Riohacha: population and official figures

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Riohacha: DANE estimates the value added produced in Riohacha at COP 3.94 trillion in 2024 (provisional, current prices), 28th smallest of 74 Colombian cities on this site, 0.25% of the national total of COP 1550.97 trillion.
• Health in Riohacha: ADRES's affiliate register showed 311,047 people actively affiliated to the health system in Riohacha in October 2026 (64,064 contributory and 246,983 subsidised), equal to 146.9% of DANE's projected population, the 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 Riohacha: The Ministry of Education counted 55,850 children aged 5 to 16 in Riohacha in 2024, of whom 108.5% were enrolled in school (net coverage), 6th highest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; the rate was 109.7% in 2019.
• Poverty and living standards in Riohacha: DANE's census-based measure put the multidimensional poverty rate in Riohacha at 45.1% in 2018, 6th 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 Riohacha: The Riohacha municipal government reported total revenue of COP 832.4 billion for 2025 to the Comptroller General's CUIPO system, 30th largest of 74 Colombian cities on this site; that was up 11.1% on 2024 (COP 749.4 billion) and up 26.0% on 2023.

Who runs Riohacha?

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

• Popayán 355,347
• Buenaventura 335,217
• Sincelejo 331,045
• Floridablanca 315,194
• Armenia 307,103
• Itagüí 306,397
• San Andrés de Tumaco 277,065
• Envigado 268,381
• Dosquebradas 246,388
• Barrancabermeja 230,559
• Tuluá 225,868
• Maicao 218,184
• Uribia 208,712
• Yopal 198,423
• Jamundí 196,875
• Piedecuesta 192,888

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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