Blue Buy 12.29 · Sell 12.46 Official 12.26 Gap 1.6% EUR 14.27 Bs ARS 0.0082 Bs BRL 2.44 Bs PEN 3.70 Bs Upd. 01:30

Bolivia's economy in 2026: what changed

A sourced summary for readers outside Bolivia. Reviewed September 24, 2026.

IndicatorLatest figureSource
Official exchange rate (TCO)Bs 12.26Central Bank (BCB)
Parallel rate (P2P, sell)Bs 12.46Our P2P median
Inflation, 12 months (Aug 2026)5.02%INE
Inflation peak (Jul 2025)24.86%INE
Net international reserves (Aug 14, 2026)USD 4,255 millionBCB

1. A flexible exchange rate (June 29, 2026)

After almost 15 years at Bs 6.86 / 6.96, Bolivia let the official rate float. The Central Bank now publishes a daily rate calculated from what banks pay their customers for dollars. The first rate was Bs 9.73. Details: official exchange rate.

2. The financial transactions tax is gone (April 10, 2026)

Law 1717 abolished the ITF, a 0.30% tax charged since 2006 on transactions in foreign currency. Moving dollars in and out of Bolivian bank accounts no longer pays it.

3. Dollar deposits are being returned in stages

After years of restrictions on cash dollar withdrawals, the Central Bank published a refund schedule in May 2026. Individuals can withdraw by balance bracket: from July 15, 2026 (USD 1,001–3,000) through July 2027 (over USD 50,000). The BCB plans to return USD 1,028 million to individuals by August 2027 and USD 1,056 million to companies by December 2028. Withdrawals are voluntary; in early September the Economy Minister said only about 3% of the eligible amount had been withdrawn.

4. The Central Bank sells dollars again (September 2026)

On September 7 the BCB suspended new dollar purchases, saying its liquid reserves exceeded USD 1 billion, and created a Restricted Monetary Reserve to absorb liquidity. On September 9 it sold USD 35 million to banks at Bs 12.10 per dollar.

5. An IMF program of USD 1.9 billion

Congress approved a 36-month program with the IMF on September 17–18, 2026. Its conditions include removing fuel subsidies from January 2027, reducing the fiscal deficit and keeping a flexible exchange rate. The IMF board was scheduled to decide on October 2; the first disbursement would be USD 250 million. The President also announced about USD 10 billion in financing from CAF, the IDB and the World Bank, which he said would not arrive as a single disbursement.

6. Diesel at international prices (September 19, 2026)

Supreme Decree 5716 removed the diesel subsidy: the price went from Bs 9.80 to Bs 17.95 per liter and now follows import parity, converted at the official exchange rate, with a ±5% band. Gasoline remains subsidized until the end of the year.

7. Inflation is slowing

According to the national statistics institute (INE), 12-month inflation fell from a peak of 24.86% in July 2025 to 5.02% in August 2026. Prices rose 1.10% in August and 3.01% year-to-date. The Central Bank projects 9.22% for the full year.

8. Reserves: mostly gold

Net international reserves were USD 4,255 million on August 14, 2026, up from USD 3,713 million at the end of 2025. Gold made up 79.6% and foreign currency USD 800 million, the liquid part the Central Bank can use to supply dollars.