Paraguay vs Puerto Rico (US)
Side-by-side comparison of Paraguay and Puerto Rico (US) from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Paraguay
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 215 years
Puerto Rico (US)
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 128 years
In short
Puerto Rico (US) scores 55.9 in the NationsTree Index (66th in the world) and Paraguay scores 39.1 (132nd), a gap of 16.8 points. Their trees are 6.7 m and 7.9 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Paraguay has 2.2 times the population of Puerto Rico (US). Paraguay is 46 times larger than Puerto Rico (US) by land area. The economy of Puerto Rico (US) is 17% larger than that of Paraguay (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Paraguay 7.0 million and Puerto Rico (US) 3.2 million (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $52,196 in Puerto Rico (US) and $20,181 in Paraguay (2025, international dollars). People in Puerto Rico (US) live on average 7.9 years longer (81.9 vs 74.0 years).
Of 26 indicators reported by both countries, Paraguay ranks higher in the world on 8 and Puerto Rico (US) on 18. Paraguay is clearly stronger in natural resources, environment & energy and land & people. Puerto Rico (US) is clearly stronger in tourism, society & health and science & innovation.
As a nation, Paraguay is the older of the two (statehood since 1811, 215 years), compared with Puerto Rico (US) (since 1898). Over the last five years Puerto Rico (US) improved faster (direction score 39 vs 12 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Paraguay and Puerto Rico (US).
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Puerto Rico (US) has been ahead of Paraguay in the NationsTree Index in every year since 2000.
Puerto Rico (US) has been ahead of Paraguay in GDP per person (PPP), GDP (PPP) and life expectancy in every year since 1990.
Paraguay has been ahead of Puerto Rico (US) in population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | ||
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 406,75261st/216 · 2024 | 8,870166th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 396,01260th/216 · 2024 | 8,870165th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 7.0 m107th/217 · 2025 | 3.2 m134th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 1.20%88th/217 · 2025 | -0.55%201st/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 17.5193rd/216 · 2024 | 361.132nd/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 70.4%89th/217 · 2025 | 94.3%21st/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 28.4%79th/217 · 2025 | 11.2%214th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 6.7%129th/217 · 2025 | 25.3%3rd/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $49.28 bn98th/210 · 2025 | $129.37 bn65th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $141.53 bn92nd/199 · 2025 | $166.23 bn87th/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $120.95 bn92nd/199 · 2025 | $142.05 bn87th/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $7,027121st/210 · 2025 | $40,62041st/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $20,181105th/199 · 2025 | $52,19648th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $6,750113th/201 · 2025 | $27,32052nd/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 6.6%24th/210 · 2025 | 0.3%191st/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 4.0%125th/180 · 2025 | — |
| Unemployment % | 4.8%82nd/187 · 2025 | 6.0%111th/187 · 2025 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 38.2%55th/189 · 2025 | 17.6%16th/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -1.7%68th/192 · 2025 | -0.4%46th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 11.6%64th/197 · 2025 | 0.7%177th/197 · 2025 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 32.3%45th/200 · 2025 | 47.0%8th/200 · 2025 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 19.4%22nd/192 · 2025 | 44.0%1st/192 · 2025 |
| Services % of GDP | 48.1%155th/200 · 2025 | 51.9%137th/200 · 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $18.32 bn92nd/182 · 2025 | $60.65 bn61st/182 · 2025 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $19.37 bn94th/182 · 2025 | $56.37 bn65th/182 · 2025 |
| Exports % of GDP | 37.2%89th/183 · 2025 | 46.9%59th/183 · 2025 |
| Imports % of GDP | 39.3%105th/183 · 2025 | 43.6%93rd/183 · 2025 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 76.5%104th/183 · 2025 | 90.5%81st/183 · 2025 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 11.0%46th/170 · 2025 | — |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 16.3%115th/171 · 2025 | — |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 69.1%15th/171 · 2025 | — |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 1.7%113th/171 · 2025 | — |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 10.5%61st/168 · 2024 | — |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -2.5%106th/191 · 2025 | — |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 2.4%89th/196 · 2025 | — |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 1.3%109th/209 · 2021 | 0.0%187th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.07%80th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 1.27%45th/209 · 2021 | 0.00%183rd/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 11.5%90th/206 · 2024 | 6.6%125th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 17,30735th/183 · 2022 | 2,205100th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 1.1 m94th/194 · 2020 | 3.9 m46th/194 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $104.0 m141st/175 · 2020 | $2.92 bn41st/175 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 0.8%155th/168 · 2020 | — |
