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Largest cities in Colombia, 1975 to 2050

Bogotá leads Colombia with 10.62 million people in 2025, ahead of Medellín at 3.35 million in the UN city ranking.

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What the data shows

  • In 2025, Bogotá ranks #1 with 10.62M, ahead of Medellín (3.35M) and Cali (2.70M).
  • By 2050, on the UN's projections, Bogotá is projected to rank #1 with 12.48M, ahead of Medellín (3.33M) and Cali (2.76M).
  • Bogotá holds #1 for the whole period, 1975 to 2025.
  • Biggest climber: Valledupar, from #12 in 1975 to #8 in 2050.
  • Bogotá grew 3.1× between 1975 and 2025.

About this chart

Bogotá stands well above the other cities in Colombia: its 10.62 million people in 2025 are about 3.17 times the 3.35 million in second-place Medellín. Bogotá also led the 1975 ranking, when the UN series put it at 3.39 million. Cali occupies third place in 2025 at 2.70 million. These are populations of urban areas defined consistently by the UN, rather than administrative city limits.

The UN projects Bogotá to lead in 2050 at 12.48 million people. The figures after 2025 are projections. The Degree of Urbanization identifies contiguous dense settlements, so these totals can differ from municipal and metropolitan statistics. The historical ranking is useful for comparing positions; changing settlement boundaries mean it should not be treated as a measure of growth within fixed city limits.

The data

Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 5, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts. Blank cells indicate that the source supplies no city value for that year, not zero population.

