Bogota's 2026 population is now estimated at 11,922,100. In 1950, the population of Bogota was 630,315. Bogota has grown by 126,300 in the last year, which represents a 1.07% annual change. These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Bogota, which typically includes Bogota's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.
Bogota, the most populous city in Colombia, is also the largest city in Colombia. This populous area is located in South America and has an estimated population between eight and eleven million people as of 2014. This number varies depending on whether you are referring to the Capital District or the entire Metro area. In addition to being the largest city in Colombia, it is one of the 30 largest cities in the world.
The city of Bogota, Colombia has an estimated 2018 population of around 8 million people in the Capital District and about 11 million people in the metro area. The 2005 census put the population density for the city at approximately 4,310 people per square kilometer. The rural area of the capital district only has about 15,810 inhabitants.
Twenty districts form the neighborhoods of Bogota. Higher financial districts are located in the north and northeast, while lower economic neighborhoods are found in the south and southeast. The central, western and some northern districts are where the middle class resides. The center of the city is laid out in traditional Spanish style settlements that are centered on a square or plaza. As you get farther away from the center of the city, the neighborhoods become more modern.
The majority of the population of Bogota is European or of European-mixed descent. The people of mixed descent are those of Mestizo origin. This means they are of European, mostly Spanish, and indigenous descent. There is a small minority of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous people as well.
Historically, Bogota’s main religion was Roman Catholic, and the city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bogota. Currently, a large portion of the population has declared they are non-practicing.
There are 106 higher education institutions located in Bogota that also contribute inhabitants to the population.
An interesting side note about the population of Bogota is the number of residents that are victims of crime. Bogota was considered at one time to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world, with a murder rate of 81 people per 100,000. The number has dwindled to around 16 people per 100,000 in the last couple of years.
Bogota was originally a settlement of indigenous people. The original indigenous people migrated to the area from Mesoamerica. The Spanish colonized it in 1553, and the population multiplied to 18,161 inhabitants in the 1789 census. The population of Bogota has proliferated since the 1800s.
Since 1800, the city has grown from around twenty-two thousand people to eight million. Part of this growth in population was due to the Catholic Church creating the diocese in Bogota. Another big factor in the growth of the city was immigration from the eastern highlands. Many displaced people have settled in Bogota. Growth was very high between 1800 and 2000 -maintaining growth rates of at least 9% with peak rates reaching nearly 200% over the years. After two hundred years - it started to slow. The city is still growing, though at a rate of between 2 and 9% per year.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Medellin | 4,208,280 | 0.85% |
| Cali | 2,942,690 | 0.89% |
| Barranquilla | 2,418,670 | 0.93% |
| Bucaramanga | 1,424,660 | 0.97% |
| Cartagena | 1,114,720 | 0.83% |
| Cucuta | 990,634 | 0.91% |
| Ibague | 615,104 | 0.83% |
| Valledupar | 599,585 | 1.31% |
| Pereira | 593,765 | 0.67% |
| Villavicencio | 590,758 | 1.07% |
| Santa Marta | 562,561 | 0.95% |
| Buenaventura | 493,081 | 1.11% |
| Buenaventura | 493,081 | 1.11% |
| Manizales | 464,765 | 0.75% |
| Monteria | 461,444 | 1.04% |
| Armenia | 431,947 | 0.86% |
| Pasto | 406,652 | 0.82% |
| Neiva | 372,029 | 0.78% |