Despite negative net migration, Colombia’s population will continue to grow until 2050. According to current projections, Colombia’s population will peak in 2050 with 55.96 million people. Following 2050, the population will slowly decline for the rest of the century, going back down to 45.52 million in 2099.
Colombia’s population growth rate is currently 1.08%, a number that has decreased consistently every year. The fertility rate is currently 1.78 births per woman, which has been decreasing by just over 1% every year. The low fertility rate will cause an increase in the average age of the population from 31.3 years in 2020 to an estimated 43.9 years in 2050.
| Colombia Population (as of 11/19/2024) | 53,101,520 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 52,886,400 |
| Births per Day | 1,919 |
| Deaths per Day | 792 |
| Migrations per Day | 388 |
| Net Change per Day | 1,515 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | 490,860 |
Net increase of 1 person every 57 seconds
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 45 seconds | |
| One death every 1.82 minutes | |
| One immigrant every 3.72 minutes | |
| Net gain of one person every 57 seconds |
City | 2024 Pop. |
|---|---|
| Bogota | 7,674,366 |
| Cali | 2,392,877 |
| Medellin | 1,999,979 |
| Barranquilla | 1,380,425 |
| Cartagena | 952,024 |
| Cucuta | 721,398 |
| Bucaramanga | 571,820 |
| Pereira | 440,118 |
| Santa Marta | 431,781 |
| Ibague | 421,685 |
The population is largely concentrated along the Caribbean coast and the Andean highlands. The eastern lowland areas, which account for 54% of the country's area, have less than 3% of the population. Despite being one of the top 30 most populous countries, Colombia is sparsely populated with just 41 people per square kilometer (106/square mile), which ranks 173rd in the world. Colombia is the third-most populous country in all of Latin America and it's home to the third-largest number of Spanish-speaking people in the world after Mexico and the United States.
Colombia's geography consists of six main natural regions, and each region represents its own different and unique characteristics. Colombia's main features that highlight its geography are the Andes mountain range that is shared with Ecuador and Venezuela, the Pacific coastal area that joins with Panama and Ecuador, the Lianos plains that are shared with Venezuela, the Caribbean coastal region with Venezuela and Panama, and the Amazon rainforest area that connects with Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.
The Colombian people have differentiated the country in terms of its climatic zones. For example, they call the region below 900 meters (2,953ft) in elevation, the Tierra Caliente meaning hot land. In this region, the temperature varies between 24 and 38 C (75.2 and 100.4 F). The Tierra Caliente spreads over about 86% of the total area of the country.
Tierra Templada, which means temperate land, ranges between 900 to 1,980 meters in elevation. This is the part of the land that has most of the country's population, and is the most productive land. This part of the land also provides very suitable conditions for the growth and production of coffee. Tierra Fria, which means cold land, is located between 1,980 and 3500 meters (6,496 and 11,483 ft), and is suitable for the production of wheat and potatoes. In the region Tierra Fria, the mean range of the temperatures remains between 10 and 19 C (50 and 66.2 F).
The largest city and capital of Colombia is Bogota, which has a population of 7.9 million. The greater metropolitan area has a population of 12 million. Other major cities include Medellin (1.9 million), Cali (2.4 million) and Barranquilla (1.2 million).