Largest cities in Colombia, Population in millions, 1975–2050; projected after 2025, 1975–2050
Date🇨🇴 Bogotá🇨🇴 Medellín🇨🇴 Cali🇨🇴 Barranquilla🇨🇴 Bucaramanga🇨🇴 Cartagena🇨🇴 San Antero🇨🇴 Cúcuta🇨🇴 Manizales🇨🇴 Pereira🇨🇴 Ibagué🇨🇴 Valledupar🇨🇴 Villavicencio
19753.39M1.92M1.15M0.85M0.39M0.37M0.33M0.24M0.24M0.23M0.22M0.12M0.10M
19763.48M1.95M1.18M0.87M0.39M0.39M0.31M0.26M0.24M0.24M0.22M0.12M0.10M
19773.57M1.99M1.21M0.90M0.40M0.40M0.29M0.27M0.25M0.24M0.23M0.12M0.11M
19783.66M2.02M1.24M0.92M0.41M0.41M0.27M0.28M0.26M0.25M0.23M0.13M0.11M
19793.75M2.05M1.27M0.94M0.42M0.43M0.24M0.29M0.26M0.26M0.23M0.13M0.11M
19803.84M2.09M1.29M0.97M0.43M0.44M0.22M0.31M0.27M0.26M0.24M0.13M0.12M
19813.95M2.12M1.33M1.00M0.44M0.45M0.21M0.32M0.28M0.27M0.24M0.14M0.12M
19824.05M2.16M1.36M1.02M0.45M0.47M0.19M0.33M0.28M0.28M0.25M0.14M0.13M
19834.15M2.19M1.39M1.05M0.46M0.48M0.17M0.35M0.29M0.29M0.25M0.14M0.13M
19844.26M2.22M1.42M1.08M0.47M0.50M0.15M0.36M0.30M0.29M0.26M0.15M0.14M
19854.36M2.26M1.45M1.10M0.48M0.51M0.13M0.38M0.31M0.30M0.26M0.15M0.14M
19864.47M2.28M1.49M1.13M0.50M0.53M0.12M0.39M0.31M0.31M0.27M0.16M0.14M
19874.59M2.30M1.52M1.16M0.51M0.54M0.11M0.40M0.32M0.33M0.28M0.17M0.15M
19884.70M2.32M1.56M1.19M0.52M0.55M0.10M0.41M0.32M0.34M0.28M0.17M0.15M
19894.81M2.34M1.59M1.21M0.54M0.56M0.09M0.42M0.32M0.35M0.29M0.18M0.15M
19904.92M2.36M1.63M1.24M0.55M0.57M0.08M0.43M0.33M0.37M0.30M0.19M0.16M
19915.05M2.38M1.66M1.27M0.57M0.58M0.45M0.33M0.38M0.30M0.20M0.16M
19925.19M2.41M1.70M1.29M0.58M0.60M0.47M0.33M0.40M0.31M0.20M0.16M
19935.32M2.44M1.73M1.32M0.59M0.61M0.49M0.34M0.41M0.32M0.21M0.17M
19945.45M2.47M1.77M1.34M0.60M0.62M0.52M0.34M0.43M0.33M0.22M0.17M
19955.58M2.50M1.80M1.36M0.62M0.64M0.54M0.35M0.45M0.34M0.23M0.18M
19965.73M2.56M1.84M1.39M0.63M0.65M0.55M0.35M0.46M0.34M0.24M0.18M
19975.88M2.61M1.87M1.42M0.64M0.67M0.56M0.35M0.46M0.35M0.24M0.19M
19986.04M2.67M1.90M1.44M0.65M0.68M0.56M0.36M0.47M0.36M0.25M0.20M
19996.19M2.73M1.93M1.47M0.66M0.69M0.57M0.36M0.48M0.37M0.26M0.20M
20006.34M2.78M1.96M1.49M0.67M0.71M0.58M0.37M0.49M0.38M0.27M0.21M
20016.50M2.83M1.99M1.52M0.68M0.73M0.60M0.37M0.50M0.39M0.28M0.22M
20026.65M2.88M2.02M1.55M0.69M0.75M0.62M0.37M0.50M0.40M0.29M0.23M
20036.81M2.94M2.06M1.57M0.70M0.77M0.64M0.38M0.51M0.41M0.29M0.24M
20046.97M2.99M2.09M1.60M0.71M0.79M0.65M0.38M0.52M0.42M0.30M0.25M
20057.13M3.04M2.12M1.63M0.72M0.82M0.67M0.38M0.53M0.43M0.31M0.26M
20067.30M3.06M2.15M1.66M0.73M0.82M0.68M0.39M0.53M0.43M0.32M0.27M
20077.47M3.08M2.19M1.69M0.74M0.83M0.69M0.39M0.53M0.44M0.34M0.28M
20087.64M3.10M2.22M1.72M0.75M0.84M0.70M0.40M0.54M0.44M0.35M0.29M
20097.82M3.12M2.26M1.75M0.76M0.85M0.71M0.40M0.54M0.44M0.36M0.30M
20107.99M3.14M2.29M1.78M0.77M0.86M0.72M0.41M0.55M0.45M0.38M0.30M
20118.18M3.16M2.32M1.81M0.78M0.86M0.73M0.41M0.55M0.45M0.39M0.31M
20128.37M3.17M2.36M1.84M0.79M0.87M0.74M0.41M0.55M0.45M0.41M0.31M
20138.56M3.19M2.39M1.87M0.80M0.88M0.75M0.41M0.56M0.46M0.43M0.31M
20148.74M3.20M2.42M1.90M0.82M0.89M0.75M0.41M0.56M0.46M0.44M0.32M
20158.93M3.22M2.45M1.93M0.83M0.89M0.76M0.42M0.56M0.47M0.46M0.32M
20169.13M3.23M2.49M1.96M0.84M0.90M0.77M0.42M0.57M0.47M0.47M0.33M
20179.33M3.24M2.52M1.99M0.85M0.91M0.78M0.42M0.57M0.47M0.49M0.33M
20189.53M3.25M2.55M2.03M0.86M0.91M0.79M0.43M0.58M0.48M0.51M0.33M
20199.73M3.26M2.59M2.06M0.87M0.92M0.80M0.43M0.58M0.48M0.53M0.34M
20209.94M3.27M2.62M2.09M0.88M0.92M0.81M0.43M0.59M0.49M0.54M0.34M
202110.07M3.29M2.64M2.11M0.89M0.94M0.82M0.43M0.59M0.49M0.55M0.35M
202210.21M3.30M2.65M2.14M0.90M0.96M0.82M0.43M0.60M0.49M0.56M0.36M
