Uruguay has a free market economy characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of social spending. Uruguay has sought to expand trade within the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) and with non-Mercosur members, and President VAZQUEZ has maintained his predecessor's mix of pro-market policies and a strong social safety net.
2.7% (2017 est.)
1.7% (2016 est.)
0.4% (2015 est.)
7.8% (2019 est.)
7.5% (2018 est.)
6.2% (2017 est.)
Fitch rating: BBB- (2013)
Moody's rating: Baa2 (2014)
Standard & Poors rating: BBB (2015)
$74.638 billion (2019 est.)
$74.473 billion (2018 est.)
$73.285 billion (2017 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$56.108 billion (2019 est.)
$21,561 (2019 est.)
$21,591 (2018 est.)
$21,325 (2017 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
13% of GDP (2019 est.)
12% of GDP (2018 est.)
12.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
agriculture: 6.2% (2017 est.)
industry: 24.1% (2017 est.)
services: 69.7% (2017 est.)
household consumption: 66.8% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 14.3% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 16.7% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 21.6% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -18.4% (2017 est.)
Overall score: 61.5 (2020)
Starting a Business score: 89.6 (2020)
Trading score: 58.4 (2020)
Enforcement score: 56.3 (2020)
soybeans, milk, rice, maize, wheat, barley, beef, sugar cane, sorghum, oranges
food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages
-3.6% (2017 est.)
1.748 million (2017 est.)
agriculture: 13%
industry: 14%
services: 73% (2010 est.)
7.6% (2017 est.)
7.9% (2016 est.)
8.8% (2019 est.)
39.7 (2018 est.)
41.9 (2013)
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 30.8% (2014 est.)
revenues: 17.66 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 19.72 billion (2017 est.)
29.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
-3.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
65.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
61.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions.
calendar year
$879 million (2017 est.)
$410 million (2016 est.)
$11.41 billion (2017 est.)
$8.387 billion (2016 est.)
China 29%, Brazil 12%, United States 5%, Netherlands 5%, Argentina 5% (2019)
sulfate wood pulp, beef, soybeans, concentrated milk, rice (2019)
$8.607 billion (2017 est.)
$8.463 billion (2016 est.)
Brazil 25%, China 15%, United States 11%, Argentina 11% (2019)
crude petroleum, packaged medicines, cars, broadcasting equipment, delivery trucks (2019)
$15.96 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$13.47 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$43.705 billion (2019 est.)
$42.861 billion (2018 est.)
Uruguayan pesos (UYU) per US dollar -
42.645 (2020 est.)
37.735 (2019 est.)
32.2 (2018 est.)
27.52 (2014 est.)
23.25 (2013 est.)
NOTE: The information regarding Uruguay on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Uruguay 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Uruguay 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.
This page was last modified 16 Dec 23, Copyright © 2023 ITA all rights reserved.