Cartago: population and official figures

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Cartago: DANE estimates the value added produced in Cartago at COP 4.05 trillion in 2024 (provisional, current prices), 30th smallest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, 0.26% of the national total of COP 1550.97 trillion.
• Health in Cartago: ADRES's affiliate register showed 140,232 people actively affiliated to the health system in Cartago in October 2026 (70,211 contributory and 70,021 subsidised), equal to 97.2% of DANE's projected population, 35th 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 Cartago: The Ministry of Education counted 24,386 children aged 5 to 16 in Cartago in 2024, of whom 69.6% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 4th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 78.4% in 2019.
• Poverty and living standards in Cartago: DANE's census-based measure put the multidimensional poverty rate in Cartago at 16.6% in 2018, 37th lowest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; across all Colombian municipalities, weighted by population, the rate was 26.1%.
• Government budget and revenue in Cartago: The Cartago municipal government reported total revenue of COP 407.9 billion for 2025 to the Comptroller General's CUIPO system, 22nd smallest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; that was up 13.6% on 2024 (COP 359.1 billion) and up 24.9% on 2023.

Who runs Cartago?

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

• Florencia 188,620
• Mosquera 185,735
• Chía 177,550
• Girón 177,523
• Zipaquirá 169,869
• Facatativá 168,471
• Fusagasugá 162,844
• Rionegro 156,303
• Malambo 153,223
• Magangué 152,489
• Madrid 146,635
• Pitalito 145,949
• Quibdo 143,332
• Ocaña 139,932
• Ciénaga 139,759
• Sogamoso 138,796

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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