Cartagena: population and official figures

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Cartagena: DANE estimates the value added produced in Cartagena at COP 35.58 trillion in 2024 (provisional, current prices), 5th largest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, 2.29% of the national total of COP 1550.97 trillion.
• Health in Cartagena: ADRES's affiliate register showed 1,250,865 people actively affiliated to the health system in Cartagena in October 2026 (539,822 contributory and 711,043 subsidised), equal to 123.7% of DANE's projected population, 6th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site (the register counts people by municipality of affiliation, which can differ from where they live).
• Education in Cartagena: The Ministry of Education counted 199,072 children aged 5 to 16 in Cartagena in 2024, of whom 109.0% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 3rd highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 107.5% in 2019.
• Poverty and living standards in Cartagena: DANE's census-based measure put the multidimensional poverty rate in Cartagena at 19.9% in 2018, 33rd highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; across all Colombian municipalities, weighted by population, the rate was 26.1%.
• Government budget and revenue in Cartagena: The Cartagena municipal government reported total revenue of COP 4.66 trillion for 2025 to the Comptroller General's CUIPO system, 5th largest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; that was up 11.4% on 2024 (COP 4.18 trillion) and up 28.6% on 2023.

Notes from the UN table: Data are revised projections taking into consideration also the results of the 2018 census. Data are revised projections taking into consideration also the results of the 2018 census. Data are revised projections taking into consideration also the results of the 2018 census. Surface area includes interior waters.

The UN marks this figure as an estimate of lower reliability.

Who runs Cartagena?

In Colombia, cities and towns are run by municipalities and districts: Mayor (alcalde) and municipal council (concejo) directly elected for four years. Local services, planning, schools and health within national rules.

How local power works in Colombia

Cities of a similar size in Colombia

• Bogotá, D.C. 7,945,996
• Medellín 2,526,795
• Cali 2,269,983
• Barranquilla 1,275,854
• Soacha 895,878
• Cúcuta 792,180
• Soledad 733,597
• Valledupar 629,217
• Bucaramanga 618,548
• Bello 609,168
• Santa Marta 588,662
• Villavicencio 588,645
• Montería 585,029
• Ibagué 557,317
• Pereira 487,820
• Manizales 475,690

Up a level: all cities in Colombia · Colombia · government and power

Sources

• Administradora de los Recursos del Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud (ADRES): Base de Datos Única de Afiliados (BDUA), contributory regime: affiliates by municipality, October 2026 (datos.gov.co aggregate query; saved as bdua-contributivo.request.txt), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8a3f30af6e50…)
• Administradora de los Recursos del Sistema General de Seguridad Social en Salud (ADRES): Base de Datos Única de Afiliados (BDUA), subsidised regime: affiliates by municipality, October 2026 (datos.gov.co aggregate query; saved as bdua-subsidiado.request.txt), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 04b3a3bd7839…)
• Contraloría General de la República: OVCF - CUIPO - Ejecución de ingresos: year-end cumulative revenue collected by each municipal government, 2023-2025 (datos.gov.co aggregate query; saved as cuipo.request.txt), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7255e8150122…)
• Ministerio de Defensa Nacional (Policía Nacional): HOMICIDIO: victims of homicide by municipality, year and sex, 2015-2025 (datos.gov.co aggregate query; saved as homicidio.request.txt), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7d12dcde8b9b…)
• Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE): Medida de pobreza multidimensional municipal de fuente censal 2018: municipal incidence (urban and rural) and household deprivations by indicator, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a3ac3a60498a…)
• Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MinEducación): MEN estadísticas en educación en preescolar, básica y media por municipio, 2011-2024: net and gross coverage, dropout, approval, failure and repetition rates (datos.gov.co API response for the 74 municipalities; query saved as men-municipal-2011-2024.request.txt), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8de3c5ca5744…)
• Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE): Proyecciones de población municipal por área, 2018-2042 (based on the 2018 census, updated 30 July 2025), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ea83594ad30…)
• Instituto Colombiano para la Evaluación de la Educación (ICFES): Resultados únicos Saber 11: average scores by municipality of the school and school type, 2019-4 and 2022-4 sittings (datos.gov.co aggregate query; saved as saber11.request.txt), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6b32c41e9323…)
• Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE): Valor agregado por municipio, base 2015, serie 2011-2024 provisional (current prices, thousands of millions of pesos; updated 3 July 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 083bb4b8501d…)

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