Colombia Demographics 2026: Population Growth, Fertility Decline, Migration and Urbanization

Core Demographic Indicators

Population 53,057,212 2025 · DANE projection

Population growth 0.84% 2025 · DANE growth component

Median age 31.7 years 2025 · calculated from DANE age-sex counts

Registered fertility rate 1.0 2025pr · births per woman, DANE EEVV

Life expectancy 76.6 years 2025 · DANE projection series

Cabecera share 75.9% 2025 · DANE area series

Aged 65+ 10.4% 2025 · DANE age-sex projection

Net international migration +13,225 2025 · DANE migration component

Detailed Demographic Indicators

Search table

Indicator	Value	Year	Source
Population	53,057,212	2025	DANE national population projection
Annual population growth	0.84%	2025	DANE growth component dataset
Annual population change	443,459	2025	Calculated from DANE population projection
Median age	31.7 years	2025	Calculated from DANE single-year age-sex counts
Registered total fertility rate	1.0 births per woman	2025pr	DANE Vital Statistics, provisional release
Projection-series fertility rate	1.65 births per woman	2025	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
Life expectancy at birth	76.6 years	2025	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
Life expectancy at birth, men	74.1 years	2025	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
Life expectancy at birth, women	79.2 years	2025	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
Life expectancy female-male gap	5.0 years	2025	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
Population aged 0-14	11,746,420 (22.1%)	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
Population aged 15-64	35,806,629 (67.5%)	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
Population aged 65+	5,504,163 (10.4%)	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
Total dependency ratio	48.2 dependents per 100 working-age people	2025	Calculated from DANE age-sex counts
Sex ratio	96.1 men per 100 women	2025	Calculated from DANE age-sex counts
Male population share	49.0%	2025	Calculated from DANE age-sex counts
Female population share	51.0%	2025	Calculated from DANE age-sex counts
Cabecera population share	75.9%	2025	DANE population by area projection
Cabecera population count	40,257,670	2025	DANE population by area projection
Centros poblados and rural dispersed population	12,799,542	2025	DANE population by area projection
Net international migration	+13,225	2025	DANE migration component dataset
Net international migration rate	0.25 per 1,000 people	2025	DANE growth component dataset
Estimated births in projection series	708,285	2025	DANE growth component dataset
Registered births	433,678	2025pr	DANE Vital Statistics, provisional release
Registered non-fetal deaths	283,378	2025pr	DANE Vital Statistics, provisional release
Population density	47.8 people per sq km	2025	Calculated from DANE population and World Bank land area

Table analysis

DANE places Colombia at 53,057,212 people in 2025, up by 443,459 from 2024 in the population projection series.
The registered 2025pr total fertility rate of 1.0 births per woman is below the broad replacement-level benchmark of 2.1.
The 2025 age structure gives 22.1% aged 0-14, 67.5% aged 15-64, and 10.4% aged 65+.
Population density is calculated from DANE population and World Bank land area, rather than copied from a single published density table.

Population Growth Path

Colombia population trend, 1950-2025

Selected DANE national population values from the retroprojection and projection series.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: DANE national population retroprojections for 1950-2017 and DANE national population projections for 2018-2025.

Trend analysis

Population rose from 13.6 million in 1950 to 53.1 million in 2025 in the DANE national series.
The selected series shows slower growth after 2020: the annual growth rate in the DANE growth component is 0.84% in 2025.
The chart stops at 2025; scenario-based projections are shown in a separate projection section.

