Peru at its true size
Peru covers 1,285,216 km², number 19 of 194 countries by area. Home to 34,576,665 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 1,285,216 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,576,665 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 27 per km² |
| Capital | Lima |
| Local time in Lima | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 IANA |
| Currency | Nuevo sol (PEN) Wikidata |
| Languages | Spanish, Quechua, Aymara |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | South America, South America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +51 |
| Codes | PE · PER · 604 |
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Where Peru ranks
Among the independent states, in 43 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#48 of 19435 million people#4 of 12 in South America
- Population density#158 of 19427 people per km²#4 of 12 in South America
- Urban population#31 of 19286% urban#6 of 12 in South America
- Fertility rate#96 of 1921.97 births per woman#6 of 12 in South America
- Population growth#94 of 192+1.04% a year#3 of 12 in South America
- Birth rate#96 of 19215.8 births per 1,000 people#5 of 12 in South America
- Death rate#154 of 1925.6 deaths per 1,000 people#10 of 12 in South America
- Children under 15#101 of 19223.6% under 15#7 of 12 in South America
- People over 65#82 of 1929.5% aged 65 and over#7 of 12 in South America
- Net migration#64 of 192+0.3 per 1,000 people#3 of 12 in South America
- Refugees abroad#96 of 1900.23 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#6 of 12 in South America
Health & education
Economy
- GNI per capita#86 of 185$8,430 a person#6 of 12 in South America
- Internet users#91 of 18482% online#7 of 12 in South America
- GDP per capita (PPP)#98 of 184$18,816 a person#9 of 11 in South America
- GDP growth#89 of 187+3.4% a year#5 of 12 in South America
- Inflation#128 of 176+1.5% a year#10 of 11 in South America
- Unemployment#88 of 1785.1% of the labour force#9 of 12 in South America
- Extreme poverty#54 of 1495.1% under $3.00 a day#2 of 10 in South America
- Income inequality (Gini)#36 of 149a Gini index of 40.1#8 of 10 in South America
- Jobs in agriculture#76 of 17823.1% of jobs#3 of 12 in South America
- Jobs in industry#118 of 17816.8% of jobs#10 of 12 in South America
- Jobs in services#84 of 17860.1% of jobs#9 of 12 in South America
- Foreign investment#64 of 1843.1% of GDP#5 of 12 in South America
- Exports#102 of 16830.0% of GDP#4 of 10 in South America
- Military spending#127 of 1550.8% of GDP#9 of 10 in South America
- Mobile subscriptions#69 of 191125 subscriptions per 100 people#7 of 12 in South America
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#102 of 1852.02 tonnes a person#10 of 12 in South America
- Forest area#43 of 19253% forest#6 of 12 in South America
- Renewable energy#79 of 19030.6% renewable#5 of 12 in South America
- Access to electricity#124 of 19296.5% with electricity#11 of 12 in South America
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#47 of 19131.1 µg/m³#1 of 12 in South America
- Protected land#69 of 19122.1% of the land protected#5 of 12 in South America
- Arable land#149 of 1903.1% of the land arable#7 of 12 in South America
- Water stress#120 of 1764.8% of its available fresh water#6 of 12 in South America
- Precipitation#43 of 1801,738 mm a year#7 of 12 in South America
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Peru’s area, lit up on the map →
How many times does Peru fit into…
- Russia: about 13 times
- Canada: about 7.8 times
- United States: about 7.6 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Peru shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Amazon6,400 km
- Marañón1,737 km
- Ucayali1,460 km
- Madre de Dios1,060 km
Summits
- Huascarán6,768 m
- Coropuna6,425 m
- Ausangate6,384 m
Lakes
- Lago Titicaca8,372 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Peru. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Peru
- How big is Peru?
- Peru covers 1,285,216 km², which makes it number 19 of 194 countries by area. About 34,576,665 people live there (2025), 27 per km².
- Is Peru bigger than Chad?
- Peru and Chad are almost exactly the same size. Peru: 1,285,216 km²; Chad: 1,284,000 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Peru?
- Peru 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 Peru?
- Peru shares a land border with Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador.