2024
153/180
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
28.8%
2024
115/193

Uruguay's top 10 trading partners

Uruguay's biggest trading partner accounting for 22.9%% of all exports and imports is Brazil, with a trade balance between the two of -$597M — Uruguay exports $2.06B worth of goods and services to Brazil and imports $2.66B.

Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Uruguay.

Rank Country Trade value Share of total trade Export to Import from Top export to Top import from
1 Brazil $4.72B 22.9% $2.06B $2.66B Raw agricultural goods Machinery & equipment
2 China $4.16B 20.2% $1.39B $2.77B Animal & marine products Machinery & equipment
3 Argentina $2.16B 10.5% $547M $1.61B Chemicals & pharma Raw materials & minerals
4 United States $1.76B 8.57% $955M $807M Animal & marine products Machinery & equipment
5 Nigeria $463M 2.25% $17.3M $446M Animal & marine products Raw materials & minerals
6 Turkey $439M 2.13% $303M $136M Animal & marine products Machinery & equipment
7 Netherlands $412M 2% $246M $166M Animal & marine products Raw materials & minerals
8 Mexico $397M 1.93% $171M $226M Wood & paper products Machinery & equipment
9 Germany $383M 1.86% $81.9M $301M Animal & marine products Machinery & equipment
10 Spain $374M 1.82% $97M $277M Raw agricultural goods Machinery & equipment

Uruguay's top 10 exports

Uruguay Rank
Animal & marine products $3.64B 31/192
Transport & tourism services $3.34B 86/188
Raw agricultural goods $2.66B 46/193
Business & finance services $1.62B 66/188
Wood & paper products $1.35B 47/192
IT & IP services $1.22B 57/183
Chemicals & pharma $718M 80/193
Machinery & equipment $695M 90/193
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $608M 96/192
Textiles & consumer goods $225M 105/193

Uruguay's top 10 imports

Uruguay Rank
Machinery & equipment $4.23B 92/193
Transport & tourism services $3.67B 76/188
Raw materials & minerals $2.48B 108/193
Chemicals & pharma $1.88B 89/193
Business & finance services $1.68B 69/188
Textiles & consumer goods $1.17B 92/193
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $1.05B 97/193
IT & IP services $653M 63/182
Metals $534M 118/193
Animal & marine products $447M 90/193

Economic freedom indices

Uruguay Rank
Economic freedom 70.2 35/197
Property rights 86 32/182
Government integrity 77.5 32/182
Judicial effectiveness 81.8 32/182
Tax burden 77.3 107/181
Government spending 72.3 96/180
Fiscal health 79.6 72/181
Business freedom 84 18/182
Labor freedom 61.8 52/182
Monetary freedom 68.5 123/180
Trade freedom 73 81/181
Investment freedom 50 127/181
Financial freedom 30 154/181

Uruguay's economic freedom by year

Uruguay is ranked 29/180 for economic freedom with a score of 70.2, compared to 35/163 and a score of 66.9 in 2005.

Economic freedom
Judicial effectiveness
Tax burden
Government spending
Fiscal health
Year Index
Economic freedom Judicial effectiveness Tax burden Government spending Fiscal health
1995 62.5 - 84.6 79.6 -
1996 63.7 - 83 66.9 -
1997 67.5 - 88.3 67.1 -
1998 68.6 - 88.6 69.3 -
1999 68.5 - 88.4 70 -
2000 69.3 - 88.2 69.3 -
2001 70.7 - 86.5 71.2 -
2002 68.7 - 86.9 69.3 -
2003 69.8 - 87 70.2 -
2004 66.7 - 83.5 60 -
2005 66.9 - 86.1 51.3 -
2006 65.3 - 86.1 45.8 -
2007 68.4 - 86.2 77.8 -
2008 67.9 - 85.9 76.6 -
2009 69.1 - 82.2 76.5 -
2010 69.8 - 81.7 72.6 -
2011 70 - 84.3 76.5 -
2012 69.9 - 81.2 68.7 -
2013 69.7 - 84.2 68.3 -
2014 69.3 - 77.4 68 -
2015 68.6 - 77.1 65.1 -
2016 68.8 - 77.2 67.6 -
2017 69.7 66.8 77.5 69.4 77.2
2018 69.2 67 78 68.6 71.1
2019 68.6 58.9 77.2 67.5 69.9
2020 69.1 59.8 75.2 66.5 72.3
2021 69.3 66.8 72.6 66.9 80.5
2022 70 80.4 72.4 70.2 75.2
2023 70.2 77.3 73.7 70.1 73.3
2024 69.8 81.1 73.8 71.6 75.9
2025 70.2 81.8 77.3 72.3 79.6

More economic indicators

Uruguay Rank
Services, % of GDP
65.3%
2024
45/191
Industry, % of GDP
16.8%
2024
153/194
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
6.42%
2024
96/193
GNI, Atlas method
$73.1B
2024
83/194
GNI per capita, PPP
$34,060
2024
60/191
Total reserves including gold
$17.4B
2024
66/177
Net foreign direct investment
$2.38B
2024
21/188
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
-$2.46B
2024
183/193
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
-$74.8M
2024
178/187
Poverty at national poverty lines
17.3%
2024
117/176
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
15.6%
2024
156/176

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GDP per capita map

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The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.