Morona Santiago: population, jobs, poverty, health, schools and the economy

Morona Santiago is a province of Ecuador, number 16 of 25 by population. INEC projects that Morona Santiago has 213,457 people in mid-2026, 1.2% of Ecuador's 18.24 million; 9th smallest of the 24 provinces. The projection is based on the 2022 census.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Morona Santiago: The unemployment rate in Morona Santiago was 0.1% in 2025, below the national rate of 3.6%; the lowest of the 24 provinces. In 2019 it was 1.3%.
• Health in Morona Santiago: Life expectancy at birth in Morona Santiago is projected at 77.0 years in 2026 (both sexes), 12th highest of the 24 provinces; in 2010 it was 73.4 years. The national figure is 77.9 years (population-weighted average of the provinces).
• Education in Morona Santiago: People aged 24 and over in Morona Santiago had 9.2 years of schooling on average in 2025, against 10.4 nationally; 4th lowest of the 24 provinces. In 2018 the average was 9.1 years.
• Poverty and living standards in Morona Santiago: 74.2% of people in Morona Santiago lived in income poverty in 2025, above the national rate of 21.8%; the highest of the 23 provinces. In 2018 the rate was 61.2%.

How provinces are governed in Ecuador

Provinces (24). Prefect (prefecto) directly elected; provincial council made up of the prefect, the mayors of the province and representatives of rural parish heads. Rural roads, irrigation, provincial planning, environmental management.

Every tier of government in Ecuador

Other provinces of Ecuador

• Guayas 4,835,479
• Pichincha 3,316,636
• Manabi 1,731,039
• Los Rios 988,852
• Azuay 839,268
• El Oro 757,938
• Esmeraldas 609,590
• Tungurahua 584,638
• Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas 533,522
• Imbabura 502,275
• Loja 499,729
• Cotopaxi 497,544
• Chimborazo 486,213
• Santa Elena 410,498
• Canar 237,517
• Bolivar 204,620
• Sucumbios 203,164
• Orellana 199,171
• Carchi 176,748
• Napo 142,465
• Pastaza 122,784
• Zamora Chinchipe 120,221
• Zona No Delimitada 38,000
• Galapagos 30,448

Up a level: Ecuador · government and power in Ecuador · cities

Sources

• Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC): Registro Estadístico de Defunciones Generales 2024: tabulados y series (mortality by province of residence, 2008-2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7cab0c22d7cd…)
• Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC): ENEMDU Anual 2025 (Encuesta Nacional de Empleo, Desempleo y Subempleo): tabulados de mercado laboral, educación, vivienda, pobreza y desigualdad por provincia, 2018-2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f969666762d3…)
• Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC): Registro Estadístico de Nacidos Vivos y Defunciones Fetales 2024: tabulados y series históricas (births by province of residence), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa2d677df1e0…)
• Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC): Estimaciones y Proyecciones de Población, revisión 2024 (Censo 2022 base): provincial tables by age and demographic indicators, 1990-2035, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 54951201c6d7…)
• Banco Central del Ecuador: Valor Agregado Bruto per cápita provincial y cantonal 2018-2024(p), Cuentas Nacionales Regionales, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7cc7b914bc8b…)
• Banco Central del Ecuador: Cuentas Provinciales 2024(p): valor agregado bruto por industria, valores corrientes, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bfee6bc272cc…)

Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.