Written and Fact-checked by Whereig Editors | Last Updated On: May 27, 2026

Paraguay is divided into 17 departments (departamentos). Here is a list of the departments in Paraguay:

Paraguay Departments and Capital District Reference Page

Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America bordered by Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia. The country is divided into 17 departments and 1 capital district for administrative governance. Asunción is the national capital and also the largest city in Paraguay.

The country includes river plains, subtropical forests, wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural regions spread across central South America. Different departments are known for farming, cattle ranching, hydroelectric power, forestry, trade, and cultural heritage.

Key Facts

National capital: Asunción
Total population: 7,000,000 (Official estimate 2025)
Total area: 406,752 km² (157,048 sq miles)
Currency: Paraguayan Guaraní (PYG)
Bordering countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia
Total Departments and Capital District: 18
Total Districts: 250+

List of Departments and Capital District of Paraguay

Total administrative divisions shown: 18 | Combined population: 7,000,000 | Combined area: 406,752 km²

#	Department / District	Capital City	Geographic Region	Area (km²)	Population (Latest Census)
1	Alto Paraguay	Fuerte Olimpo	Northern Chaco	82,349	20,000
2	Alto Paraná	Ciudad del Este	Eastern Borderlands	14,895	900,000
3	Amambay	Pedro Juan Caballero	Northeastern Paraguay	12,933	190,000
4	Asunción Capital District	Asunción	Capital Region	117	530,000
5	Boquerón	Filadelfia	Western Chaco	91,669	75,000
6	Caaguazú	Coronel Oviedo	Central-Eastern Paraguay	11,474	570,000
7	Caazapá	Caazapá	Southern Forest Region	9,496	180,000
8	Canindeyú	Salto del Guairá	Northeastern Forests	14,667	250,000
9	Central	Areguá	Metropolitan Region	2,465	2,400,000
10	Concepción	Concepción	Northern Paraguay	18,051	270,000
11	Cordillera	Caacupé	Central Highlands	4,948	320,000
12	Guairá	Villarrica	Eastern Highlands	3,846	220,000
13	Itapúa	Encarnación	Southern Borderlands	16,525	650,000
14	Misiones	San Juan Bautista	Southern Plains	9,556	130,000
15	Ñeembucú	Pilar	Southwestern Wetlands	12,147	90,000
16	Paraguarí	Paraguarí	South-Central Paraguay	8,705	270,000
17	Presidente Hayes	Villa Hayes	Central Chaco	72,907	130,000
18	San Pedro	San Pedro de Ycuamandiyú	North-Central Paraguay	20,002	430,000

Largest Departments by Area

Boquerón - 35,394 sq mi (91,669 km²)
Alto Paraguay - 31,795 sq mi (82,349 km²)
Presidente Hayes - 28,149 sq mi (72,907 km²)
San Pedro - 7,722 sq mi (20,002 km²)
Concepción - 6,969 sq mi (18,051 km²)
Itapúa - 6,380 sq mi (16,525 km²)
Alto Paraná - 5,751 sq mi (14,895 km²)
Canindeyú - 5,663 sq mi (14,667 km²)

Most Populous Departments

Central - Population: 2,400,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Alto Paraná - Population: 900,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Itapúa - Population: 650,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Caaguazú - Population: 570,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Asunción Capital District - Population: 530,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
San Pedro - Population: 430,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Cordillera - Population: 320,000 (Official Estimate 2025)
Concepción - Population: 270,000 (Official Estimate 2025)

Smallest Departments by Area

Asunción Capital District - 45 sq mi (117 km²)
Central - 952 sq mi (2,465 km²)
Guairá - 1,485 sq mi (3,846 km²)
Cordillera - 1,911 sq mi (4,948 km²)
Paraguarí - 3,361 sq mi (8,705 km²)
Caazapá - 3,666 sq mi (9,496 km²)

Administrative Divisions by Geographic Grouping

Capital Region: Asunción Capital District
Central Chaco: Presidente Hayes
Central-Eastern Paraguay: Caaguazú
Central Highlands: Cordillera
Eastern Borderlands: Alto Paraná
Eastern Highlands: Guairá
Metropolitan Region: Central
North-Central Paraguay: San Pedro
Northeastern Forests: Canindeyú
Northeastern Paraguay: Amambay
Northern Chaco: Alto Paraguay
Northern Paraguay: Concepción
South-Central Paraguay: Paraguarí
Southern Borderlands: Itapúa
Southern Forest Region: Caazapá
Southern Plains: Misiones
Southwestern Wetlands: Ñeembucú
Western Chaco: Boquerón

Landlocked Departments

All departments and districts of Paraguay are landlocked.

Departments with Coastline

None - Paraguay is a landlocked country.

Departments Sharing Borders with Other Countries

Argentina: Itapúa, Misiones, Ñeembucú, Presidente Hayes
Brazil: Alto Paraná, Amambay, Canindeyú
Bolivia: Alto Paraguay, Boquerón

Major Economic Activities by Department

Department	Main Economic Activity	Known For
Central	Industry and services	Largest metropolitan population
Alto Paraná	Trade and hydropower	Itaipu Dam and border commerce
Itapúa	Agriculture	Soybean and grain production
Boquerón	Cattle ranching	Chaco livestock industry
Concepción	Forestry and farming	Northern river trade
Asunción	Government and finance	National capital and administration

Sources

World Countries and Capitals

Location Map of Asian Countries

Paraguay Departamentos and Capitals - Departamentos in Paraguay