Historical Population and Area Series

Search table

Year	Population	Annual change	Annual growth	Cabecera share	Data type	Source
1950	13,570,943	Data not available	Data not available	38.3%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
1955	15,429,614	401,651	2.67%	39.8%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
1960	17,665,037	476,469	2.77%	42.6%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
1965	20,201,643	520,773	2.65%	47.6%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
1970	22,780,007	505,807	2.27%	54.0%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
1975	25,272,952	483,979	1.95%	59.1%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
1980	27,684,385	475,683	1.75%	63.4%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
1985	30,340,842	546,265	1.83%	66.6%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
1990	33,268,154	609,375	1.86%	69.6%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
1995	36,357,572	606,518	1.70%	72.0%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
2000	39,140,080	542,788	1.41%	73.5%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
2005	41,671,878	483,785	1.17%	74.2%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
2010	44,086,292	477,662	1.10%	74.8%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
2015	46,313,898	447,888	0.98%	75.3%	Retroprojection	DANE national population retroprojection
2020	50,390,790	1,124,264	2.28%	75.7%	Projection/estimate	DANE national population projection
2025	53,057,212	443,459	0.84%	75.9%	Projection/estimate	DANE national population projection

Table analysis

The 5-year rows show the long shift from 13.6 million in 1950 to 53.1 million in 2025.
Cabecera share rises from 38.3% in 1950 to 75.9% in 2025 in DANE’s area classification.
Annual change in this table is calculated from the previous annual DANE row, not from the previous visible 5-year row.

Fertility Decline

General fertility rate, 2016-2025pr

Registered births per 1,000 women aged 15-49 in the DANE Vital Statistics series.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: DANE Vital Statistics EEVV; 2024 and 2025 are provisional in the cited release.

Search table

Year	General fertility rate	Registered total fertility rate	Registered births	Source
2016	51.8	Data not available	Data not available	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV
2017	52.0	Data not available	Data not available	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV
2018	51.8	Data not available	Data not available	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV
2019	50.0	Data not available	Data not available	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV
2020	47.7	Data not available	Data not available	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV
2021	45.9	Data not available	Data not available	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV
2022	42.1	Data not available	Data not available	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV
2023	37.4	Data not available	Data not available	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV
2024pr	32.6	Data not available	Data not available	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV
2025pr	30.9	1.0	433,678	DANE Vital Statistics EEVV

Data analysis

The registered general fertility rate falls from 51.8 births per 1,000 women in 2016 to 30.9 in 2025pr.
DANE’s provisional 2025 release reports 433,678 registered births, down 4.5% from 2024.
The registration-based 2025pr total fertility rate is 1.0 births per woman; the separate DANE projection-series fertility value for 2025 is 1.65.

Migration Balance

Net international migration, 2018-2025

DANE modeled national net international migration balance by year.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: DANE migration component dataset and DANE growth component dataset.

Search table

Year	Net international migration	Rate per 1,000 people	Source
2018	+626,028	12.98	DANE migration and growth component datasets
2019	+740,422	15.04	DANE migration and growth component datasets
2020	+378,990	7.52	DANE migration and growth component datasets
2021	+195,752	3.83	DANE migration and growth component datasets
2022	+134,833	2.62	DANE migration and growth component datasets
2023	+136,272	2.62	DANE migration and growth component datasets
2024	+98,033	1.87	DANE migration and growth component datasets
2025	+13,225	0.25	DANE migration and growth component datasets

Data analysis

The modeled net international migration balance peaks at +740,422 in 2019 in the visible series.
By 2025, the same DANE dataset shows a much smaller positive balance of +13,225.
Migration figures are net international balances; internal migration is not added to the national balance table.

Urbanization and Area Distribution

Population by DANE area category, 2025

Share of national population in cabecera areas and centros poblados/rural dispersed areas.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: DANE national population by area projection. Cabecera is a DANE area category and is not identical to every international urban definition.

