Government and power in Venezuela
Who leads Venezuela, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Federal republic (constitutionally), highly centralised in practice.
Who leads Venezuela?
- Head of state: Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez (Presidenta Encargada de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela)
- Head of government: No Prime Minister
- Foreign minister: Félix Plasencia González (Ministro del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores y Comercio Internacional de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does Venezuela score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 25.7 out of 100 in 2025, 183rd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 64). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 36.4.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Venezuela score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 39.2 out of 100 in 2025, 172nd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 69.9). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 44.5.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Venezuela score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 23.8 out of 100 in 2025, 180th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 52.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 33.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Venezuela score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 21.3 out of 100 in 2025, 191st highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.4). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 27.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Venezuela score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 22.4 out of 100 in 2025, the lowest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 21.1.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Venezuela score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 16.9 out of 100 in 2025, 186th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 40.4). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 19.3.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in Venezuela's parliament?
Women held 32.1% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2025, 62nd highest of 184 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of Venezuela's ministers are women?
Women held 25.7% of ministerial posts in 2025, 73rd highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does Venezuela spend on the military?
Military spending was 2.2% of GDP in 2017, 37th highest of 154 (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, via the World Bank).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow big are the armed forces of Venezuela?
Armed forces personnel numbered 343,000 in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are Venezuela's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 39.5 out of 100 in 2024, 177th highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many births are registered in Venezuela?
81.3% of births of children under 5 were registered with a civil authority (2017).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in Venezuela use the internet?
76.7% of people used the internet in 2024.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in Venezuela
Government
- Presidency of the RepublicPresidential announcements and government communications.
Parliament
- National AssemblyLaws approved, session records and deputy information.
Courts
- Supreme Tribunal of JusticeRulings of the Supreme Tribunal's chambers, including the Constitutional Chamber, and the Official Gazette archive.
Public audit
- Comptroller General of the RepublicAudit reports, management reports and public-sector control resolutions.
Public contracts
- National Procurement ServiceKeeps the national register of state contractors and publishes procurement rules.
Government below the national level
- States (23) + Capital District + federal dependencies: Governors and state legislative councils directly elected; the head of the Capital District is appointed by the President
- Municipalities (335): Mayor and municipal council directly elected
- Parishes (over 1,100): Parish boards (juntas parroquiales comunales) formed from communal council spokespeople rather than by direct vote
- Communal councils and communes (popular power): Spokespeople (voceros) elected by residents' assemblies; registered with the Ministry of Communes
How local power works in Venezuela
Places in Venezuela
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Military spending (MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7f6913a783b…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Births registered (SP.REG.BRTH.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f8d443034ba7…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.