The World Bank In Bolivia

Bolivia, a landlocked nation in South America, borders Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru. Classified as a lower-middle-income country, it has a population of 11,3 million. Renowned for its rich cultural heritage, Bolivia has one of the highest proportions of Indigenous peoples in Latin America, with 38 percent of its population self-identifying as Indigenous. The country is endowed with abundant natural resources—including significant deposits of natural gas and vast reserves of minerals such as tin, silver, zinc, and lithium—and extensive forests and agricultural lands. Its main exports include natural gas and minerals (notably zinc, silver, and tin), alongside agricultural products such as soybeans, Brazil nuts, and meat, shipped to markets across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Last Updated: Oct 06, 2025

After the commodity boom ended in 2014, Bolivia relied on significant public spending to maintain high economic growth. In a less favorable context, these measures increased public debt and reduced international reserves.

Following the pandemic, Bolivia achieved an important economic recovery and poverty reduction thanks to the easing of isolation measures and an improved external environment, including the rise in international prices for exports. However, high public debt, along with declining natural gas production and international reserves, has limited growth and led to the emergence of a parallel exchange rate.

Additionally, Bolivia is exposed to various external risks such us the volatility of commodity prices, the global economic slowdown, and shocks in international markets. Bolivia is also vulnerable to climate-related disasters, such as the droughts and floods that have affected different regions of the country, and to other internal factors like forest fires.  

In this context, a sustainable recovery requires facing some structural challenges. Bolivia could benefit from a strategy to address macroeconomic imbalances, promote the more active role of the private sector -- including companies of all sizes and foreign investors -- and boost resilience to changes in the international environment and adverse climate events. To achieve these objectives and improve service delivery while protecting the vulnerable population, it is essential to increase the efficiency and progressivity of fiscal policy.

Limited gas reserves and global efforts to decarbonize the energy sector make it necessary to seek alternatives to gas exports. Encouraging private investment would help accelerate growth, promote employment quality and diversify the economy.  

Last Updated: Oct 06, 2025

One World Bank Group in Bolivia

Since July 2024, Bolivia has had a unified World Bank Group office that brings together the entire institution’s presence in the country, providing a single point of contact for access to all its products and services. The joint office includes the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). This integrated presence enables the World Bank Group to work more effectively and cohesively in Bolivia.

Our current portfolio includes six investment projects totaling US$993 million, focused on transport, rural development and agriculture, urban development, energy, and water—sectors that are fundamental to Bolivia’s development priorities.

Country Partnership

The Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2023–2026 outlines the World Bank Group’s strategy in Bolivia, focusing on three priorities: strengthening climate and economic resilience, improving incomes for vulnerable households, and expanding access to quality public services. It aligns with Bolivia’s national development plan and areas where the WBG offers high value through financing and technical assistance.

The CPF supports key sectors such as agriculture, urban development, disaster risk management, and renewable energy. To enhance resilience, it aims to improve climate risk management and macro-fiscal sustainability. To raise incomes, it promotes agricultural productivity, better market connectivity, and stronger employment skills.

To improve public services, the CPF focuses on enhancing service delivery and expanding access to electricity, especially in rural areas, to help Bolivia reach universal coverage by 2030.

Results

In Bolivia, the World Bank supports projects aimed at improving living conditions, rural productivity, resilience, and infrastructure across various sectors.

The Innovation Project for Resilient Food Systems (PAR III) will benefit more than 800 community associations and 1,900 rural producer organizations through investments and technological training to reduce food insecurity. The project will implement 205 productive infrastructure subprojects and promote the adoption of climate-adapted agricultural practices, with an emphasis on the participation of women producers.

In urban areas, the Urban Resilience Project supports La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra in reducing vulnerabilities to climate risks, benefiting more than 167,000 residents through infrastructure resistant to landslides and floods, neighborhood and public space improvements, and the promotion of urban mobility.

The Road Corridor Connection Project in Santa Cruz, covering the San Ignacio de Velasco – San José de Chiquitos section (208 km), will improve a highway that connects Bolivia and Brazil, completes the Chiquitanía tourist circuit, and forms part of the East-West Bioceanic Corridor.

The Capacity Development Project in the Transport Sector supported the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Santa Cruz – Trinidad road (546 km), benefiting nearly 3 million inhabitants and strengthening the institutional capacity of the Bolivian Road Administration (ABC).

The Sustainable Electricity Access Improvement Project (IDTR III) will enable more than 141,000 people to gain access to new or improved electricity through the extension of networks, mini-grids, and solar systems, benefiting households, health centers, schools, and productive units.

The Resilient Water Management Project for Family and Community Irrigation will improve water resource management in 15 watersheds and 256 municipalities, benefiting around 30,000 rural families, with an emphasis on protecting water sources, optimizing irrigation systems, and building infrastructure.

The Climate Resilience Program for the Road Sector will strengthen climate risk management and the safety of bridges and roads, benefiting more than 165,000 residents and road users in several municipalities through institutional development and resilience subprojects against climate disasters.

Last Updated: Oct 10, 2025