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Sub-region of Americas · Country Index 2026

South America

How are the countries of South America doing?

Half of South America’s 12 placed countries sit at or above 83rd of 183 in the Country Index 2026, which places the region 10th of 22 sub-regions. Uruguay is placed highest, 35th; Venezuela lowest, 133rd. 1 reaches the world’s top fifth.

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South AmericaUN M49 005

South America, shown in red on a map of the world

83rd

median position of 183 · 10th of 22 sub-regions

Americas →median 81st

01Who is in it

The countries of South America

Alphabetical, with each country’s own banner photograph. The position is its place in the whole world ranking, never within the region.

02The region

About South America

The southern continent, from Colombia and the Guianas to Chile and Argentina.

South America runs from the Caribbean coasts of Colombia and Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego. The Andes line its western edge, the Amazon rainforest — the largest on Earth — covers much of the north, and the grasslands of the Pampas and the Patagonian steppe spread across the south.

The Inca Empire ruled much of the Andes before the Spanish conquest of the sixteenth century, while Portugal colonised Brazil. Most countries won independence in the early nineteenth century; Guyana and Suriname followed in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanish and Portuguese are spoken by most people, alongside Quechua, Guaraní and many other Indigenous languages.

03Where

South America on the map

Each member shaded by its position in the Country Index 2026, darkest for the best placed; the countries across its land borders in grey. Hover a country for its position, or select it to open its profile.

Country Index position: 1st183rdMember, not placedAcross the border, another regionNot a country this site tracks

04Country Index 2026

Where South America’s countries place

Best placed first. Every position is a place in the whole world ranking of 183, never a second list within the region; “=” marks a position shared with another country. Hover the ⓘ for where a country would sit if any one key statistic were dropped.

The full Country Index 2026
South America’s 12 placed countries by their Country Index 2026 position, best placed first.
In regionCountryIn the world1st183rd
1Uruguay35 / 183between 33rd and 36th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
2Chile41 / 183between 39th and 42nd if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
3Brazil48 / 183between 45th and 51st if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
4Argentina59 / 183between 55th and 62nd if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
5Peru60 / 183between 53rd and 66th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
6Paraguay83 / 183between 79th and 99th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
7Colombia86 / 183between 78th and 93rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
7Ecuador86 / 183between 81st and 97th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
9Suriname91 / 183between 89th and 101st if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
10Guyana99 / 183between 87th and 108th if any one key were dropped · standings on 14 of 16 topics
11Bolivia110 / 183between 102nd and 115th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
12Venezuela133 / 183between 129th and 145th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics

South America among the 22 sub-regions with a median

10th of 22. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

  1. Western Europe8thPlaced countries run from Switzerland 1st to France 19th.
  2. Northern Europe11thPlaced countries run from Denmark 2nd to Latvia 26th.
  3. Australia and New Zealand17thPlaced countries run from Australia 17th to New Zealand 19th.
  4. Northern America24thPlaced countries run from Canada 24th to United States 37th.
  5. Southern Europe31stPlaced countries run from Slovenia 14th to Bosnia and Herzegovina 62nd.
  6. Eastern Asia42ndPlaced countries run from South Korea 13th to Mongolia 75th.
  7. Eastern Europe43rdPlaced countries run from Czechia 10th to Russia 73rd.
  8. Central America80thPlaced countries run from Costa Rica 40th to Nicaragua 134th.
  9. Caribbean81stPlaced countries run from Barbados 67th to Haiti 173rd.
  10. South America83rdPlaced countries run from Uruguay 35th to Venezuela 133rd.
  11. South-eastern Asia86thPlaced countries run from Singapore 25th to Myanmar 159th.
  12. Polynesia89thPlaced countries run from Samoa 89th to Tonga 97th.
  13. Western Asia95thPlaced countries run from Cyprus 33rd to Yemen 181st.
  14. Central Asia102ndPlaced countries run from Kazakhstan 61st to Turkmenistan 158th.
  15. Southern Asia106thPlaced countries run from Bhutan 52nd to Afghanistan 175th.
  16. Melanesia107thPlaced countries run from Fiji 64th to Papua New Guinea 144th.
  17. Micronesia109thPlaced countries run from Kiribati 109th to Kiribati 109th.
  18. Northern Africa116thPlaced countries run from Tunisia 104th to Sudan 179th.
  19. Southern Africa121stPlaced countries run from South Africa 93rd to Eswatini 147th.
  20. Western Africa148thPlaced countries run from Cabo Verde 94th to Guinea-Bissau 171st.
  21. Eastern Africa153rdPlaced countries run from Mauritius 45th to South Sudan 183rd.
  22. Middle Africa166thPlaced countries run from São Tomé and Príncipe 115th to Chad 180th.
  23. Americas, the whole continent81st
  24. The world’s midpoint91st
1st183rdmedian

