Paraguay currently has a population growth rate of about 1.5%. At this rate, it will reach 7.6 million by 2020.
The growth rate of the population of Paraguay is very close to the worldwide annual growth rate of slightly over 1%. Similarly, Paraguay's birth rate is almost the same as the worldwide average of around 2.5 children born to each woman. This rate of growth is a stable and sustainable amount of growth for the region, and the population of Togo is currently increasing by less than 100,000 people per year. As of 2019, the annual growth rate of Paraguay is 1.23%.
The stable amount of growth in Paraguay has not always been so. The rate of change has been slowly declining for multiple decades and that trend is expected to continue. Current projections believe that the rate will fall below 1% by 2030, and will decline further to below 0.5% by 2050. During this same time, predictions state that the population of Paraguay will be 7,066,330 by 2020, 7,844,904 by 2030, 8,460,299 by 2040 and 8,897,182 by 2050.
| Paraguay Population (as of 10/15/2024) | 6,953,751 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 6,929,150 |
| Births per Day | 374 |
| Deaths per Day | 108 |
| Migrations per Day | -34 |
| Net Change per Day | 232 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | 66,816 |
Net increase of 1 person every 6.2 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 3.85 minutes | |
| One death every 13.33 minutes | |
| One emigrant every 42.35 minutes | |
| Net gain of one person every 6.2 minutes |
City | 2024 Pop. |
|---|---|
| Asuncion | 1,482,200 |
| Ciudad del Este | 320,782 |
| San Lorenzo | 227,876 |
| Capiata | 198,553 |
| Lambare | 126,377 |
| Fernando de la Mora | 120,167 |
| Limpio | 96,143 |
| Nemby | 94,641 |
| Pedro Juan Caballero | 75,109 |
| Encarnacion | 74,983 |
The South American country of Paraguay is a landlocked nation in the center of the continent, that shares its borders with Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia. The geography of the land varies from subtropical rainforest to swampland, to savanna- much of which is uninhabitable and covers 157,048 square miles (406,752 square kilometers) of area. This ranks Paraguay 60th in the world in terms of the area alone. Largely because of its landscape, Paraguay is a very sparsely populated country. Using the 2017 population of 6.811 million people, the population density of Paraguay is 43 people per square mile (17 people per square kilometer), which ranks them 169th in the world in terms of population density.
Nearly two-thirds of the population of Paraguay live in, or around, an urban area, and several cities are home to these people. The capital of the Paraguay, Asunción, is also the largest city in the country with 525,294 people living within the city proper, and over 2.2 million living in the greater metro area. In addition to being the political capital, Asunción also serves as the hub for all things business, education, religion, tourism, and sports as well. The second-largest city in Paraguay in Ciudad Del Este with 293,817 citizens. Ciudad Del Este is known for its diversity and being an economic hotspot. Other cities in Paraguay with populations over 200,000 include Luque, San Lorenzo, and Capiatá. Something all of these cities have in common is lack of housing due to overpopulation and pollution from poor waste disposal, threatening widespread disease in these areas.