| Outbound trips departures | 214,00092nd/107 · 2020 | 792,00065th/107 · 2017 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 74.0115th/217 · 2024 | 81.938th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 16.3106th/196 · 2024 | — |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 3.8933rd/174 · 2022 | 1.751995 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 1.0115th/145 · 2022 | 3.31996 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 80%145th/193 · 2024 | — |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 57.2%103rd/153 · 2024 | 88.8%52nd/153 · 2024 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 79.1%131st/173 · 2024 | 81.5%126th/173 · 2024 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | 54.4%27th/55 · 2022 | — |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 10.4%128th/217 · 2025 | 39.8%4th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 8.4%55th/193 · 2023 | — |
| Adult literacy % | 94.9%38th/98 · 2024 | 92.4%2017 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 37.6%2010 | 77.9%31st/150 · 2023 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.75699th/193 · 2023 | — |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 44.298th/108 · 2024 | — |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 2.1%59th/108 · 2024 | — |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 99.8%126th/215 · 2024 | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | 64.4%98th/150 · 2024 | 98.9%31st/150 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 58.5%75th/144 · 2024 | 32.5%107th/144 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 81.6%98th/186 · 2024 | 87.3%74th/186 · 2022 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 12767th/210 · 2023 | 12671st/210 · 2024 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 12.9108th/208 · 2023 | 28.066th/208 · 2024 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 2.5085th/164 · 2022 | — |
| Rail lines route-km | 4412000 | — |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 407,865118th/161 · 2023 | — |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 1.1668th/203 · 2024 | 4.82147th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 58.8%38th/212 · 2021 | 2.5%177th/212 · 2022 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 15.386th/200 · 2023 | 7.831st/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 36.5%91st/214 · 2024 | 49.7%59th/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 1,05688th/149 · 2024 | — |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 47.7126th/205 · 2025 | 43.7139th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 27.7170th/207 · 2025 | 59.064th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 48.2141st/207 · 2025 | 68.068th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 68.0104th/207 · 2025 | 72.087th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 55.096th/205 · 2025 | 60.373rd/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 55.2109th/205 · 2025 | 64.979th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 6.8108th/145 · 2023 | 14.6125th/145 · 2023 |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | $421.1 m109th/156 · 2025 | — |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | 0.9%125th/156 · 2025 | — |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | 4.3%99th/154 · 2025 | — |
| Armed forces personnel people | 29,00088th/170 · 2020 | — |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 0.88%77th/168 · 2020 | — |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 24.0 m85th/163 · 2025 | — |
| Science & innovation | ||
| R&D spending % of GDP | 0.14%93rd/110 · 2023 | 0.43%2015 |
| Patent applications by residents applications | 1593rd/137 · 2024 | — |
| Scientific articles articles | 253120th/197 · 2023 | 60595th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Paraguay or Puerto Rico (US)?
Paraguay has the larger population: 7.0 m (2025) compared with 3.2 m for Puerto Rico (US) (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Paraguay or Puerto Rico (US)?
Paraguay is larger: 406,752 km² (2024) compared with 8,870 km² for Puerto Rico (US) (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Paraguay or Puerto Rico (US)?
Puerto Rico (US) has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $166.23 bn intl. (2025) compared with $141.53 bn intl. for Paraguay (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Paraguay or Puerto Rico (US)?
Puerto Rico (US) has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $52,196 intl. (2025) compared with $20,181 intl. for Paraguay (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Paraguay or Puerto Rico (US)?
Puerto Rico (US) has the higher life expectancy at birth: 81.9 years (2024) compared with 74.0 years for Paraguay (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Paraguay or Puerto Rico (US)?
Puerto Rico (US): 55.9 points (66th in the world); Paraguay: 39.1 points (132nd). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Sources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Paraguay vs Puerto Rico (US) — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/paraguay-vs-puerto-rico-us. Data as of 26 October 2026.