Peru
Capital Lima
Population 29.9 million
Language Spanish 84.1%, Quechua 13%, Aymara 1.7%
Adult literacy rate* Male 96.4% Female 89.4%
Access to adequate sanitation Urban 85% Rural 36%
Access to improved drinking water Urban 92% Rural 63%
Urbanisation 71%
Life expectancy Male 69.14 years Female 73 years
Religion Roman Catholic 81.3% Christian 12.5% Other
6.2%
Infant mortality rate** 27.74/1000
GNI per capita*** $3990
No. Living with HIV/AIDS 76,000
Percentage living on less than
US$1.25 per day 8%
*Literacy rate – Percentage of persons aged 15 and over who can read and write.
** Infant mortality rate – Probability of dying between birth and exactly one year of age expressed per 1000 live births.
***GNI per capita – Gross national income (GNI) divided by mid-year population. GNI per capita in US dollars.
Fast Facts:
 Before Spanish conquest in the 16th century, Peru was the nucleus of
the highly developed Inca civilisation.
 A remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316-metre Peruvian peak, is
the ultimate source of the Amazon River.
 Peru and Bolivia share control of Lago Titicaca, the world's highest
navigable lake.
Current Issues
During 2002, Peru had the fastest growing economy in the region with an estimated Gross Domestic
Product growth rate of 4.5 per cent according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC). However, unemployment is still high and poverty reduction strategies have not
had sustainable results.
Distinct socio-economic disparities still exist in Peru. Income distribution continues to be skewed, with
many families living in rural areas lacking access to basic resources. Ninety-two per cent of the urban
population have access to improved drinking water compared to just 63 per cent of the rural
population, and 85 per cent of the urban population have access to improved sanitation compared
with just 36 per cent of those in rural areas.
Children continue to be the most vulnerable and unprotected citizens. Of the 3.8 million people living
in extreme poverty, 2.1 million are children. Of the total 10.2 million under-18 population, more than
6.5 million live below the poverty line.
According to 2007 statistics, there are 60,000 to 150,000 refugees and internally displaced persons as
a result of the civil war between 1980 and 2000. Most IDPs are indigenous peasants in Andean and
Amazonian regions.
Despite the near destruction of the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru guerrilla warfare groups,
violence—mainly due to gang warfare and drug trading—is still a problem. In June 2009, violent
confrontations broke out when Peruvian police opened fire on indigenous protesters near Bagua,
Amazonas. Approximately 54 people were reported to have been killed—30 indigenous protesters
and 24 police officers.
Peru is also the second largest producer of cocaine, estimated at
210 metric tons of potential pure cocaine in 2007. Finished cocaine
is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market.
“I will treat you with such kindness that your nation will grow
strong, and I will also keep my promises to you.”
– Leviticus 26:9
Compassion in Peru
Compassion International began working in Peru in 1977. Over 44,200 children participate in around 234 child
development centres. Compassion Australia assists over 2400 of these children. Compassion’s Leadership
Development Program, Child Survival Program and various Complementary Interventions also operate
throughout the country. Currently around 140 Peruvian students are enrolled in the Leadership Development
Program and 36 Child Survival Programs are in operation in Peru. Our goal is to reach out to Peruvian
children; helping provide them the opportunity to rise above their circumstances and become all God has
created them to be.
Background
Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilisations, most notably that of the Incas
whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Much of the once great Inca
civilisation still lives on in the customs of bustling market towns nestled between the Andes.
Peruvian independence was declared in 1821 and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824.
After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced
economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency.
President Alberto Fujimori's election in 1990 brought a decade of progressive economy, but reliance
on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated increasing
dissatisfaction. In 2000, Alejandro Toledo, an indigenous Andean who became a World Bank
economist, became the first person of Quechua ethnicity to ever be elected to the presidency. Though
Fujimori was ultimately victorious, he resigned in November and fled to Japan following charges of
human rights violations and corruption made against his intelligence advisor. The 2006 presidential
elections saw a face-off between the populist nationalist Ollanta Humala, and ex-president lan García.
Voters elected the more conservative García.
Education:
Education in Peru is nominally free and compulsory for children aged between seven and 16, which is
reflected in the 96 per cent of children who are enrolled in primary school and the high rate of
children who typically follow through to secondary school. The adult literacy rate has increased to
approximately 92 per cent as a result of this emphasis on education. However, not all children in Peru
have access to education, and many children who live in rural areas still do not attend school due to a
lack of facilities, such as transport, money for school fees, uniforms and educational resources.
Religion:
Peru’s constitution provides for freedom of religion. More than 80 per cent of Peruvians are Roman
Catholic, with the remaining 20 per cent made up of Christians and followers of traditional beliefs.
Indian groups have mixed Catholic saints with pre-Hispanic traditions, such as incorporating the
indigenous feast of the Inti Raymi (summer solstice) with the feast days of Saints Peter and Paul.
Source: CIA, World Fact Book 2009, UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children, 2009