Indigenous Latin America

There are an estimated 42 million indigenous people in Latin America, according to the World Bank report "Indigenous Latin America in the Twenty-First Century". Among the countries with the largest indigenous populations are Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and Bolivia, which together account for more than 80 percent of the regional total, comprising approximately 34 million indigenous individuals.

Poverty afflicts 43 percent of the indigenous population in the region, which is more than twice the proportion of non-indigenous people. Additionally, 24 percent of all indigenous people live in extreme poverty, which is 2.7 times higher than the proportion of non-indigenous people living in extreme poverty. Furthermore, being born to indigenous parents substantially increases the probability of being raised in a poor household, contributing to a poverty trap that hampers the full development of indigenous children.

Indigenous People often lack formal recognition over their lands, territories and natural resources. They are often the last to receive public investments in basic services and infrastructure and face multiple barriers to fully participate in the formal economy, access to justice, and participate in political processes and decision making.

This legacy of inequality and exclusion has made Indigenous Peoples more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and natural hazards, including disease outbreaks such as COVID-19.

NEW! --Indigenous Latin America Series--

The Indigenous Latin America Series is a flagship initiative from the World Bank’s Social Development team in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through in‑depth reports, interviews, and data-driven analyses, we highlight the perspectives, priorities, and innovations of Indigenous Peoples across the region. By centering Indigenous perspectives and traditional knowledge, the Series underscores their vital role in shaping sustainable, inclusive development pathways.

Top content

The way forward

Improving security of land tenure, strengthening governance, promoting public investments in quality and culturally appropriate service provision, and supporting Indigenous systems for resilience and livelihoods are critical to reducing the multidimensional aspects of poverty while contributing to sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The World Bank works with Indigenous Peoples and governments to ensure that broader development programs reflect the voices and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples.

The World Bank is engaging with Indigenous Peoples’ organizations to better understand and build upon traditional knowledge for climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions. Through direct grants to indigenous organizations and inclusion in national programs, the Bank is also working to promote the recognition and strengthening of Indigenous Peoples’ significant contributions as stewards of the regions’s forests and biodiversity.

The voices of indigenous youth must play a central role in the climate agenda of Latin America and the Caribbean. The World Bank actively supports young leaders in their educational journey to lead climate change initiatives and monitor the fulfillment of environmental commitments, all while taking into account the well-being of their territories and honoring their ancestral practices.

In countries like Bolivia, the World Bank works to promote reflection and conversation about racism through culture and art, thereby building bridges of dialogue. Both in 2021 and 2023 (links in Spanish), a short story contest was organized, where more than 600 people shared ideas about the causes and impact of racial discrimination in Bolivian society, as well as the actions and processes necessary to overcome this scourge.

The map presented below showcases other initiatives and content developed by the World Bank in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Multimedia

Below is content generated by the World Bank featuring the voices, views and experiences of indigenous communities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Indigenous Latin America in the 21st Century: Achievements and Gaps

Despite important advances over the first decade of this millenium, Indigenous Peoples in the Latin America region are disproportionately affected by poverty, and continue to face widespread economic and social exclusion. A World Bank report shines new light on their situation.

National Indigenous Peoples Development Plan in Panama

Watch the project that supports the implementation of the National Indigenous Peoples Development Plan in Panama

In Argentina, a road connects indigenous women with their entrepreneurial skills

The Qom Culture Route (QCR) is a corridor of seven cultural centers led by artisan Qom women - 10 percent of the indigenous population in the country belongs to this ethnic group - spread along the recently paved Route 3 in the province of Chaco, as part of the Norte Grande Road Infrastructure Project, with support from The World Bank. The project has helped build these women’s community centers and trained them in entrepreneurial and commercial skills.

Rural development in Paraguay

The Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Project (PRODERS) has supported rural and indigenous families in Paraguay to increase their income and improve their quality of life.

Prevent violence against women and girls in Ecuador's indigenous communities

Testimonies from participants of a workshop on violence against women and girls in indigenous communities in Ecuador.