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6,929,150 | 1.24% | 17 | 108 | 203 |
| 2023 | 6,844,150 | 1.26% | 17 | 108 | 203 |
| 2020 | 6,603,740 | 1.36% | 17 | 110 | 203 |
| 2019 | 6,515,060 | 1.36% | 16 | 109 | 204 |
| 2018 | 6,427,380 | 1.4% | 16 | 109 | 203 |
| 2017 | 6,338,660 | 1.43% | 16 | 109 | 203 |
| 2015 | 6,159,100 | 1.43% | 16 | 111 | 202 |
| 2010 | 5,737,970 | 1.04% | 14 | 109 | 200 |
| 2005 | 5,448,100 | 1.33% | 14 | 108 | 200 |
| 2000 | 5,100,870 | 2.18% | 13 | 110 | 199 |
| 1995 | 4,579,810 | 2.56% | 12 | 113 | 199 |
| 1990 | 4,035,750 | 2.83% | 10 | 115 | 199 |
| 1985 | 3,510,670 | 2.83% | 9 | 117 | 200 |
| 1980 | 3,053,240 | 2.55% | 8 | 121 | 202 |
| 1975 | 2,691,650 | 2.42% | 7 | 122 | 199 |
| 1970 | 2,388,030 | 2.36% | 6 | 121 | 196 |
| 1965 | 2,125,180 | 2.44% | 5 | 121 | 196 |
| 1960 | 1,883,510 | 2.28% | 5 | 120 | 197 |
| 1955 | 1,682,290 | 2.26% | 4 | 119 | 197 |
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6,929,150 | 1.24% | 17 | 108 | 203 |
| 2025 | 7,013,080 | 1.21% | 18 | 108 | 204 |
| 2030 | 7,407,620 | 1.1% | 19 | 108 | 204 |
| 2035 | 7,763,520 | 0.94% | 20 | 109 | 203 |
| 2040 | 8,087,570 | 0.82% | 20 | 109 | 203 |
| 2045 | 8,380,530 | 0.71% | 21 | 110 | 202 |
| 2050 | 8,640,460 | 0.61% | 22 | 111 | 203 |
| 2055 | 8,861,720 | 0.51% | 22 | 109 | 202 |
| 2060 | 9,039,000 | 0.4% | 23 | 108 | 201 |
| 2065 | 9,166,620 | 0.28% | 23 | 109 | 200 |
| 2070 | 9,245,160 | 0.17% | 23 | 105 | 200 |
| 2075 | 9,282,640 | 0.08% | 23 | 105 | 198 |
| 2080 | 9,284,180 | 0% | 23 | 105 | 197 |
| 2085 | 9,258,410 | -0.06% | 23 | 105 | 198 |
| 2090 | 9,209,820 | -0.1% | 23 | 105 | 197 |
| 2095 | 9,140,610 | -0.15% | 23 | 106 | 196 |
The indigenous Guarani people remain influential, but most residents identify as mestizo after years of intermarriage among various ethnic groups. Paraguay has long been a recipient of immigrants, particularly after war collapsed its demographics, and there are many groups of ethnic Italians, Russians, Japanese, Germans, Chinese, Arabs, Brazilians and Argentinians in the country. Brazilians represent the largest immigrant group at 400,000, while 1% of the population is Afro-Paraguayan. There is no official information about the country's ethnic composition, as census information does not ask about race and ethnicity. Indigenous people do makeup 1.7% of Paraguay's population.
Paraguay has no official religion and does have religious freedom, but it doesn't seem as though many people have taken advantage of it because there is not much religious diversity in the country. 88% of the population are practicing Catholics, and another 8% are Protestant, totaling a whopping 96% of the population practicing some form of Christianity. The remainder of the population is either a member of a minority religion or have no religion at all.
Agriculture is the most prominent sector in the free market economy in Paraguay, employing more people than any other area of the economy and accounting for 30% of the national GDP. The industry also allows the country to be self-sufficient in that they can produce nearly all of their food. Land ownership is not at all evenly distributed, with 15 of the population owning roughly 77% of the land. Paraguay has a very young workforce that gives them an economic advantage, as does their abundant hydro-electric energy.
The country of Paraguay functions as a presidential representative democratic republic, meaning that the constitution separates power between the executive, legislative and the National Congress. The judiciary portion of the government is built from Tribunals and Courts of Civil Law as well the Supreme Court with nine members. The executive branch is made up of the president, who is elected once for a five-year term, and appoints people to other leadership roles. Once a president has completed their term, they are granted the title of "Senator for Life," where they are allowed to attend and speak during legal proceedings, but not to vote. The National Congress is made up of elected 80 members. The Chamber of Senators, however is made up of 45 members chosen by proportional representation.
Paraguay was inhabited by its indigenous Guarani people for at least 1,000 years prior to the Spanish conquering the region prior to the 16th century. The country was ruled by many dictators after it achieved independence, and between 1864 and 1870, Paraguay lost 60-70% of its population to war and disease. Most of the population today is concentrated in the southeast area of the country, with the largest city and capital, Asunción, home to about 1/3 of Paraguay's total population.