Colombia Population 2026: The Country That Absorbed Venezuela’s Refugees
When more than 7 million Venezuelans fled their country between 2015 and 2025, the largest displacement event in the Western Hemisphere in modern history, no country absorbed more of them than Colombia. The Colombian population in 2026 includes approximately 2.8 million Venezuelans living under various regularization arrangements, alongside 50 million Colombian citizens. The total Colombian population stands at approximately 53 million according to the live counters on worldpopulationclock.net, drawing on the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 revision and DANE, Colombia’s national statistics agency.
Beyond the Venezuelan dimension, Colombia is itself a country navigating a significant demographic transition. Colombian fertility has fallen from above 6 children per woman in the 1960s to approximately 1.66 in 2026, one of the steepest fertility declines in Latin America. The country has also been managing the demographic effects of the post 2016 peace process with the FARC guerrilla movement, which ended a five-decade conflict that had displaced approximately 8 million Colombians internally.
This article examines the Colombian population through the lens of its position as both a major recipient of regional migration and a country in active fertility transition, the distribution across 32 departments plus the Capital District of Bogota, and the trajectory through 2050 and beyond.
A Population Built Through Continuous Growth and Recent Transition
Colombia’s population stood at approximately 12 million in 1950. Sustained high fertility through the 1960s and 1970s drove the population to approximately 30 million by 1990. The fertility transition that has continued through subsequent decades has slowed the pace of growth substantially.
A condensed Colombian demographic timeline:
- 1950: 12 million residents
- 1970: 22 million
- 1990: 32 million
- 2010: 45 million
- 2020: 50 million
- 2026: 53 million (including Venezuelans)
The 2018 census, the first conducted by Colombia in 13 years, recorded approximately 48.3 million Colombian citizen residents (excluding Venezuelans). The subsequent inclusion of Venezuelan residents through regularization processes has expanded the effective resident population to current levels.
Colombia Population by Department: A Detailed Breakdown
Colombia is divided into 32 departments plus the Capital District of Bogota, which has separate constitutional status. The departmental distribution reflects centuries of settlement patterns shaped by the Andean geography, Caribbean coast, Pacific coast, and Amazonian lowlands.
| Department | 2026 Population (Est.) | Capital City |
|---|---|---|
| Bogota DC | 8.2 million | Bogota |
| Antioquia | 7.1 million | Medellin |
| Valle del Cauca | 4.4 million | Cali |
| Cundinamarca | 3.45 million | Bogota (capital is DC) |
| Atlantico | 2.8 million | Barranquilla |
| Santander | 2.3 million | Bucaramanga |
| Bolivar | 2.25 million | Cartagena |
| Cordoba | 1.85 million | Monteria |
| Norte de Santander | 1.65 million | Cucuta |
| Narino | 1.75 million | Pasto |
| Cauca | 1.55 million | Popayan |
| Tolima | 1.4 million | Ibague |
| Magdalena | 1.5 million | Santa Marta |
| Huila | 1.25 million | Neiva |
| Cesar | 1.4 million | Valledupar |
| Meta | 1.15 million | Villavicencio |
| Risaralda | 980,000 | Pereira |
| Caldas | 1.05 million | Manizales |
| Sucre | 985,000 | Sincelejo |
| Boyaca | 1.27 million | Tunja |
| Quindio | 555,000 | Armenia |
| La Guajira | 1.05 million | Riohacha |
| Choco | 555,000 | Quibdo |
| Caqueta | 425,000 | Florencia |
| Putumayo | 365,000 | Mocoa |
| Arauca | 305,000 | Arauca |
| Casanare | 460,000 | Yopal |
| Guaviare | 95,000 | San Jose del Guaviare |
| Vichada | 130,000 | Puerto Carreno |
| Vaupes | 50,000 | Mitu |
| Guainia | 55,000 | Inirida |
| Amazonas | 85,000 | Leticia |
| San Andres | 65,000 | San Andres |
Source: DANE Colombia 2018 census and 2025 estimates.
Bogota Capital District holds approximately 8.2 million residents, with the broader Bogota metropolitan area extending into the Cundinamarca department to exceed 11 million. The capital has been the destination for substantial internal migration, including significant numbers of Venezuelans.
Medellin (in Antioquia department) is the second largest Colombian city, with approximately 2.5 million in the city proper and 4 million in the metropolitan area. Cali (in Valle del Cauca) holds approximately 2.3 million in the city proper. Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bucaramanga, and various other cities anchor regional economies.
The Amazonian departments (Amazonas, Vaupes, Guainia, Vichada, Caqueta, Guaviare, Putumayo) hold less than 1.1 million residents combined across a vast territory, producing some of the lowest population densities in South America.