Search table

Year	Cabecera population	Cabecera share	Centros poblados and rural dispersed	Source
1950	5,191,533	38.3%	8,379,410	DANE population by area series
1960	7,528,574	42.6%	10,136,463	DANE population by area series
1970	12,301,562	54.0%	10,478,445	DANE population by area series
1980	17,561,212	63.4%	10,123,173	DANE population by area series
1990	23,143,984	69.6%	10,124,170	DANE population by area series
2000	28,760,715	73.5%	10,379,365	DANE population by area series
2010	32,998,543	74.8%	11,087,749	DANE population by area series
2018	36,414,521	75.5%	11,843,973	DANE population by area series
2020	38,128,313	75.7%	12,262,477	DANE population by area series
2025	40,257,670	75.9%	12,799,542	DANE population by area series

Data analysis

DANE’s cabecera share reaches 75.9% in 2025, compared with 38.3% in 1950.
The 2025 cabecera count is 40,257,670, while centros poblados and rural dispersed areas account for 12,799,542.
The section uses DANE area categories because they align with the official Colombian population projection files.

Life Expectancy

Life expectancy at birth by sex, 2025

DANE projection-series life expectancy at birth for men, women and total population.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: DANE demographic-change projection dataset.

Search table

Year	Total	Men	Women	Female-male gap	Source
2018	75.3	72.7	78.1	5.4	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
2019	75.5	72.9	78.3	5.3	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
2020	74.4	71.5	77.4	5.8	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
2021	74.2	71.3	77.4	6.1	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
2022	74.9	72.0	77.9	5.9	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
2023	76.3	73.8	78.9	5.1	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
2024	76.4	73.9	79.0	5.1	DANE demographic-change projection dataset
2025	76.6	74.1	79.2	5.0	DANE demographic-change projection dataset

Data analysis

The 2025 DANE projection-series value is 76.6 years for total life expectancy at birth.
Women are at 79.2 years and men are at 74.1 years in 2025, a gap of 5.0 years.
Life expectancy values in 2020 and 2021 are lower in the DANE series than surrounding years.

Age-Sex Population Structure

Broad age structure, 2025

Population shares for 0-14, 15-64 and 65+ from DANE age-sex counts.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: DANE national age-sex projection, 2025.

Colombia Population Pyramid

Population by 5-year age group and sex from DANE single-year age-sex counts.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: DANE national age-sex projection, 2025. Male values are stored as negative values only to draw the left side of the pyramid.

{
  “chartType”: “population-pyramid”,
  “labels”: [
    “0-4”,
    “5-9”,
    “10-14”,
    “15-19”,
    “20-24”,
    “25-29”,
    “30-34”,
    “35-39”,
    “40-44”,
    “45-49”,
    “50-54”,
    “55-59”,
    “60-64”,
    “65-69”,
    “70-74”,
    “75-79”,
    “80-84”,
    “85-89”,
    “90-94”,
    “95-99”,
    “100+”
  ],
  “valueFormat”: “million”,
  “datasets”: [
    {
      “label”: “Male”,
      “data”: [
        -1890287,
        -2013175,
        -2114039,
        -2225901,
        -2263455,
        -2226199,
        -2114425,
        -1854023,
        -1693151,
        -1501593,
        -1325633,
        -1258538,
        -1113067,
        -866575,
        -640985,
        -432570,
        -258265,
        -137680,
        -54496,
        -15287,
        -1891
      ]
    },
    {
      “label”: “Female”,
      “data”: [
        1797923,
        1914550,
        2016446,
        2126519,
        2195880,
        2237801,
        2139399,
        1916019,
        1803706,
        1633477,
        1465677,
        1419005,
        1293161,
        1053933,
        802157,
        561414,
        352786,
        205501,
        89936,
        27179,
        3508
      ]
    }
  ],
  “readoutTemplate”: “{dataset}, age {label}: {value}”
}

Search table

Age group	Population	Share	Male	Female	Sex ratio	Year	Source
0-14	11,746,420	22.1%	6,017,501	5,728,919	105.0	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
15-64	35,806,629	67.5%	17,575,985	18,230,644	96.4	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
65+	5,504,163	10.4%	2,407,749	3,096,414	77.8	2025	DANE national age-sex projection

