Uruguay at its true size
Uruguay covers 176,215 km², number 89 of 194 countries by area. Home to 3,384,688 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 176,215 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,384,688 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 19 per km² |
| Capital | Montevideo |
| Local time in Montevideo | |
| Time zone | UTC−3 IANA |
| Currency | Uruguayan peso (UYU) Wikidata |
| Languages | Spanish |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | South America, South America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +598 |
| Codes | UY · URY · 858 |
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Where Uruguay ranks
Among the independent states, in 44 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#132 of 1943.4 million people#10 of 12 in South America
- Population density#168 of 19419 people per km²#7 of 12 in South America
- Urban population#9 of 19296% urban#1 of 12 in South America
- Fertility rate#157 of 1921.40 births per woman#11 of 12 in South America
- Population growth#158 of 192−0.06% a year#12 of 12 in South America
- Birth rate#145 of 1929.8 births per 1,000 people#11 of 12 in South America
- Death rate#37 of 1929.9 deaths per 1,000 people#1 of 12 in South America
- Children under 15#129 of 19217.9% under 15#11 of 12 in South America
- People over 65#49 of 19216.3% aged 65 and over#1 of 12 in South America
- Net migration#95 of 192−0.4 per 1,000 people#6 of 12 in South America
- Refugees abroad#134 of 1900.04 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#9 of 12 in South America
Health & education
- Life expectancy#50 of 19278.3 years#2 of 12 in South America
- Infant mortality#136 of 1916.2 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#11 of 12 in South America
- Doctors#13 of 1784.67 doctors per 1,000 people#2 of 11 in South America
- University enrolment#26 of 14580.0% gross enrolment#3 of 8 in South America
- Human Development Index#47 of 190an index of 0.862#3 of 12 in South America
Economy
- GNI per capita#49 of 185$24,020 a person#2 of 12 in South America
- Internet users#43 of 18492% online#2 of 12 in South America
- GDP per capita (PPP)#56 of 184$38,315 a person#2 of 11 in South America
- GDP growth#137 of 187+1.8% a year#9 of 12 in South America
- Inflation#44 of 176+4.7% a year#6 of 11 in South America
- Unemployment#53 of 1787.5% of the labour force#5 of 12 in South America
- Extreme poverty#121 of 1490.2% under $3.00 a day#10 of 10 in South America
- Income inequality (Gini)#37 of 149a Gini index of 40.0#9 of 10 in South America
- Jobs in agriculture#118 of 1788.1% of jobs#8 of 12 in South America
- Jobs in industry#93 of 17818.8% of jobs#9 of 12 in South America
- Jobs in services#37 of 17873.2% of jobs#2 of 12 in South America
- Foreign investment#84 of 1842.3% of GDP#8 of 12 in South America
- Exports#109 of 16827.1% of GDP#5 of 10 in South America
- Military spending#48 of 1552.3% of GDP#2 of 10 in South America
- Mobile subscriptions#30 of 191146 subscriptions per 100 people#2 of 12 in South America
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#91 of 1852.57 tonnes a person#7 of 12 in South America
- Forest area#150 of 19212% forest#12 of 12 in South America
- Renewable energy#41 of 19057.8% renewable#2 of 12 in South America
- Access to electricity#1 of 192100.0% with electricity#1 of 12 in South America
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#147 of 19110.9 µg/m³#12 of 12 in South America
- Protected land#175 of 1913.1% of the land protected#12 of 12 in South America
- Arable land#83 of 19012.4% of the land arable#2 of 12 in South America
- Water stress#84 of 17612.1% of its available fresh water#1 of 12 in South America
- Precipitation#69 of 1801,300 mm a year#9 of 12 in South America
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Uruguay’s area, lit up on the map →
- Cambodia0.97×Uruguay and Cambodia are almost exactly the same size.
- Syria0.95×Uruguay is 5% smaller than Syria.
- Tunisia1.08×Uruguay is 8% larger than Tunisia.
- Suriname1.08×Uruguay is 8% larger than Suriname.
- Senegal0.9×Uruguay is 10% smaller than Senegal.
- Kyrgyzstan0.88×Uruguay is 12% smaller than Kyrgyzstan.
How many times does Uruguay fit into…
- Russia: about 97 times
- Canada: about 57 times
- United States: about 56 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Uruguay shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Uruguay1,790 km
- Negro916 km
Summits
- Cerro Catedral514 m
Lakes
- Lagoa Mirim3,994 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Uruguay. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Uruguay
- How big is Uruguay?
- Uruguay covers 176,215 km², which makes it number 89 of 194 countries by area. About 3,384,688 people live there (2025), 19 per km².
- Is Uruguay bigger than Cambodia?
- Uruguay and Cambodia are almost exactly the same size. Uruguay: 176,215 km²; Cambodia: 181,035 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Uruguay?
- Uruguay 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 Uruguay?
- Uruguay shares a land border with Brazil, Argentina.