The square is each region’s median position; the grey bar runs from its best-placed to its lowest-placed country. Hover a row for their names.

05By subject

Topic by topic

Every country’s position on each topic, its shade darker the higher it sits in that topic’s field; select a cell for the country’s page on the topic. Strongest for South America: Energy, 4th of 21 sub-regions. Weakest: Mobility & Trade, 17th of 22.

All topics
South America: each country’s position on each topic, with the region’s median and its place among sub-regions.
EnergyEnvironment & SustainabilityEconomy & InnovationGender & EqualityEducation & KnowledgeHealth & WellbeingDevelopment & Human CapitalDigital & TechnologyPeace & SecurityGovernance & InstitutionsWork & LabourDemocracy & Civil LibertiesRisk & ResilienceFood & AgriculturePoverty & InequalityMobility & TradeMoney & Public FinancePeople & Population
Uruguay10 of 16540 of 18651 of 17659 of 18355 of 19854 of 20045 of 19643 of 19814 of 17731 of 19462 of 18223 of 19881 of 193105 of 18478 of 15937 of 177No standingNo standing
Chile37 of 165105 of 18641 of 17688 of 18358 of 19846 of 20051 of 19638 of 19879 of 17723 of 19494 of 18232 of 19888 of 19339 of 184101 of 15961 of 177No standingNo standing
BrazilNo standing67 of 18646 of 17669 of 18372 of 19863 of 20087 of 1964 of 198106 of 17757 of 19456 of 18270 of 198109 of 19352 of 184113 of 15980 of 177No standingNo standing
ArgentinaNo standing91 of 18671 of 176101 of 18347 of 19888 of 20061 of 19653 of 19830 of 17775 of 19492 of 18276 of 198123 of 19376 of 184100 of 159116 of 177No standingNo standing
Peru50 of 16554 of 18680 of 17649 of 18319 of 19879 of 200106 of 19678 of 198105 of 17796 of 19487 of 18290 of 198131 of 19365 of 184109 of 15960 of 177No standingNo standing
Paraguay19 of 16553 of 18675 of 17679 of 183144 of 19894 of 200113 of 196143 of 19865 of 177126 of 19464 of 182110 of 19865 of 19397 of 184103 of 159158 of 177No standingNo standing
Colombia56 of 16577 of 18677 of 17671 of 18392 of 19889 of 20094 of 19698 of 198149 of 17767 of 194121 of 18292 of 198151 of 193101 of 184132 of 15985 of 177No standingNo standing
Ecuador36 of 16531 of 18690 of 17652 of 18387 of 198105 of 200102 of 19687 of 198134 of 177103 of 19446 of 182123 of 198165 of 193118 of 184111 of 159121 of 177No standingNo standing
Suriname57 of 165120 of 18694 of 17638 of 183157 of 19893 of 200122 of 196160 of 19858 of 17794 of 194119 of 18264 of 19891 of 193119 of 18490 of 159108 of 177No standingNo standing
Guyana150 of 16556 of 186No standing55 of 183148 of 198112 of 20068 of 196167 of 19826 of 177109 of 194125 of 18298 of 198112 of 19334 of 184No standing161 of 177No standingNo standing
Bolivia85 of 16564 of 186113 of 17633 of 18382 of 198124 of 200127 of 196140 of 198117 of 177143 of 19429 of 182107 of 19892 of 193148 of 18492 of 159164 of 177No standingNo standing
Venezuela8 of 165133 of 186108 of 17668 of 18389 of 198135 of 200140 of 196126 of 198159 of 177194 of 194164 of 182192 of 198140 of 193114 of 184No standing124 of 177No standingNo standing
Region median37th of 16564th of 18677th of 17659th of 18382nd of 19889th of 20094th of 19687th of 19879th of 17794th of 19487th of 18290th of 198109th of 19397th of 184101st of 159108th of 177——
Among sub-regions4th of 217th of 219th of 219th of 2110th of 2210th of 2211th of 2211th of 2211th of 2012th of 2212th of 2113th of 2213th of 2214th of 2216th of 2117th of 22——

