Inadequate physical infrastructure, which had been responsible for the economy's slow development, persisted in the late 1980s. Landlocked and underpopulated, Paraguay was often dependent on river systems as the principal means of transportation. In the 1980s, the country also enjoyed a rapidly growing road system and trucking industry. In the 1970s, Paraguay broke its long-time dependence on Argentina for access to the Atlantic Ocean when a major road system was completed, connecting the eastern border region with the Brazilian ports of Santos and Paranaguá. Along with new roads, the number of traffic lights in the capital increased, going from one in the early 1980s to over a dozen late in the decade.

Data as of December 1988