Map of Bolivia, showing the top 10 cities by population
1. Santa Cruz
2. El Alto
3. La Paz
4. Cocha
5. Oruro
6. Sucre
7. Tarija
8. Potosí
9. Sacaba
10. Quillacollo
Bolivian cities by population: #1–10

According to the National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia (INE),[1] a city is classified as an area where the city limits are identifiable, and its local government is recognized.[2] Bolivia has 1,384 cities.[3] As of 21 November 2012, the date of the most-recent national census,[4] 53 cities have a population of at least 10,000 in Bolivia, as enumerated by the INE. These 53 cities have a population of 6,162,346, accounting for 61.4% of the country's population. The largest city is Santa Cruz de la Sierra, with a population of 1,441,406, a 29.4% increase from the last census date of 5 September 2001.[5] La Guardia had the highest percentage increase, 801.5%, from 2001 to 2012.

From 2001 to 2012, Bolivia had a population increase of 21.1%. Of the 53 cities, 42 had a higher increase than 21.1%, 8 had lower increase and 3 had a small decrease. The three cities that had a negative population growth from 2001 to 2012 are La Paz (−4.1%), Yacuíba (−4.2%), and Santa Ana del Yacuma (−5.4%). With the exception of the Department of La Paz, each department's capital city is the largest city in its respective department. The Department of Santa Cruz has the most cities (18), and Pando and Chuquisaca have the least (1).

An enlargeable map of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
Map showing the area of indigenous peoples in Bolivia

List

Top five cities by population
City skyline of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
1. Santa Cruz de la Sierra
City skyline of El Alto
2. El Alto
City skyline of La Paz
3. La Paz
City skyline of Cochabamba
4. Cochabamba
City skyline or Oruro
5. Oruro
Key
* = Department capital
† = Largest city in department
Rank City Department 2012 Census[2] 2001 Census[6] Net change
1 Santa Cruz de la Sierra*† Santa Cruz 1,441,406 1,113,582 +29.4%
2 El Alto† La Paz 842,378 647,350 +30.1%
3 La Paz* La Paz 757,184 789,585 −4.1%
4 Cochabamba*† Cochabamba 630,587 516,683 +22.0%
5 Oruro*† Oruro 264,683 201,332 +31.5%
6 Sucre*† Chuquisaca 237,480 193,876 +22.5%
7 Tarija*† Tarija 179,528 135,783 +32.2%
8 Potosí*† Potosí 174,973 132,966 +31.6%
9 Sacaba Cochabamba 149,570 92,581 +61.6%
10 Quillacollo Cochabamba 117,859 74,980 +57.2%
11 Montero Santa Cruz 107,294 78,294 +37.0%
12 Trinidad*† Beni 101,454 75,540 +34.3%
13 Riberalta Beni 78,754 64,511 +22.1%
14 Warnes Santa Cruz 77,668 17,872 +334.6%
15 La Guardia Santa Cruz 77,278 8,572 +801.5%
16 Viacha La Paz 62,516 29,108 +114.8%
17 Yacuiba Tarija 61,844 64,611 −4.3%
18 Colcapirhua Cochabamba 51,896 41,980 +23.6%
19 Tiquipaya Cochabamba 49,237 26,732 +84.2%
20 Cobija*† Pando 42,849 20,820 +105.8%
21 Vinto Cochabamba 40,920 14,180 +188.6%
22 Guayaramerín Beni 35,764 33,095 +8.1%
23 Villazón Potosí 35,167 28,045 +25.4%
24 Yapacaní[A] Santa Cruz 32,017 16,572 +93.2%
25 Villamontes Tarija 30,228 16,113 +87.6%
26 Bermejo Tarija 29,459 26,059 +13.0%
27 Camiri Santa Cruz 28,855 26,505 +8.9%
28 Tupiza Potosí 27,302 21,707 +25.8%
29 Llallagua Potosí 25,166 20,065 +25.4%
30 San Ignacio de Velasco Santa Cruz 23,126 19,401 +19.2%
31 San Julián Santa Cruz 20,687 6,798 +204.3%
32 Huanuni Oruro 20,336 15,106 +34.6%
33 Punata Cochabamba 19,559 14,742 +32.7%
34 Cotoca Santa Cruz 19,482 15,181 +28.3%
35 Ascensión de Guarayos Santa Cruz 19,254 13,630 +41.3%
36 Achocalla La Paz 18,442 10,369 +77.9%
37 Mineros Santa Cruz 18,340 13,282 +38.1%
38 Uyuni Potosí 18,068 10,551 +71.2%
39 San Borja Beni 17,520 16,273 +7.7%
40 El Torno Santa Cruz 17,130 11,879 +44.2%
41 Puerto Suárez Santa Cruz 16,643 11,594 +43.5%
42 Portachuelo Santa Cruz 14,091 11,338 +24.3%
43 Caranavi La Paz 13,766 12,083 +13.9%
44 Rurrenabaque Beni 13,446 8,479 +58.6%
45 Challapata Oruro 12,684 9,452 +34.2%
46 Santa Ana del Yacuma Beni 12,178 12,877 −5.4%
47 San José de Chiquitos Santa Cruz 11,874 9,322 +27.4%
48 Sipe Sipe Cochabamba 11,826 3,226 +266.6%
49 Patacamaya La Paz 11,197 8,414 +33.1%
50 Puerto Quijarro Santa Cruz 11,071 8,963 +23.5%
51 Vallegrande Santa Cruz 10,158 7,884 +28.8%
52 Roboré Santa Cruz 10,098 10,078 +0.2%
53 San Ignacio de Moxos Beni 10,054 9,590 +4.8%

Notes

References

  1. ^ "Instituto Nacional de Estadística". INE.
  2. ^ a b "Ciudades/Comunidades/Centros Poblados a Localidades Empadronadas en el Censo de Población y Vivienda 2012" [Cities/Communities/Towns and Villages Centers Enumerated in the Census of Population and Housing 2012] (in Spanish). National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Bolivia" (in Spanish). UNESCO. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  4. ^ "El Gobierno Realizará el Censo 2012 el 21 de Noviembre" [The Government will make the 2012 Census on 21 November]. Los Tiempos (in Spanish). 19 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  5. ^ National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia (2003). "Bolivia: Niveles, Tendencias y Diferenciales de la Fecundidad" [Bolivia: Levels, Trends and Differentials of Fertility] (PDF) (in Spanish). National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  6. ^ "Censo de Poblacion y Vivienda – 2001" [Census of Population and Housing – 2001] (in Spanish). National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia. 2 November 2001. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  7. ^ "Censo de Poblacion y Vivienda – 2001: Bolivia: Santa Cruz Departamento: Ichilo Provincia: Yapacaní Municipales" [Census of Population and Housing – 2001: Santa Cruz Department: Ichilo Province: Yapacaní Municipality] (in Spanish). National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  8. ^ "Censo de Poblacion y Vivienda 2012: Santa Cruz Departamento: Ichilo Provincia: Yapacaní Municipales" [Census of Population and Housing 2012: Santa Cruz Department: Ichilo Province: Yapacaní Municipality]. National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
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