Columns run from the topic where South America places best among sub-regions to the one where it places lowest. A region’s median on a topic needs at least two members with a standing; a hatched cell has no standing.

06In numbers

South America in 6 numbers

Each line is every country in the world at its published value; South America’s countries are the red ticks, and the dashed line is the world median. There is no regional average: a region has countries, not a life expectancy of its own.

All statistics

  • Population

    people · log scale

    UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · 222 countries · no better end

    SurinameBrazil496world median 6,541,4131,438,069,596

  • Land area

    km²

    FAO · 2024 · 221 countries · no better end

    SurinameBrazil0.4world median 87,58916,376,870

  • GDP per person

    international $, PPP · log scale

    World Bank Group · 2025 · 185 countries · higher is better

    No reading: Venezuela

    BoliviaGuyana1,067world median 17,265139,593

  • Life expectancy

    years at birth

    UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · 222 countries · higher is better

    BoliviaChile54.46world median 74.6386.37

  • Human development

    HDI, 0–1

    UNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · 193 countries · higher is better

    VenezuelaChile0.388world median 0.7620.972

  • Unemployment

    % of the labour force

    ILO · 2025 · 182 countries · lower is better

    BoliviaGuyana0.13world median 5.08434.2
Every value for South America’s countries
CountryPopulation 2023Land area 2024GDP per person 2025Life expectancy 2023Human development 2023Unemployment 2025
Argentina45,538,401rank 342,736,690rank 827,847rank 6777.39rank 780.865rank 477.145rank 55
Bolivia12,244,159rank 791,087,959rank 2711,001rank 11868.58rank 1670.733rank 1082.967rank 145
Brazil211,140,729rank 78,358,140rank 520,025rank 8275.85rank 1000.786rank 845.97rank 74
Chile19,658,835rank 65742,032rank 3830,863rank 6081.17rank 430.878rank 458.974rank 42
Colombia52,321,152rank 281,109,500rank 2618,779rank 8977.72rank 740.788rank 838.29rank 51
Ecuador17,980,083rank 72248,360rank 7714,319rank 10577.39rank 800.777rank 883.308rank 131
Guyana826,353rank 164211,140rank 8383,659rank 870.18rank 1540.776rank 8911.96rank 24
Paraguay6,844,146rank 108396,012rank 6017,246rank 9473.84rank 1180.756rank 994.803rank 101
Peru33,845,617rank 451,280,000rank 1916,079rank 10077.74rank 730.794rank 795.117rank 90
Suriname628,886rank 170160,508rank 9119,357rank 8673.63rank 1210.722rank 1147.834rank 52
Uruguay3,388,081rank 134175,016rank 9032,742rank 5778.14rank 650.862rank 487.516rank 54
Venezuela28,300,854rank 53882,050rank 32—72.51rank 1330.709rank 1215.307rank 86

07In records

South America in records

The member at the extreme of each statistic, read from its newest edition. Where two members share the top, no record is named.