The Venezuelan Inflow
Colombia has received the largest single share of the Venezuelan migration crisis. By 2026, approximately 2.8 million Venezuelans will live in Colombia under various legal arrangements, including the Temporary Protection Status for Venezuelan Migrants (ETPV) that the Duque government introduced in 2021. The status grants Venezuelan migrants 10-year residency with rights to work, access to healthcare, and to enroll children in education.
The Venezuelan population has reshaped Colombian demographics in multiple dimensions. Border departments, including Norte de Santander, La Guajira, and Arauca, have received particularly substantial Venezuelan inflows. Major Colombian cities, including Bogota, Medellin, Cali, and Barranquilla, have absorbed hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan urban migrants. The Venezuelan population skews younger than the Colombian average and includes substantial numbers of educated professionals, particularly in healthcare and engineering.
Colombian policy responses to Venezuelan migration have been internationally praised as among the most generous globally. The ETPV represents one of the largest mass regularization efforts in the modern history of any country.
Demographic Profile in 2026
Colombian total fertility sits at approximately 1.66 children per woman in 2026, having declined from above 6 in the 1960s. The decline has been one of the steepest in Latin America, with rural and urban areas now showing similar fertility patterns.
The median age in Colombia was approximately 32 years in 2026. Approximately 10 percent of Colombian residents are aged 65 or older.
Life expectancy at birth in Colombia stands at approximately 77 years overall, with women averaging approximately 80 years and men approximately 74 years. The figure has improved substantially over recent decades, supported by healthcare expansion and reduced conflict-era mortality after the 2016 FARC peace agreement.
Future Projections
| Year | Projected Colombia Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 54 million | Continued slow growth |
| 2040 | 55.5 million | Approaching peak |
| 2050 | 56 million | Near peak |
| 2075 | 54 million | Slow decline |
| 2100 | 51 million | Loss of 5 million from peak |
Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant.
Projections from the UN World Population Prospects 2024 revision suggest the Colombian population will reach approximately 54 million by 2030, around 56 million by 2050, and approximately 51 million by 2100. The trajectory assumes continued sub-replacement fertility, sustained mortality improvements, and continued substantial Venezuelan presence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Colombia in 2026?
Colombia’s population in 2026 stands at approximately 53 million residents, including approximately 2.8 million Venezuelans living under various legal arrangements. The figure draws on the UN World Population Prospects 2024 revision and DANE Colombia estimates.
Which Colombian department has the largest population?
Bogota Capital District is the largest at approximately 8.2 million residents, with the broader Bogota metropolitan area exceeding 11 million. The Antioquia department follows with 7.1 million, anchored by Medellin.
How many Venezuelans live in Colombia?
Approximately 2.8 million Venezuelans lived in Colombia in 2026, making it the largest single destination of the Venezuelan migration crisis. The Temporary Protection Status (ETPV) grants Venezuelan migrants 10-year residency.
What is Colombia’s fertility rate?
Colombia’s total fertility rate sits at approximately 1.66 children per woman in 2026, having declined sharply from above 6 in the 1960s. The decline has been one of the steepest in Latin America.
What is the population of Bogota?
Bogota Capital District has approximately 8.2 million residents, with the broader Bogota metropolitan area extending into Cundinamarca to exceed 11 million.
How has the FARC peace process affected Colombia’s demographics?
The 2016 peace agreement with the FARC ended a five-decade conflict that had displaced approximately 8 million Colombians internally. The post 2016 period has seen a partial return of displaced populations and reduced conflict-era mortality, although various other armed groups have continued to operate in some regions.
What is the median age in Colombia?
The median age in Colombia sits at approximately 32 years in 2026, with about 10 percent of residents aged 65 or older.
What is the life expectancy in Colombia?
Life expectancy at birth in Colombia stands at approximately 77 years overall, with women averaging approximately 80 years and men approximately 74 years.
When will Colombia’s population peak?
Colombia’s population is projected to peak around 56 million in the early 2050s before beginning a slow decline, falling to approximately 51 million by 2100 under the UN medium variant.
What is the ETPV?
The Temporary Protection Status for Venezuelan Migrants (ETPV) is a regularization mechanism introduced by Colombia in 2021 that grants Venezuelan migrants 10-year residency with rights to work, access to healthcare, and to enroll children in education. It represents one of the largest mass regularization efforts in modern global history.
Sources
- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.
- World Population Prospects 2024 revision.
- DANE (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística), Colombia, 2018 Census and Subsequent Estimates 2025.
- World Bank Open Data, World Development Indicators, 2024 and 2025 updates.
- UNHCR Colombia, Venezuela Situation Reports 2024 and 2025.
- Live national and departmental counters at worldpopulationclock.net.