Largest cities in Bolivia by population
The 10 cities the United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2024 lists for Bolivia: the capital and every city of 100,000 or more, with the latest figure the country reported. The largest is Santa Cruz with 1,610,982 people; the capital, La Paz, has 757,431.
Who runs cities in Bolivia?
Municipalities (about 337) and AIOCs (Indigenous autonomies): Mayor and municipal council directly elected in separate ballots for five years; AIOC authorities chosen by the community's own rules under its statute. Local services, school buildings, health posts, local roads; AIOCs hold municipal-level powers plus Indigenous self-government.
How local power works in Bolivia · Level 3: local councils worldwide
| # | City | Population | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz | 1,610,982 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
| 2 | El Alto | 885,825 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
| 3 | La Paz (capital) | 757,431 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
| 4 | Cochabamba | 665,505 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
| 5 | Oruro | 298,350 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
| 6 | Sucre (capital) | 296,746 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
| 7 | Tarija | 238,749 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
| 8 | Sacaba | 219,092 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
| 9 | Potosí | 218,702 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
| 10 | Yacuiba | 97,634 | 2024 (INE census, municipality) |
Countries define a city in different ways (the city proper, or the wider urban area) and report in different years, so cities in different countries are not always comparable.
More on Bolivia: official statistics · government and power · regions
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, Table 8: Population of capital cities and cities of 100 000 or more inhabitants, latest available year, 2005-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c6784df022e…)
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