Invest in Uruguay

Why Uruguay?

Uruguay is geographically located at the centre of a market inhabited by more than 215 millions of consumers, with the highest per capita income in the continent, and a GDP of approximately US$ 600 billions. MERCOSUR has its best “gateway” in Uruguay, enhanced through the terms and conditions provided in the frame of MERCOSUR agreement for the development of trade and business among the four member countries of this economic block.

Uruguay has a large and varied communications network, which added to the competitive quality of its financial and business support services, facilitate its access to the business core within MERCOSUR, projecting out to other regions and countries in the world.

In addition, Uruguay’s long political and economic stability, as well as its open and cosmopolitan society, make this country to be an ideal platform from where business opportunities may be launched to the region and the world.

Uruguay is a country that maintains almost unchanged its human dimension of its society. From the outset as an independent nation, Uruguay’s economic activity has developed based on a perfect symbiosis of two pillars: plentiful natural resources and the work of its people, who are mostly European immigrants. Social indicators reveal the outstanding education and intellectual level of its population.

The long-standing tradition of lay, free of cost and compulsory education system, is the basis for future generations of Uruguayans who have access to primary, secondary and tertiary education. This system was extended in the last years to younger children (starting pre-school at 4 years of age); and at present, 95% of Uruguayan children attend kindergarten, either in public or private education institutions.

As for secondary education, Uruguay has the highest schooling rate in Latin America (85%), above 50% over the continental average. Specialized technical or vocational education starts at this level, (there are more than 100 technical institutions across the country, some of them deal with agro-industry and services provision as field of study), where teenagers are educated to continue higher studies at university level, in any field of study as they choose.

The Uruguayan university education is recognized in the world for the high level of its graduates, scientists and professors. At present, to the traditional and almost 200-year old University of the Republic, the sole public and state university in the country, some other private colleges and university institutions were created to provide complementary tertiary education.

The high level of training of the Uruguayan labor force is the reason for our easy adaptation to use new technologies in productive processes, as well as our ability to develop our own technological tools to be applied in business. These features have allowed reaching a constant growth in quality and productivity. At present, one out of every three workers engaged in the production or provision of services has completed vocational or university education.

The high level of education of Uruguayan people has always been one of the leading comparative advantages of the country. This quality is especially taken into account when making strategic decisions, both by local and foreign companies.

The people of Uruguay constitute the country’s most important asset.