08Latest editions

Who rose and fell in the published ranks

The moves of South America’s countries between each report’s two newest editions, in the publisher’s own ranks. A report whose field changed by more than 5% is left out.

Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Human Development Index: reference years 2022 (192 countries ranked) → 2023 (193 ranked), both from its 2025 report.

Improved most

rank before → after
  1. Guyana95 → 89+6
  2. Bolivia113 → 108+5
  3. Paraguay102 → 99+3

Declined most

rank before → after

No country moved this way.

Every country in the Human Development Index

09In context

Across the border

The countries outside South America that share a land border with one of its members, with their world positions, and the sub-regions they belong to. Land borders only, as drawn on the map.

Central America

Western Europe

The neighbouring sub-regions

10Places

Landmarks of South America

Two places from each member with a gallery on its profile.

  • The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier, in the Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina.

    Perito Moreno Glacier

    Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park in Santa Cruz Province, Patagonia.

    Photo: Fernando · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale

  • Aerial view of Foz de Iguaçu, Brazil-Argentina border.

    Iguazu Falls

    Waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border between Argentina and Brazil.

    Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale

  • Cristo Redentor, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

    Christ the Redeemer

    Art Deco statue of Jesus on Corcovado mountain above Rio de Janeiro, completed in 1931.

    Photo: Arne Müseler / www.arne-mueseler.com · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale

  • Esta é vista mais linda do Rio de Janeiro. Dá para entender o carinhoso apelido de Cidade Maravilhosa!

    Sugarloaf Mountain

    Granite peak rising from Guanabara Bay at the entrance to Rio de Janeiro.

    Photo: Ccarelo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale

11Keep reading

Explore further

All regions

The rest of Americas

12Method

Questions, method and sources

Which countries are in South America?

12 countries and territories: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. Membership follows the United Nations’ M49 classification.

Which country in South America is placed highest?

Uruguay, placed 35th of 183 in the Country Index 2026. Venezuela is placed lowest, 133rd. 12 of the region’s 12 countries and territories are placed; the rest hold standings on too few topics.

How does South America compare with other regions?

Half of its 12 placed countries sit at or above 83rd of 183, which places it 10th of 22 sub-regions. The median across Americas is 81st. The middle of the whole field is 91st. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

How many people live in South America?

432,717,296 in 2023, the sum of the UN DESA Population Division’s figures for its 12 countries and territories.

What is the largest country in South America?

By land area, Brazil: 8,358,140 square kilometres (2024). By population, Brazil: 211,140,729 people (2023).

How a region’s figure is made
  1. Membership. Countries belong to regions by the United Nations’ M49 classification; each country declares its sub-region, and a continent is the sum of its sub-regions.
  2. Positions. Each country’s position is its Country Index 2026 result, unchanged. This page slices the world ranking by place; it does not re-rank anyone.
  3. The median. A region’s figure is the median of its placed countries’ positions: half sit at or above it, half below. With an even number of placed countries it takes the better of the two middle positions, since there is no country at a half place. Countries the index does not place are named, never counted in.
  4. A place among peers. Continents are compared with continents and sub-regions with sub-regions, never a part with the whole that contains it; regions sharing a median share a place. Nothing is weighted by population or size, and population and land area are the only figures ever added up.

Where the regions come from

United Nations Statistics Division, Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49). M49’s middle level (Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean) is left out, so every sub-region sits directly under its continent. Kosovo, Northern Cyprus and Somaliland are not in M49 and are placed by geography.

Where the positions come from

Every position is a country’s result in the Country Index 2026 or one of its topics, unchanged. The population and land-area figures are the UN DESA Population Division’s and the FAO’s, added up and shown with their year; every other statistic names its publisher beside its numbers.

Photographs

Each country’s own banner from its profile: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). South America: countries, population and rankings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/regions/south-america

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