Bolivia
Waiting for the first voice
تا مرد سخن نگفته باشد / عیب و هنرش نهفته باشد
Until a man has spoken, his faults and his gifts both stay hidden.
No advice from here yet. Know an elder from this country? Your recording could be the first: 2–3 minutes on a phone.
Did you know
Covering over 10,000 km², Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world. (source)
Elders in numbers
- of people are 65 or older
- 5.7%
- people aged 65 or older
- 722.2K
- will be 65 or older in 2050
- 9.8%
- is how long people live after 60, on average
- 19 years
- of people 65+ live alone
- 18.6%
- women 17.9%, men 19.4%
- of people 65+ live in collective quarters: care homes, hospitals, hostels and the like
- 1.4%
Sources: World Bank, 2025; World Bank projection for 2050; WHO, 2023; UN, 2012; UN, 2012 census
Languages
44 languages, 36 of them endangered
- BaureCritically endangered
- Migueleño ChiquitanoCritically endangered
- PacahuaraCritically endangered
- PaunakaCritically endangered
- Pauserna languageCritically endangered
- ReyesanoCritically endangered
- SirionóCritically endangered
- IteneSeverely endangered
- AraonaDefinitely endangered
- AyoreoDefinitely endangered
- BésɨroDefinitely endangered
- Bolivian Sign LanguageDefinitely endangered
Show all 44
- CavineñaDefinitely endangered
- ChamacocoDefinitely endangered
- ChipayaDefinitely endangered
- GuarayuDefinitely endangered
- IgnacianoDefinitely endangered
- Joseph MfonyamDefinitely endangered
- MachinereDefinitely endangered
- MovimaDefinitely endangered
- NivacléDefinitely endangered
- TacanaDefinitely endangered
- TapietéDefinitely endangered
- TrinitarioDefinitely endangered
- Western Bolivian GuaraníDefinitely endangered
- YuquiDefinitely endangered
- YuracaréDefinitely endangered
- Central AymaraVulnerable
- ChakoboVulnerable
- Eastern Bolivian GuaraníVulnerable
- Ese EjjaVulnerable
- MosetenanVulnerable
- Toba QomVulnerable
- Wichí Lhamtés GüisnayVulnerable
- Wichí Lhamtés NoctenVulnerable
- Wichí Lhamtés VejozVulnerable
- American Sign Language
- North Bolivian Quechua
- Portuguese
- South Bolivian Quechua
- Southern Aymara
- Spanish
- Yaminawa
- Murato
Languages and their status: Glottolog v5.3, CC BY 4.0. Names: Wikidata.
UNESCO intangible heritage
- Festivity of the Virgen of Guadalupe - Patroness of Sucre2025
- Ch'utillos, the Festival of San Bartolomé and San Ignacio de Loyola, the meeting of cultures in Potosí2023
- Grand Festival of Tarija2021
- The festival of the Santísima Trinidad del Señor Jesús del Gran Poder in the city of La Paz2019
- Ritual journeys in La Paz during Alasita2017
- Pujllay and Ayarichi, music and dances of the Yampara culture2014
- Ichapekene Piesta, the biggest festival of San Ignacio de Moxos2012
- Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage of Aymara communities in Bolivia, Chile and Peru2009
Show all 10
List and years: ich.unesco.org
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