food
Peru is the birthplace of the potato, with Andean farmers domesticating it more than 7,000 years ago; the country still grows thousands of native potato varieties.
Peru
Republic of Peru
Population, GDP, and key facts about Peru — updated for 2026.
Capital · LIMAContinent · AMERICASISO · PER
Peru quick facts
- Population
- 34,217,848
- Area
- 1,285,216 km²
- Population density
- 26 people/km²
- GDP
- US$ 291.8 Billion
- GDP per capita
- US$ 8.5K
- Capital
- Lima
- Currency
- Peruvian sol (S/., PEN)
- Minimum wage
- US$ 273.2/month · S/. 1,025/month (2024)
- Languages
- Aymara, Quechua, Spanish
Peru at human scale
Where does Peru rank in the world?
Compare Peru with other countries
🇵🇪 vs 🇻🇪Compare Peru vs Venezuela, RB1.2× difference in population🇵🇪 vs 🇨🇱Compare Peru vs Chile1.7× difference in population🇵🇪 vs 🇬🇭Compare Peru vs Ghana
Compare Peru with any country →Peru's war history
- Government of PeruvsMRTA, Sendero Luminoso
Intrastate
Wars that reached at least 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year, since 1946 — not a full record of every armed conflict Peru has had. Source: UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset.
See every war since 1946 on the War Timeline →Peru's energy mix
Fossil fuels · 36%Renewables · 64%
- Hydropower56%
- Natural gas36%
- Wind3%
- Solar3%
- Bioenergy1%
- Oil0%
- Coal0%
Share of Peru's own electricity generation by source, 2025. Source: Our World in Data (Ember Yearly Electricity Data and the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy).
Everything we know about Peru
history
Peru's Machu Picchu, built by the Inca in the 15th century, sits at about 2,430 meters and remained unknown to the outside world until 1911.
Countries near Peru
How many countries do you think Peru could fit?
Pour other countries into Peru's own outline, by real area, and see how many it takes to fill it up.
Fill the Country →Frequently asked questions about Peru
What is the capital of Peru?
The capital of Peru is Lima.
What is Peru's population?
Peru has a population of 34,217,848.
What is Peru's GDP per capita?
Peru's GDP per capita is US$ 8.5K.
What is the currency of Peru?
The currency of Peru is the Peruvian sol (PEN).
What is the minimum wage in Peru?
Peru's statutory minimum wage is about US$ 273.2 per month (as of 2024) — S/. 1,025 per month in local currency.
Is Peru bigger than Venezuela, RB?
Peru is about 1.4× the size of Venezuela, RB by land area.
Data from the World Bank, updated November 2026.