Ecuador Travel Podcast with Sebastián Andrade

Location

Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Terrain

Coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Climate

Tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

Elevation

Highest point

Chimborazo 6,267

Lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Mean elevation

1,117 m

Area

Total

283,561 sq km

Land

276,841 sq km

Water

6,720 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly smaller than Nevada

Coastline

2,237 km

Land borders

Total

2,237 km

Border countries

Colombia 708 km; Peru 1529 km

Natural resources

Petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Land use

Agricultural land

21.5% (2023 est.)

Arable land

4.1% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

5.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

11.8% (2023 est.)

Forest

49.8% (2023 est.)

Other

28.6% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Frequent earthquakes; landslides; volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts

Volcanism: volcanic activity concentrated along the Andes Mountains; Sangay (5,230 m) is mainland Ecuador's most active volcano; other historically active volcanoes in the Andes include Antisana, Cayambe, Chacana, Cotopaxi, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, Sumaco, and Tungurahua; Fernandina (1,476 m), a shield volcano, is the most active of the many Galapagos volcanoes; other historically active Galapagos volcanoes include Wolf, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul, Pinta, Marchena, and Santiago

Note

Cotopaxi in the Andes is highest active volcano in world

Population

Total

18,479,841 (2025 est.)

Male

9,097,614

Female

9,382,227

Nationality

Noun

Ecuadorian(s)

Adjective

Ecuadorian

Ethnic groups

Mestizo (mixed Indigenous and White) 77.5%, Montubio 7.7%, Indigenous 7.7%, White 2.2%, Afroecuadorian 2%, Mulatto 1.4%, Black 1.3%, other 0.1% (2022 est.)

Languages

Languages

Spanish (Castilian; official) 98.6%, indigenous 3.9% (Quechua 3.2%, other indigenous 0.7%), foreign 2.8%, other 0.6% (includes Ecuadorian sign language) (2022 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

Religions

Roman Catholic 68.2%, Protestant 19% (Evangelical 18.3%, Adventist 0.6%, other Protestant 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other 2.3%, none 8.2% don't know/no response 1% (2023 est.)

Median age

Total

28.2 years (2025 est.)

Male

27 years

Female

28.9 years

Life expectancy

Total population

74.9 years (2024 est.)

Male

69.7 years

Female

80.4 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

64.8% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

1.62% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Nearly half of the population is concentrated in the interior, with large concentrations also found along the western coastal strip; the rainforests of the east remain sparsely populated

Largest cities

3.142 million Guayaquil, 1.957 million QUITO (capital) (2023)

Background

What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito -- the traditional name for the area -- became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty -- New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito -- gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew to become an independent republic in 1830, the traditional name was changed to the "Republic of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador has had nearly 50 years of civilian governance, the period has been marked by political instability.

Government

Presidential republic

Capital

Quito

Time zone

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

República del Ecuador

Independence

24 May 1822 (from Spain)

National day

Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809)

Overview

Highly informal South American economy; USD currency user; major banana exporter; hard hit by COVID-19; macroeconomic fragility from oil dependency; successful debt restructuring; China funding budget deficits; social unrest hampering economic activity

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$13,900 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$14,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$14,200 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.5% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.2% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

3.5% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

4.8% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.8% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

The US dollar became Ecuador's currency in 2001

Main industries

Petroleum, food processing, textiles, wood products, chemicals

Agriculture

Bananas, sugarcane, milk, oil palm fruit, maize, rice, plantains, chicken, pineapples, cocoa beans (2023)

Airports

317 (2025)

Railways

Total

965 km (2022)

Narrow gauge

965 km (2022) 1.067-m gauge

Ports

Total ports

6 (2024)

Large

0

Medium

0

Small

2

Very small

4

Ports with oil terminals

5

Key ports

Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, Puerto Maritimo de Guayaquil

Internet domain

.ec

Internet users

Percent of population 77% (2024 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

18.4 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

102 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

Deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

Fresh water

442.4 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

3 (2025)

Global geoparks and regional networks

Imbabura: Napo Sumaco; Tungurahua (2025)