Search table

Age group	Male	Female	Total	Male share	Female share	Sex ratio	Year	Source
0-4	1,890,287	1,797,923	3,688,210	51.3%	48.7%	105.1	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
5-9	2,013,175	1,914,550	3,927,725	51.3%	48.7%	105.2	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
10-14	2,114,039	2,016,446	4,130,485	51.2%	48.8%	104.8	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
15-19	2,225,901	2,126,519	4,352,420	51.1%	48.9%	104.7	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
20-24	2,263,455	2,195,880	4,459,335	50.8%	49.2%	103.1	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
25-29	2,226,199	2,237,801	4,464,000	49.9%	50.1%	99.5	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
30-34	2,114,425	2,139,399	4,253,824	49.7%	50.3%	98.8	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
35-39	1,854,023	1,916,019	3,770,042	49.2%	50.8%	96.8	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
40-44	1,693,151	1,803,706	3,496,857	48.4%	51.6%	93.9	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
45-49	1,501,593	1,633,477	3,135,070	47.9%	52.1%	91.9	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
50-54	1,325,633	1,465,677	2,791,310	47.5%	52.5%	90.4	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
55-59	1,258,538	1,419,005	2,677,543	47.0%	53.0%	88.7	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
60-64	1,113,067	1,293,161	2,406,228	46.3%	53.7%	86.1	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
65-69	866,575	1,053,933	1,920,508	45.1%	54.9%	82.2	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
70-74	640,985	802,157	1,443,142	44.4%	55.6%	79.9	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
75-79	432,570	561,414	993,984	43.5%	56.5%	77.1	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
80-84	258,265	352,786	611,051	42.3%	57.7%	73.2	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
85-89	137,680	205,501	343,181	40.1%	59.9%	67.0	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
90-94	54,496	89,936	144,432	37.7%	62.3%	60.6	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
95-99	15,287	27,179	42,466	36.0%	64.0%	56.2	2025	DANE national age-sex projection
100+	1,891	3,508	5,399	35.0%	65.0%	53.9	2025	DANE national age-sex projection

Age-sex analysis

The 0-14 population totals 11,746,420, or 22.1% of the 2025 national population.
The working-age group 15-64 totals 35,806,629, or 67.5%.
The 65+ group totals 5,504,163, or 10.4%.
Sex ratio shifts by age: 105.1 men per 100 women at ages 0-4, 96.1 for total population, and 77.8 for ages 65+.
Older age groups are female-heavy in the 2025 DANE age-sex projection; the 90-94 group has 60.6 men per 100 women.

Population Projection Scenario

Projected population, 2025-2070

DANE national projection path based on the 2018 census projection base.

Hover or click the chart to inspect values.

Source: DANE national population projection and demographic-change component datasets.

Search table

Year	Projected population	Growth rate	Net migration	Fertility rate	Life expectancy	Scenario	Source
2025	53,057,212	0.84%	+13,225	1.65	76.6	DANE 2018 Census-based projection	DANE national projection and demographic-change datasets
2030	54,518,223	0.46%	-9,011	1.51	77.4	DANE 2018 Census-based projection	DANE national projection and demographic-change datasets
2040	55,967,762	0.11%	-4,279	1.33	78.9	DANE 2018 Census-based projection	DANE national projection and demographic-change datasets
2050	55,653,490	-0.19%	-486	1.24	80.1	DANE 2018 Census-based projection	DANE national projection and demographic-change datasets
2060	53,806,118	-0.46%	+1,081	1.21	81.2	DANE 2018 Census-based projection	DANE national projection and demographic-change datasets
2070	50,592,097	-0.75%	+1,389	1.20	82.0	DANE 2018 Census-based projection	DANE national projection and demographic-change datasets

Projection analysis

DANE’s projection path rises to 55,967,762 in 2040, then declines to 50,592,097 by 2070.
The growth rate in the projection table turns negative by 2050 at -0.19%.
Projection values are scenario-based estimates, not guaranteed future counts.

Demographic Overview

Population direction

The official DANE series still grows in 2025, but the projection path slows and later turns downward after the 2040s.

