Venezuela - statistics & facts
With an estimated population of approximately 27 million people, Venezuela is among the most populated countries in South America. Nevertheless, during the last few years, Venezuela had a negative migration rate, meaning that more people leave the country, reaching rates of about 44 out of every 1,000 inhabitants leaving the country in a single year, creating a visible negative trend on the total resident population of the country. It is bordered by other populous countries, like Brazil and Colombia, and its capital Caracas, a popular metropolis, is home to roughly two million inhabitants.
Venezuela's plight does not stop there - the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is among the most corrupt countries in the world, a view shared by the vast majority in the country: In a recent survey, 72 percent respondents stated that the president and all or most of his staff were involved in corruption. President Nicolás Maduro, who has been in power since 2014, is challenged by the federal deputy to the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, who at the beginning of 2019 took an oath to serve as interim President after Maduro's claim to the seat had been contested. The electoral processes in Venezuela have been a discussion point since then, international observers and organisms have been banned from the country after classifying the elections as unfree. The 2024 elections are not the exception, six months before the internal elections from the opposition, all the main candidates have received prohibitions to hold any public positions by the National Assembly.
As a consequence of the political instability of the state, the economy suffers as well, as mentioned above: Gross domestic product has fallen considerably since 2012. The economic recession led to an incredible inflation rate of more than 2,000 percent in 2020, and still ranks as the second country with the highest inflation rate in the world. Million of people are leaving the country in search for better economic conditions and stability, resulting in the Venezuelan refugee crisis.
The Venezuelan crisis
As a result of the implemented populist policies, a major economic crisis has been rocking Venezuela for decades and has resulted in hyperinflation, food and water shortages, increased unemployment, and increased violence rates. Consequently, Venezuela scores second on the misery index for the most miserable countries in the world. In 2023, Cumana, Guyana, and Caracas were also one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Additionally, Venezuela ranked among the 20 countries with most murders per 100.000 inhabitants.Venezuela's plight does not stop there - the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is among the most corrupt countries in the world, a view shared by the vast majority in the country: In a recent survey, 72 percent respondents stated that the president and all or most of his staff were involved in corruption. President Nicolás Maduro, who has been in power since 2014, is challenged by the federal deputy to the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, who at the beginning of 2019 took an oath to serve as interim President after Maduro's claim to the seat had been contested. The electoral processes in Venezuela have been a discussion point since then, international observers and organisms have been banned from the country after classifying the elections as unfree. The 2024 elections are not the exception, six months before the internal elections from the opposition, all the main candidates have received prohibitions to hold any public positions by the National Assembly.
As a consequence of the political instability of the state, the economy suffers as well, as mentioned above: Gross domestic product has fallen considerably since 2012. The economic recession led to an incredible inflation rate of more than 2,000 percent in 2020, and still ranks as the second country with the highest inflation rate in the world. Million of people are leaving the country in search for better economic conditions and stability, resulting in the Venezuelan refugee crisis.
