The mineral heart of the continent

Bolivia sits on the largest known lithium reserves in the world, and has natural gas, tin and silver besides. It is the country of the Altiplano above four thousand metres, of the Uyuni salt flats — and also of the lowland Amazonian east around Santa Cruz, where most of the economic life happens.

The cost of living and of labour are among the lowest on the continent. The 2025 elections changed the country’s political leadership after two decades, and with it the outlook for openness to foreign capital — one of the most closely watched shifts in the region.

What Bolivia offers

• The lowest living and labour costs in South America.
• Cheap farmland in the fertile Santa Cruz region.
• Mineral wealth, including strategically important lithium.
• A growing market with a young population.

What to watch

Bolivia is landlocked, so logistics are dearer and slower. The mining sector is largely in state hands and the terms for foreign participation have shifted over time. The foreign exchange market has been under strain in recent years and hard currency can be hard to come by.

This is a destination for the patient investor with a long horizon. We advise where entry makes sense and how to cover the risks.