Fertility pattern

Registered fertility is already far below 2.1 births per woman in the 2025pr DANE release, while the projection-series fertility assumption is also below replacement level.

Migration balance

DANE modeled net international migration remains positive in 2025, but it is much smaller than the high balances estimated for 2018 and 2019.

Urban profile

Cabecera areas account for about three quarters of the 2025 population in DANE’s area classification.

Age-sex balance

The total sex ratio is near balance, but older age groups have more women than men in the 2025 age-sex projection.

Source caution

Registered vital-statistics fertility and projection-series fertility are separate measures and should not be treated as the same indicator.

Data Sources and Methodology

Search table

Source	Year or release	Used for
DANE National Population Projections and Retroprojections	Updated July 2025	Population totals, cabecera and rural dispersed split, single-year age-sex counts, broad age groups, sex ratio, projection path
DANE Demographic Change Component Datasets	Updated July 2025	Growth rate, births and deaths estimates, life expectancy, projection fertility and net international migration series
DANE Vital Statistics EEVV	2025pr release, March 2026	Registered births, registered non-fetal deaths, provisional total fertility rate and general fertility rate series
World Bank WDI land area series	2023 land area	Land area used to calculate population density from DANE population

Search table

Indicator	Definition	Unit	Source note
Population	DANE national population count for Total Nacional. Values through 2017 are retroprojections; later values are projections based on the 2018 census base.	People	Do not compare directly with resident-register series from other source systems without checking definition.
Cabecera	DANE area category for municipal seats. It is used here as the area-based urban profile, not as a World Bank urban indicator.	People or percent	Urban definitions differ across datasets.
Annual growth	DANE exponential population growth rate multiplied by 100 for the projection series.	Percent	For 1950-2017 historical rows, the table uses change derived from the DANE population series.
Registered fertility	Vital-statistics fertility measure based on registered events and the provisional 2025 release.	Births per woman or births per 1,000 women	Registration-based values can differ from projection-series fertility assumptions.
Net international migration	DANE modeled balance of international migration by year.	People or rate per 1,000	Internal migration is a separate measure and is not added to the national international balance.
Sex ratio	Male population divided by female population, multiplied by 100.	Men per 100 women	Age-specific sex ratios use the 2025 single-year age-sex projection.
Population density	Population divided by World Bank land area for Colombia.	People per sq km	Density is calculated here; it is not a directly published DANE indicator in the table.

Method note

DANE is the primary source for Colombia-specific population, age-sex, migration, fertility projection and life expectancy values on this page.
Vital-statistics fertility values use registered events and provisional release status where DANE labels them as provisional.
Density is derived from DANE 2025 population and World Bank 2023 land area, so it is shown as a calculated value.
Values are rounded for display; table sort values keep unrounded or numeric ordering where possible.

Methodological Safety Note

Methodological Safety Note: Colombia’s DANE population counts in this profile combine 1950-2017 retroprojections with 2018-2070 projection-series values based on the 2018 census base. Registered births, deaths and fertility from Vital Statistics are not the same as projection assumptions. Cabecera share is based on DANE area categories and should not be read as a universal urban definition. Migration values refer to net international migration, not internal moves. Population projections are scenario-based estimates; they are not observed future counts.

FAQ

What is Colombia’s population in the DANE 2025 series?

DANE’s national projection gives 53,057,212 people for 2025.

Is Colombia’s fertility below replacement level?

Yes. DANE’s 2025pr Vital Statistics release reports a registered total fertility rate of 1.0 births per woman, below the broad replacement-level benchmark of 2.1.

What share of Colombia’s population lives in cabecera areas?

DANE’s area projection gives a 2025 cabecera share of 75.9%. This is a Colombian area category and may differ from international urban definitions.

Does the projection show population decline?

The DANE projection path shown here rises through the 2030s and later declines, reaching 50,592,097 by 2070.