URUGUAY COUNTRY MONOGRAPH Published by Live and Invest Overseas www.LiveandInvestOverseas.com URUGUAY COUNTRY MONOGRAPH Published by Live and Invest Overseas Dr. Alberto Navarro Street, El Cangrejo, Panama City, Republic of Panama Publisher: Kathleen Peddicord Copyright © 2017 Live and Invest Overseas. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without the express written consent of the publisher. The information contained herein is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. www.liveandinvestoverseas.com Uruguay[ Escriba Country texto Monograph ] T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Government ............................................................................................................. 1 Economy and resources ............................................................................................ 2 Climate .................................................................................................................... 3 Montevideo climatological data ....................................................................................... 4 Population and society ............................................................................................. 4 Infrastructure ........................................................................................................... 5 Practical information................................................................................................ 5 Special benefits for retirees ...................................................................................... 6 Cost of living ............................................................................................................ 6 Cost of housing ........................................................................................................ 9 Health care .............................................................................................................. 9 Taxes ..................................................................................................................... 10 Territoriality and residence ............................................................................................ 10 Gross income ................................................................................................................ 10 Deductions and allowances ........................................................................................... 10 Tax credits .................................................................................................................... 11 Other taxes ................................................................................................................... 11 Tax authorities .............................................................................................................. 11 Further Reading ..................................................................................................... 11 Recommended Resources ....................................................................................... 12 Copyright © 201 7 | Live and Invest Overseas | www.liveandinvestoverseas.com Uruguay[ Escriba Country texto Monograph ] National name: República Oriental del Uruguay (Eastern Republic of Uruguay) Area: 176,200 square kilometers (68,030 square miles) Capital: Montevideo Major towns and cities: Salto, Paysandú, Las Piedras, Rivera, Tacuarembó Physical features: grassy plains (pampas) and low hills; rivers Negro, Uruguay, Río de la Plata Government Head of state and government: Tabaré Vázquez (assumes office March 1, 2015) Political system: liberal democracy Political executive: limited presidency Administrative divisions: 19 departments Political parties: Broad Front (Frente Amplio)—formerly known as the Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or EP-FA (a broad governing coalition that includes Movement of the Popular Participation, New Space Party, Progressive Alliance, Socialist Party, Communist Party, Uruguayan Assembly, and Vertiente Artiguista); Colorado Party (Foro Batllista); National Party or Blanco Armed forces: 25,439 (2012) Conscription: military service is voluntary Death penalty: abolished in 1907 Defence expenditure (% GDP): 1.1 (2008) Education expenditure (% GDP): 4.5 (2008) 1 1 Uruguay[ Escriba Country texto Monograph ] Economy and resources Currency: Uruguayan peso GDP: US$59.201 billion (2014) Real GDP growth: 4.4% (2012) GDP per capita (PPP): US$17,391 (2014) Consumer price inflation: 8.6% (2013) Unemployment: 6% (2013) Public debt: 57.2% of GDP (2012) Major trading partners: Brazil, Argentina, United States., China, Resources: small-scale extraction of building materials, industrial minerals, semiprecious stones; gold deposits are being developed Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing, beverages, cement, chemicals, light engineering and transport equipment, leather products Exports: textiles, meat (chiefly beef), live animals and by-products (mainly hides and leather products), rice, food and beverages, mineral products. Principal market: Brazil 18.5% (2012) Imports: machinery and appliances, transport equipment, chemical products, petroleum and petroleum products, agricultural products. Principal source: China 16.1% (2012) Arable land: 7.7% Agricultural products: rice, sugar cane, sugar beet, wheat, potatoes, barley, maize, sorghum; livestock rearing (sheep and cattle) is traditionally country's major economic activity 2 2 Uruguay[ Escriba Country texto Monograph ] Climate Located entirely within the temperate zone, Uruguay has a climate that is fairly uniform nationwide. Seasonal variations are pronounced, but extremes in temperature are rare. As would be expected by its abundance of water, high humidity and fog are common. The absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, makes all locations vulnerable to high winds and rapid changes in weather as fronts or storms sweep across the country. Seasons are fairly well defined, and, in most of Uruguay, spring is usually damp, cool, and windy; summers are warm; autumns are mild; and winters are chilly and uncomfortably damp. Northwestern Uruguay, however, is farther from large bodies of water and therefore has warmer summers and milder and drier winters than the rest of the country. Average highs and lows in summer (January) in Montevideo are 28°C (82.4°F) and 17°C (62.6°F), respectively, with an absolute maximum of 43°C (109.4°F). Comparable numbers for Artigas in the northwest are 33°C (91.4°F) and 18°C (64.4°F), with the highest temperature ever recorded being 42°C (107.6°F). Winter (July) average highs and lows in Montevideo are 14°C (57.2°F) and 6°C (42.8°F), respectively, although the high humidity makes the temperatures feel colder, and the lowest temperature ever registered in Montevideo is -4°C (24.8°F). Averages in July of a high of 18°C (64.4°F) and a low of 7°C (44.6°F) in Artigas confirm the milder winters in northwestern Uruguay, but even here temperatures have dropped to a subfreezing -4°C (24.8°F). Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, and annual amounts increase from southeast to northwest. Montevideo averages 950 millimeters annually, and Artigas receives 1,235 millimeters in an average year. As in most temperate climates, rainfall results from the passage of cold fronts in winter, falling in overcast drizzly spells, and summer thunderstorms are frequent. High winds are a disagreeable characteristic of the weather, particularly during the winter and spring, and wind shifts are sudden and pronounced. A winter warm spell can be abruptly broken by a strong pampero, a chilly and occasionally violent wind blowing north from the Argentine pampas. Summer winds off the ocean, however, have the salutary effect of tempering warm daytime temperatures. 3 3 Uruguay[ Escriba Country texto Monograph ] Montevideo climatological data Population and society Population: 3,324,460 (2013) Population growth rate: 0.24% (2011) Urban population (% of total) 92% (2010) Age distribution (% of total population): ages 0–14: 22.5%, 15–64: 63.7%, 65+ 13.8% (2010) Ethnic groups: predominantly of European descent (88%); 8% mestizos, 4% black Languages: Spanish (official), Brazilero (a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese) Religion: mainly Roman Catholic Education (compulsory years): 14 Literacy rate: 97% (men); 98% (women) (2003) Labor force: 13% agriculture, 14% industry, 73% services (2010) Life expectancy: 73 (men); 79 (women) (2010) Child mortality rate (under 1, per 1,000 live births): 9.69 (2010) Internet users: 1.4 million (2009) 4 4 Uruguay[ Escriba Country texto Monograph ] Infrastructure Airports: 58 (2010) Railways total length: 1,641 kilometers Roads total road network: 77,732 kilometers, of which 7,743 kilometers paved Inter-city travel is via bus, taxi, car service (remise), car, and motorcycle. Speed limits are posted on highways and some main roads. Most taxis have no seatbelts in the back seat. Cycling outside the capital or small towns is hazardous due to a scarcity of bike paths, narrow road shoulders, and unsafe driving practices. Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces are sometimes poor. Route 1, which runs between Montevideo and Colonia or Punta del Este, and Route 2, between Rosario and Fray Bentos, are particularly accident-ridden because of heavy tourist traffic. Road accidents rise during the austral summer beach season (December to March), Carnaval (mid-to-late February), and Easter Week. Practical information Visa requirements: