Country profile
Paraguay
República del Paraguay
South America · Latin America and the Caribbean · Americas
PY · PRY
- Capital
- Asunción
- Population
- 6,109,644
- Area
- 406,752 km²
- Democracy index
- 61
- Regime type
- Hybrid Regime
Events
Ballots from Paraguay
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Paraguay. Community totals are not official results.
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
61/100
Regime type
Hybrid Regime
Paraguay functions as a multiparty system where elections are held regularly, yet the political landscape is heavily influenced by the entrenched dominance of the Colorado Party. This persistent hegemony creates an uneven playing field where incumbent resources and clientelist networks frequently overshadow opposition efforts. While democratic institutions exist, their efficacy is often undermined by high levels of corruption, limited judicial independence, and a media landscape that is largely consolidated under private interests sympathetic to the status quo. Public dissatisfaction with governance and elite influence remains high, leading to occasional social protests, yet the underlying structures of power remain resilient against significant reform, resulting in a system where democratic competition is constrained by informal mechanisms of control.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to Paraguay, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
Several Indigenous groups, principally belonging to the Guarani language family, inhabited the area of modern Paraguay before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century, when the territory was incorporated into the Viceroyalty of Peru. Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811 with the help of neighboring states. In the aftermath of independence, a series of military dictators ruled the country until 1870.
During the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1864-70) -- fought against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay -- Paraguay lost two thirds of its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half-century and experienced a tumultuous series of political regimes. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region.
The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.