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About Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Region: Latin America and the Caribbean

Area: 1,098,580 km²

Population: 12,413,315

Libraries in Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Last update: September 2022

Bolivia lacks a national system of libraries. Existing library networks are primarily institutional or specialised.

In terms of library types, most country’s libraries are school, academic and university libraries with a small number of specialised libraries.

There is no ministry of governmental agency who would be responsible for development of library policies and legislation. Libraries are budgetarily dependent on their institutions.

Technology training and diversification of library services are two main priorities for librarians. In addition, the library sector dedicates quite a lot of effort to form and reactivate library associations.

The College of Professionals in Information Sciences of Bolivia (Colegio de Profesionales en Ciencias de la Información de Bolivia, CPCIB in Spanish) is the only library association acting at the national level. There are several departmental associations which each act in their respective department. Currently active departmental associations include:

  • Association of Librarians of Beni (Asociación de Bibliotecarios del Beni, ABB)
  • Association of Librarians of Oruro (Asociación de Bibliotecarios de Oruro, ABO)
  • Association of Librarians and Archivists of Chuquisaca (Asociación de Bibliotecarios y Archivistas de Chuquisaca, ABACH)
  • Association of Librarians of Quillacollo Province (Asociación de Bibliotecarios de la Provincia de Quillacollo)
  • Association of Librarians of Santa Cruz (Asociación de Bibliotecarios de Santa Cruz, ABCRUZ)

 

The associations are dedicated both to the training and upgrading of their members as well as strengthening their own capacity.

Both, the CPCIB and the departmental associations, are working together on such projects as the provision of training courses on the topics of the IFLA’s Global Vision, Sustainable Development Goals, and providing contents to the Library Map of the World.

Each departmental association in their department periodically organises training and refresher courses, talks, and various other activities for the benefit of its members.

The CPCIB has about 200 members and the departmental associations all together register a total of approximately 300 people throughout the country.

Contextual data

Population and Geography
12,413,315

Population

No Data Available

Population Growth

46.1%

Proportion of Population Younger than 15

8.7%

Proportion of Population Older than 64

11.3

Population Density
people per sq km

71.2%

Population Growth

Information and Infrastructure
99.8%

Access to Electricity

70.2%

Internet Users

63.7%

Female Internet Users

No Data Available

Male Internet Users

Poverty and Employment
12,877.6%

GDP per capita

2.8%

Poverty Rate
2011 PPP

42.1%

Inequality
2011 PPP

2.7%

Unemployment

8.0%

Inactive Youth
2011 PPP

Education and Literacy
8.3%

Education Spending
% of GDP

95.6%

Adult Literacy Rate
% of people age 15+

93.5%

Female Adult Literacy
% of GDP

93.5%

Male Adult Literacy
% of people age 15+

99.6%

Female Youth Literacy
% of GDP

99.4%

Male Youth Literacy
% of people age 15+

Innovation and Skills
0.2%

Research Spending
% of GDP

0

Researchers
% of GDP

188

Research Spending
% of GDP

Population

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Region

World

Population

Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.

total

12,413,315

2024

662,186,388

2024

8,141,808,945

2024

Proportion of Population Younger than 15

Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.

percentage of working-age population

46.1%

2024

33.3%

2024

38.0%

2024

Proportion of Population Older than 64

Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.

precentage of working-age population

8.7%

2024

14.5%

2024

15.7%

2024

Population Growth

Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

annual percentage

1.4%

2024

1

2024

1.0%

2024

Population Density

Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.

people persq. km of land area

11.3%

2023

32.6%

2022

61.6%

2022

Urban Population

Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.

percentage of total population

71.2%

2024

81.3%

2024

57.6%

2024

Information Infrastructure

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Region

World

Internet Users

Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.

percentage of population

70.2%

2023

81.7%

2024

71.2%

2024

Female Internet Users

This indicator refers to female individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.

percentage of female population

63.7%

2021

81.3%

2024

68.2%

2024

Male Internet Users

This indicator refers to male individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.

percentage of male population

-

81.3%

-

Access to Electricity

Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity. Electrification data are collected from industry, national surveys and international sources.

percentage of population

99.8%

2023

98.4%

2023

91.6%

2023

Economy, Poverty, and Employment

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Region

World

GDP per Capita

This indicator provides values for gross domestic product (GDP) expressed in current international dollars, converted by purchasing power parities (PPPs). PPPs account for the different price levels across countries and thus PPP-based comparisons of economic output are more appropriate for comparing the output of economies and the average material well-being of their inhabitants than exchange-rate based comparisons. Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. This series has been linked to produce a consistent time series to counteract breaks in series over time due to changes in base years, source data and methodologies. Thus, it may not be comparable with other national accounts series in the database for historical years. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. The PPP conversion factor is a currency conversion factor and a spatial price deflator. PPPs convert different currencies to a common currency and, in the process of conversion, equalize their purchasing power by eliminating the differences in price levels between countries, thereby allowing volume or output comparisons of GDP and its expenditure components.

