Largest cities in Ecuador by population
The 22 cities the United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2024 lists for Ecuador: the capital and every city of 100,000 or more, with the latest figure the country reported. The largest is Guayaquil with 2,908,589 people; the capital, Quito, has 2,804,269.
Who runs cities in Ecuador?
Cantons / municipalities (221, including Quito Metropolitan District): Mayor (alcalde) and council directly elected. Urban planning, water, sanitation, waste, local transport.
How local power works in Ecuador · Level 3: local councils worldwide
| # | City | Population | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guayaquil | 2,908,589 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 2 | Quito (capital) | 2,804,269 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 3 | Cuenca | 612,574 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 4 | Santo Domingo de los Colorados | 458,208 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 5 | Ambato | 377,384 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 6 | Portoviejo | 336,546 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 7 | Durán | 316,551 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 8 | Machala | 316,124 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 9 | Manta | 281,123 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 10 | Riobamba | 271,039 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 11 | Loja | 254,463 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 12 | Calderón | 250,877 | 30 November 2022 |
| 13 | Esmeraldas | 229,442 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 14 | Daule | 225,776 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 15 | San Miguel de Ibarra | 223,545 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 16 | Latacunga | 221,033 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 17 | Quevedo | 219,549 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 18 | Milagro | 211,848 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 19 | Babahoyo | 188,759 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 20 | Conocoto | 127,815 | 30 November 2022 |
| 21 | La Libertad | 117,819 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
| 22 | Rumiñahui | 111,420 | 2022 (INEC census-based estimate, canton) |
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 Ecuador: 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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