202310.35M3.32M2.67M2.16M0.92M0.97M0.83M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.56M0.37M
202410.49M3.34M2.68M2.18M0.93M0.99M0.84M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.57M0.37M
202510.62M3.35M2.70M2.21M0.94M1.01M0.85M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.57M0.38M
202610.74M3.36M2.71M2.23M0.95M1.02M0.85M0.44M0.60M0.50M0.58M0.39M
202710.85M3.37M2.72M2.26M0.95M1.03M0.86M0.44M0.61M0.50M0.59M0.40M
202810.97M3.38M2.73M2.28M0.96M1.04M0.87M0.44M0.61M0.50M0.59M0.40M
202911.08M3.39M2.74M2.31M0.97M1.06M0.87M0.44M0.61M0.50M0.60M0.41M
203011.20M3.40M2.75M2.33M0.98M1.07M0.88M0.45M0.61M0.50M0.60M0.42M
203111.30M3.40M2.76M2.35M0.98M1.08M0.88M0.45M0.61M0.50M0.61M0.43M
203211.41M3.40M2.77M2.36M0.99M1.08M0.88M0.45M0.61M0.50M0.61M0.44M
203311.52M3.41M2.77M2.38M0.99M1.09M0.89M0.45M0.61M0.50M0.61M0.46M
203411.63M3.41M2.78M2.39M1.00M1.10M0.89M0.45M0.61M0.50M0.62M0.47M
203511.74M3.41M2.79M2.41M1.00M1.11M0.90M0.45M0.61M0.50M0.62M0.48M
203611.81M3.41M2.79M2.42M1.01M1.12M0.90M0.45M0.61M0.50M0.62M0.49M
203711.87M3.41M2.79M2.43M1.01M1.12M0.90M0.45M0.61M0.50M0.63M0.50M
203811.94M3.40M2.79M2.44M1.01M1.13M0.90M0.45M0.61M0.50M0.63M0.51M
203912.01M3.40M2.79M2.45M1.02M1.13M0.90M0.44M0.61M0.50M0.63M0.52M
204012.08M3.40M2.79M2.46M1.02M1.14M0.90M0.44M0.61M0.50M0.63M0.53M
204112.12M3.39M2.79M2.47M1.02M1.14M0.90M0.44M0.60M0.50M0.64M0.54M
204212.17M3.39M2.79M2.47M1.02M1.15M0.91M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.64M0.55M
204312.22M3.38M2.79M2.48M1.03M1.15M0.91M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.64M0.56M
204412.27M3.38M2.79M2.49M1.03M1.15M0.91M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.64M0.56M
204512.32M3.38M2.79M2.50M1.03M1.16M0.91M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.64M0.57M
204612.35M3.37M2.78M2.50M1.03M1.16M0.91M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.65M0.57M
204712.38M3.36M2.78M2.50M1.03M1.16M0.91M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.65M0.58M
204812.42M3.35M2.77M2.51M1.03M1.16M0.91M0.44M0.60M0.49M0.65M0.59M
204912.45M3.34M2.77M2.51M1.03M1.17M0.91M0.44M0.59M0.49M0.65M0.59M
205012.48M3.33M2.76M2.51M1.03M1.17M0.91M0.44M0.59M0.48M0.65M0.60M

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Colombia?

Bogotá is the largest city in Colombia in the UN 2025 series, with about 10.62 million people. Medellín follows at 3.35 million. These figures use the UN Degree of Urbanization definition, not municipal boundaries.

Which city is projected to be largest in Colombia in 2050?

The UN projects Bogotá to rank first in 2050, with about 12.48 million people. This is a projection, not an observed population count.

Was Bogotá also the largest city in 1975?

The 1975 ranking was led by Bogotá, with 3.39 million people. The table preserves every city that reached the top ten in any year shown, including cities outside the top ten today.

Where does this data come from?

UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 5, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts. Blank cells indicate that the source supplies no city value for that year, not zero population. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

Can I turn this chart into a video?

Yes. Open it in the editor, change the title, theme, colors or format (9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 16:9 for YouTube), and export an MP4. Free exports are 720p with a small watermark; Pro ($11.99/month) removes it and adds 1080p, 4K and 60 fps.

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