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 52,886,400 | 1.17% | 48 | 28 | 165 |
| 2023 | 52,321,200 | 1.31% | 47 | 28 | 164 |
| 2020 | 50,630,000 | 1.45% | 46 | 29 | 165 |
| 2019 | 49,908,000 | 1.8% | 45 | 29 | 167 |
| 2018 | 49,024,500 | 1.86% | 44 | 29 | 167 |
| 2017 | 48,131,100 | 1.46% | 43 | 29 | 167 |
| 2015 | 46,969,900 | 0.96% | 42 | 29 | 167 |
| 2010 | 44,777,300 | 1.23% | 40 | 29 | 165 |
| 2005 | 42,129,000 | 1.51% | 38 | 29 | 161 |
| 2000 | 39,089,900 | 1.77% | 35 | 29 | 162 |
| 1995 | 35,804,700 | 1.99% | 32 | 30 | 161 |
| 1990 | 32,440,100 | 2.08% | 29 | 31 | 162 |
| 1985 | 29,268,500 | 2.31% | 26 | 31 | 163 |
| 1980 | 26,104,500 | 2.26% | 24 | 31 | 163 |
| 1975 | 23,344,600 | 2.32% | 21 | 30 | 161 |
| 1970 | 20,811,800 | 2.75% | 19 | 31 | 160 |
| 1965 | 18,169,000 | 3.09% | 16 | 32 | 160 |
| 1960 | 15,606,200 | 2.98% | 14 | 32 | 162 |
| 1955 | 13,473,100 | 2.74% | 12 | 33 | 163 |
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 52,886,400 | 1.17% | 48 | 28 | 165 |
| 2025 | 53,425,600 | 1.08% | 48 | 28 | 165 |
| 2030 | 55,736,500 | 0.85% | 50 | 30 | 165 |
| 2035 | 57,445,800 | 0.61% | 52 | 28 | 166 |
| 2040 | 58,576,400 | 0.39% | 53 | 32 | 166 |
| 2045 | 59,190,800 | 0.21% | 53 | 32 | 164 |
| 2050 | 59,385,400 | 0.07% | 54 | 34 | 166 |
| 2055 | 59,252,900 | -0.04% | 53 | 35 | 165 |
| 2060 | 58,833,400 | -0.14% | 53 | 38 | 166 |
| 2065 | 58,131,100 | -0.24% | 52 | 40 | 167 |
| 2070 | 57,128,500 | -0.35% | 51 | 42 | 168 |
| 2075 | 55,828,000 | -0.46% | 50 | 42 | 168 |
| 2080 | 54,268,000 | -0.56% | 49 | 45 | 169 |
| 2085 | 52,520,900 | -0.65% | 47 | 46 | 170 |
| 2090 | 50,674,500 | -0.71% | 46 | 47 | 171 |
| 2095 | 48,834,500 | -0.74% | 44 | 48 | 171 |
31.2
Total
30.2
Male
32.2
Female
There are people over age 18 in Colombia.
Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 2017 |
| 2006 | 22 May 2006 |
| 1993 | 24 October 1993 |
| 1985 | 15 October 1985 |
At the 2005 census, the population of Colombia was determined to be 86% non-ethnic, or whites and mestizos of mixed Amerindian and European ancestry. The population is also 11% Black, 3.4% Amerindian and 0.01% Roma. About 49% of the population is mestizo, while 37% is of European ancestry, mostly from Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
While the indigenous peoples were largely decimated during Spanish rule, reserves were established on 27% of the country's total land area. There are more than 800,000 indigenous peoples in Colombia, the largest groups of which include the Wayuu, the Paez, the Pastos, the Zenu and the Embera.
68 languages and dialects are spoken in Colombia but the official and most common language is Spanish. More than 99.2% of the people of Colombia speak Spanish.
Colombia is a fairly religious country with an impressive 70% of the population stating that they are Roman Catholic Catholic. However, only 25% are practicing. The Roman Catholic was directly involved in the government until 1991.
Colombian cuisine varies greatly, being influenced by its diverse flora and fauna and also by its immigrants' cultural traditions. The Colombian dishes vary from region to region. Some very common ingredients used in Colombian cuisine are rice and maize, potato and cassava, assorted legumes, pork, chicken, beef, goat, fish and seafood. The tropical fruits of Colombia include papaya, mango, banana, pineapple, lulo, guava and passion fruit.
Colombia is currently ranked as the third happiest country in the world on the Happy Planet Index. In addition, The World Happiness Report gives Colombia a ranking of 37 with an overall happiness rating of 6.26 out of 10.
Colombia has a consistent record of growth throughout the last century, reaching a peak in the 1960s when the population was growing above an annual rate of 3%. Since then, the rate has gradually slowed to the much slower rate of today.