According to the 2015 Permanent Household Survey, the economically active population of Asunción was 261,929 (135,375 men and 126,555 women), and the employment rate was 95.50 % (95.38 for men and 95.63 for women). Of the working population (250,152 people) 41.96 % work in the private sector, 20.14 % are self-employed and 18.19 % work in the public sector.

National Economy and Urban Economy

In 2016, Paraguay’s GDP was USD 27.4 billion, and its GDP per capita was USD 4.1 thousand.

Paraguay is the world’s 70th biggest export economy. In 2016, Paraguay exported $8.48 billion and imported $9.7 billion, resulting in a debit balance of $1.18 billion US Dollars.

Paraguay’s leading exports are: electricity ($2,13 billion), soya ($1.82 billion), soya flour ($852 million), frozen beef ($569 million) and beef ($518 million). Its leading imports are: refined petroleum ($1.04 billion), broadcasting equipment ($479 million), cars ($414 million), pesticides ($282 million) and mixed minerals or chemical fertilisers ($258 million).

Paraguay’s principal export markets are Brazil ($3.01 billion), Argentina ($850 million), Russia ($655 million), Chile ($519 Million) and Italy ($309 million). Its imports come primarily from Brazil ($2.22 billion), the United States ($1.97 billion), China ($1.17 billion), Argentina ($979 million) and Chile ($557 million).

Income

Most strikingly, 86.87 % (81.44 % of men and 92.67 % of women) of the employed population works in the tertiary sector (services, i.e. utilities, hospitality, transport, storage, communication, finance, insurance, etc.), while 11.51 % are employed in the secondary sector (industry, i.e. manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying). There are no results for the primary sector due to a lack of data (less than 30 examples per category).

The 2016 ‘Primary Results of Poverty and Income Distribution’ report, conducted by the General Directorate of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses (DGEEC), established that the average family income, including all types of income, and excluding rent and domestic employees, is $1,430 (8,247,000 guaranis).

Another important fact is that according to the most recent national economic census in 2011, approximately half of Paraguay’s 224,242 economic entities are based in Asunción (18.4%), of which 3,692 are industrial entities, 18,319 are commercial, and 19,228 are in the services sector.