Bolivia Climate
Top 5 Cities: La Paz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Cochabamba, Sucre, and El Alto
This month in numbers
Bolivia experienced its 20th warmest March on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 21.25°C, marking an anomaly of +0.8°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The January–March 2026 period was the 9th warmest on record for Bolivia, with an average temperature of 21.85°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C. Globally, March 2026 was the 2nd warmest March on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.2°C, closely following the record set in March 2025. The global land temperature for January–March 2026 also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1.3°C.
What changed
Bolivia's warmer-than-average start to the year aligns with a long-term warming trend for the country, which has seen an increase of +1.31°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. The year 2025 was the warmest on record for Bolivia, at 21.56°C. While Bolivia's March anomaly of +0.81°C placed it 204th out of 234 regions globally for the month, the broader South American region has been experiencing significant climate impacts. For instance, Ecuador has seen over 2,000 rain-related incidents since January, affecting over 71,000 people and causing widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and agriculture.
What’s driving change?
The current climate patterns in Bolivia are influenced by a combination of factors, including the ongoing drought and the transition of ENSO. Bolivia has been experiencing a significant drought, with one event active since September 2022, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, indicating an unusual concentration of drought conditions. This prolonged drought has led to crop failures and water rationing in some cities. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a Neutral phase, with a Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.5°C as of April 15, 2026. However, forecasts indicate a high probability of El Niño developing from May to July, with an 87% chance by July–September. Historically, El Niño events in the Amazon basin, which includes parts of Bolivia, are associated with warmer and drier conditions, leading to drought stress, lower river levels, and larger fire seasons. This transition to El Niño could exacerbate the existing drought conditions and contribute to further warming in the region. Additionally, between January and March 2026, the department of Tarija experienced a severe hydrometeorological emergency with persistent, high-intensity rainfall leading to widespread flooding and landslides, prompting a departmental disaster declaration on March 17, 2026. This highlights the "whiplash" effect of climate change, where regions can swing between extreme drought and intense rainfall.
Looking ahead
Forecasters suggest that the developing El Niño conditions are likely to bring warmer and drier conditions to the Amazon basin, potentially intensifying drought stress in Bolivia in the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Bolivia
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Bolivia changing?
Bolivia is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Bolivia come from?
Climate data for Bolivia comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Bolivia climate data cover?
The Bolivia climate profile covers La Paz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Cochabamba, Sucre and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Bolivia
How often is the Bolivia climate update refreshed?
The Bolivia climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.