current international $

12,878

2024

22,880.9

2024

24,405

2024

Poverty Rate

Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.00 a day at 2021 purchasing power adjusted prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

percentage of population

2.8%

2023

4.5%

2024

10.3%

2024

Inequality

Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.

percentage

42.1%

2023

0.0%

-

Unemployment

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.

percentage of total labor force

2.7%

2024

5.5%

2024

6.2%

2021

Inactive Youth

The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive).


percentage of youth population

8.0%

2024

18.4%

2024

-

Education and Literacy

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Region

World

Education Spending

General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.


percentage of GDP

8.3%

2023

3.8%

2023

3.5%

2023

Adult Literacy Rate

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of people ages 15 and above

95.6%

2023

3.8%

2023

87.7%

2024

Female Adult Literacy

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of females ages 15 and above

93.5%

2023

94.7%

2024

84.6%

2024

Male Adult Literacy

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of males ages 15 and above

93.5%

2023

95.2%

2024

90.9%

2024

Female Youth Literacy

Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of females ages 15-24

99.6%

2023

98.9%

2024

92.0%

2024

Male Youth Literacy

Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.


percentage of males ages 15-24

99.4%

2023

98.5%

2024

94.1%

2024

Research and Innovation

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Region

World

Research Spending

Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.


percentage of GDP

0.2%

2009

0.6%

2020

2.7%

2022

Researchers

The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.


per million people

63

2021

582.7

2014

1,516

2018

Scientific Articles

Article counts refer to publications from a selection of conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journals from Scopus in science and engineering fields, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Taxonomy of Disciplines.


fractional count

188

2022

130,281.9

2022

3,338,192

2022

National Library Associations

College of Professionals in Information Sciences of Bolivia / Colegio de Profesionales en Ciencias de la Información de Bolivia (CPCIB)

CPCIB is the professional association that unites professionals who have a degree in Library and Information Sciences. Its members are librarians, documentalists, archivists and museologists. There are about 200 registered members in CPCIB.

CPCIB is the only entity uniting librarians at the national level. However, there are several departmental associations who each is organising capacity building events and other activities in benefit of their members. Departmental associations have in total approximately 300 members around the country.

Some of the focus areas of the CPCIB are aligning to IFLA’s projects like Global Vision, Sustainable Development Goals and the Library Map of the World.

National Archive and Library of Bolivia / Archivo y Biblioteca Nacionales de Bolivia

The National Archive and Library receives, organizes, and preserves the country’s intellectual production. Through its Documentary Digitization Centre, it makes this documentary heritage available it a digital form. Administratively, it belongs to the Foundation of the Central Bank of Bolivia.

National Repository – Legal Deposit / Repositorio Nacional - Deposito Legal

The organisation has the responsibility of the legal deposit in the country, including printed works and periodicals. Administratively, it belongs to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

There is no information available.

There are no library support organisations in Bolivia (Plurinational State of).

National Policy for Libraries

There is no information available.

The law on books and reading “Oscar Alfaro” / Ley del libro y la lectura "Oscar Alfaro"

The purpose of the law is to promote the right to read and write under conditions of freedom, social equity, and respect for the diversity of cultural expressions, by generating public policies, plans and actions to encourage writing, reading and access to books, cultural, literary, academic, and scientific creations. It was issued in 2013 by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

Professional Qualification Requirements

There is no information available.

Education

In Bolivia, the only programme in Library and Information Sciences is offered at the University of San Andres (Universidad Mayor de San Andres). It is possible to acquire an academic degree at Bachelor and Master levels as well as a technical degree at medium and superior levels.

Journal of Library and Information Sciences / Revista de Bibliotecología y Ciencias de la Información

This is an annual magazine edited by the Library and Information Science Department of the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences of the University of San Andres (Universidad Mayor de San Andres).

Day of Librarians / Dia del Bibliotecario Boliviano

30th of June was approved by Ministerial Resolution No. 511/2007 of the Ministry of Labour and Labour Development as the Day of Librarians in Bolivia. It is being celebrated by all librarians throughout the country every year.

National Congress of Library, Documentation, Archival and Museology Sciences / Congreso Nacional de Bibliotecología, Documentación, Archivística y Museología

This national level event is organised by the College of Information Science Professionals (College of Professionals in Information Sciences of Bolivia, CPCIB). It takes place every other year and brings together all workers and professionals of the field.

International Congress of Library, Documentation, Archival and Museology Sciences / Congreso Internacional de Bibliotecología, Documentación, Archivística y Museología CIBDA

This international event is organised by the College of Information Science Professionals (College of Professionals in Information Sciences of Bolivia, CPCIB). It takes place every other year in the La Paz city. It brings together workers and professionals from neighboring countries and the entire region for a three-day meeting.

Library Location Resources

No information available