The two counties have maintained good bilateral relations for over 70 years. Regular dialogue takes place between the governments, parliamentarians and civil society.

In 2023, bilateral trade totalled almost 275 million euro. Exports from Bolivia to Germany totalled roughly 141.5 million euro, imports from Germany 133.5 million euro. Bolivia’s main exports to Germany are mineral resources (lead, tin and silver ores) and agricultural produce (nuts, coffee, soya, quinoa and millet). Its main imports from Germany include machinery, optical products, household appliances, vehicles and vehicle parts. The German-Bolivian Chamber of Industry and Commerce was founded in 1955.

Development cooperation with Bolivia has been pursued for over 60 years, and is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). It currently focuses on three priority areas: fostering a just transition (renewable energy, sustainable urban development), protecting our natural resources (forest protection and sustainable forest management, especially in the Amazon), and transforming agricultural systems (rural development). In addition, support for civil society, gender equality and vocational training are important cross-cutting issues.

Cultural relations date back to the first wave of German traders and craftspeople who migrated to Bolivia in the mid‑nineteenth century. The German Cultural Centre (Centro Cultural Alemán) is over a century old and the German schools in La Paz and Santa Cruz are 101 and 88 years old respectively. The Goethe-Institut is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its work in Bolivia in 2024.

Three German political foundations (the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the Hanns Seidel Foundation) have offices in Bolivia. Federal funding is also provided for numerous cooperation projects run by non‑state actors. These include church organisations, non-governmental organisations and the Deutsche Welle (DW) Academy. Exchange programmes such as the development volunteers service “weltwärts” and “kulturweit” (Bridging Cultures) make it possible for many Germans and Bolivians to spend time in each other’s countries each year. 17 Bolivian women participate in the German-Latin American-Caribbean women’s network Unidas.