Peru

Economy & industry overview

Peru is an upper-middle-income emerging economy in South America, with a nominal GDP of approximately USD 289 billion in 2024 according to FocusEconomics/IMF data. The economy is heavily oriented toward mining and natural resources, with copper, gold, zinc, silver, and fish meal among its top exports; China and the United States are its principal trading partners. The services sector accounts for the largest share of GDP (~60%), while mining and industry together constitute roughly one-third of output. Peru is a member of the Pacific Alliance, CPTPP, APEC, and the Andean Community, underpinning a relatively open trade regime. Political uncertainty and periodic social conflict around extractive industries remain structural constraints on investment and growth.

Key sectors

📘 Learn everything about Peru →

Macro

GDP nominal, USD	$289.00B
GDP growth real, annual	3.4%
Inflation annual	1.9%
Population people	33.4M
GDP per capita USD	$8,653
Market cap total listed, USD	$95.00B
Market cap / GDP	32.9%
Unemployment	6.6%
Listed companies	220
Exchange	Bolsa de Valores de Lima (BVL)

Data year: 2024. Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026), World Bank Open Data, FocusEconomics Peru Country Report, Wikipedia – Economy of Peru, Macrotrends – Peru Unemployment Rate, GlobalData – Peru Unemployment, S&P Dow Jones Indices / BVL – S&P/BVL Peru General Index, Grokipedia – S&P/BVL Peru General Index constituents, StockAnalysis – EPU Holdings, Yahoo Finance – EPU Holdings, Wikipedia – Southern Copper Corporation, emergingmarkets.ai – Peru, Bolsa de Valores de Lima (bvl.com.pe), INEI (Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática).

Local exchange & access

Exchange	Bolsa de Valores de Lima
Code	BVL
Website	www.bvl.com.pe
Currency	PEN

Local broker access

Foreign investors may access Peruvian equities through local brokerage firms registered with the SMV (Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores). Direct BVL access requires an account with a BVL-registered broker such as Credicorp Capital, BTG Pactual Peru, or Scotia Bolsa. International retail investors most commonly gain exposure via US-listed ETFs (notably EPU) or NYSE-listed ADRs of major Peruvian companies. Settlement is in Peruvian soles (PEN); USD-based investors bear currency risk.

Global brokers with foreign-market access

• Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
• Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
• Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.

Listed for convenience only — not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.

Relocation & residency

Foreign-investor access

Peru permits foreign nationals to reside on investor, rentista (passive income), or work visas. The cost of living is low relative to Western markets. Lima is the main expat hub with good infrastructure; healthcare quality varies between public and private systems. Spanish is the official language. INEI (National Statistics Institute) and Migraciones (immigration authority) are the key official bodies.