Ecuador at its true size
Ecuador covers 257,204 km², number 76 of 194 countries by area. Home to 18,289,896 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50mRemote islands and overseas parts not drawn; the figures include them
| Area | 257,204 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,289,896 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 71 per km² |
| Capital | Quito |
| Local time in Quito | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 · UTC−6 to UTC−5, 2 time zones IANA |
| Currency | United States dollar (USD) Wikidata |
| Languages | Spanish, Northern Quichua, Shuar |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | South America, South America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +593 |
| Codes | EC · ECU · 218 |
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Where Ecuador ranks
Among the independent states, in 44 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#71 of 19418 million people#7 of 12 in South America
- Population density#114 of 19471 people per km²#1 of 12 in South America
- Urban population#95 of 19263% urban#11 of 12 in South America
- Fertility rate#106 of 1921.81 births per woman#7 of 12 in South America
- Population growth#105 of 192+0.85% a year#5 of 12 in South America
- Birth rate#101 of 19214.8 births per 1,000 people#7 of 12 in South America
- Death rate#166 of 1925.2 deaths per 1,000 people#12 of 12 in South America
- Children under 15#100 of 19223.9% under 15#6 of 12 in South America
- People over 65#87 of 1928.6% aged 65 and over#8 of 12 in South America
- Net migration#114 of 192−0.9 per 1,000 people#7 of 12 in South America
- Refugees abroad#86 of 1900.31 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#4 of 12 in South America
Health & education
- Life expectancy#63 of 19277.6 years#5 of 12 in South America
- Infant mortality#106 of 19110.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#8 of 12 in South America
- Doctors#78 of 1782.31 doctors per 1,000 people#7 of 11 in South America
- University enrolment#49 of 14567.9% gross enrolment#5 of 8 in South America
- Human Development Index#87 of 190an index of 0.777#7 of 12 in South America
Economy
- GNI per capita#96 of 185$6,890 a person#8 of 12 in South America
- Internet users#104 of 18477% online#11 of 12 in South America
- GDP per capita (PPP)#103 of 184$16,757 a person#10 of 11 in South America
- GDP growth#81 of 187+3.7% a year#4 of 12 in South America
- Inflation#149 of 176+0.7% a year#11 of 11 in South America
- Unemployment#127 of 1783.3% of the labour force#11 of 12 in South America
- Extreme poverty#62 of 1493.4% under $3.00 a day#3 of 10 in South America
- Income inequality (Gini)#12 of 149a Gini index of 45.9#3 of 10 in South America
- Jobs in agriculture#54 of 17832.5% of jobs#1 of 12 in South America
- Jobs in industry#122 of 17816.6% of jobs#12 of 12 in South America
- Jobs in services#114 of 17850.9% of jobs#12 of 12 in South America
- Foreign investment#126 of 1841.0% of GDP#9 of 12 in South America
- Exports#98 of 16831.4% of GDP#3 of 10 in South America
- Military spending#56 of 1552.1% of GDP#3 of 10 in South America
- Mobile subscriptions#125 of 191102 subscriptions per 100 people#9 of 12 in South America
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#89 of 1852.64 tonnes a person#6 of 12 in South America
- Forest area#50 of 19250% forest#8 of 12 in South America
- Renewable energy#112 of 19018.9% renewable#8 of 12 in South America
- Access to electricity#116 of 19298.5% with electricity#8 of 12 in South America
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#93 of 19118.6 µg/m³#5 of 12 in South America
- Protected land#53 of 19123.8% of the land protected#4 of 12 in South America
- Arable land#142 of 1903.7% of the land arable#6 of 12 in South America
- Water stress#107 of 1766.8% of its available fresh water#5 of 12 in South America
- Precipitation#23 of 1802,274 mm a year#4 of 12 in South America
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Ecuador’s area, lit up on the map →
- Western Sahara0.97×Ecuador is 3% smaller than Western Sahara.
- Gabon0.96×Ecuador is 4% smaller than Gabon.
- New Zealand0.96×Ecuador is 4% smaller than New Zealand.
- Guinea1.05×Ecuador is 5% larger than Guinea.
- United Kingdom1.06×Ecuador is 6% larger than United Kingdom.
- Burkina Faso0.94×Ecuador is 6% smaller than Burkina Faso.
How many times does Ecuador fit into…
- Russia: about 66 times
- Canada: about 39 times
- United States: about 38 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Ecuador shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Summits
- Chimborazo volcano6,263 m
- Volcán Wolf1,707 m
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Ecuador. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Ecuador
- How big is Ecuador?
- Ecuador covers 257,204 km², which makes it number 76 of 194 countries by area. About 18,289,896 people live there (2025), 71 per km².
- Is Ecuador bigger than Western Sahara?
- Ecuador is 3% smaller than Western Sahara. Ecuador: 257,204 km²; Western Sahara: 266,000 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Ecuador?
- Ecuador lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Ecuador?
- Ecuador shares a land border with Peru, Colombia.