Colombian Demographics

Map of Colombia showing its departments by population by 2020 according to DANE estimates.

Colombia is the twenty-eighth most inhabited country in the world with more than 52 million inhabitants The population of Colombia is concentrated in the Andean Region, where the demographic nuclei of the Bogotá savannah can be seen, made up of Bogotá and Soacha, from the Aburrá Valley, which includes Medellín, Bello and Itagüí, and from the Cauca Valley, made up of Cali and Palmira; the Atlantic Coast, whose main population centers are Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta; the demographic centers of Bucaramanga and Cúcuta in the Santanderes area, the Coffee Axis, and the departments of Huila, Tolima and Nariño.

During the 20th century, the Colombian population went from having 4 million inhabitants in 1900 to more than 40.6 million in the year 2000, this due to the demographic transition in developing countries between 1950 and 1990, with rates of very high birth rates and little demographic control. Bogotá is the most populated city with 9 million inhabitants, its metropolitan area agglomerates about 11 million people, placing it among the 30 most populous urban agglomerations in the world. It is expected that by 2050 the population of Colombia will exceed 66 million inhabitants and Bogotá will exceed 16.5 million, although by 2100 its population will continue to be high, reaching 71 million.«Colombia: Population history». Statoids. Accessed December 15, 2015.

In terms of its demography, Colombia is characterized by being the second most populous country in Latin America and the twenty-eighth most populous in the world. It has experienced rapid population growth like many countries in the region, with a slight decline in recent decades. It is estimated that more than 7 million Colombians live outside the country for various reasons. However, thanks to economic improvements since the 2000s, living standards have improved in urban centers.^{[citation needed]}

Annual Statistics

Population by department

Metropolitan areas of the country

In Colombia some 6 metropolitan areas have been configured and/or recognized, in most cases these agglomerations concentrate 70% to 90% of the total population of the respective department.

These are the 12 largest urban agglomerations in the country, it should be noted that Bogotá is among the 30 most populated metropolitan areas on the planet:

Ethnography

The first settlements in the current territory of Colombia correspond to different American indigenous groups and date from at least 12,000 years before the present. Since the first Spanish settlements in 1509, an important group of Europeans, mainly Spanish and French, came to colonize and settle in the territory of present-day Colombia. The first European explorations and settlements were made up mainly of men, which favored miscegenation. Later on and from the establishment of colonial institutions, the migration of entire families would be facilitated and promoted.

With the Bourbons in power in Spain, migration to Spanish America was partly released, which allowed a greater entry of Basques, Catalans, French, Germans and other non-Castilian Europeans. Additionally, the Europeans introduced (through forced migration) different ethnic groups from Africa which constituted the slave labor for various economic activities (generally exploitation for commercial purposes, land and mines). The islands of San Andrés and Providencia were controlled for a large part of the colony by the British and the Dutch and were populated by African ethnic groups, today known as Afro-Antilleans, who came from Jamaica and other British dependencies, to which other European immigrants joined. and arabs.

During the Republican era, Colombia did not have the large immigration rates of other South American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay or Venezuela. Even so, different groups from Germany, Italy, France, England, Russia, Poland and other European countries or the Antilles migrated to Colombia. The largest group was, however, that of Arabs (approx. 2.5 million descendants) (mainly Catholics) from present-day Syria and Lebanon, then under the power of the Ottoman Empire.

Most of these migrations were concentrated in the Colombian Caribbean Region, mainly in Barranquilla as the main port of entry, although it is estimated that a quarter of these migrations also settled in the departments of Antioquia and Santander.

Ethnic groups

The 2005 general population census identified 10.6% of the population as Afro-Colombian, 3.4% as indigenous, and 86% without ethnic origin.

The 2005 national census registered 1,378,884 indigenous people, 3.4% of the registered population, distributed among 80 ethnic groups, of which the most numerous are the Wayúu, the Zenú, the Pastos, the Nasa and the Emberá, who live in all departments, but those with the largest native population are, in order, La Guajira, Cauca, Nariño, Córdoba and Sucre, and those with the highest percentage of indigenous population are Vaupés (66%), Guainía (65%), Guajira (45%), Vichada (44%), Amazonas (43%), Cauca (22%) and Putumayo (18%).

The same 2005 Census recorded 4,261,996 Afro-Colombians, representing 10.6% of the total population registered, the departments with the highest percentage of Afro-Colombian population being Chocó (83%), San Andrés and Providencia (57%), Bolívar (28%), Valle del Cauca and Cauca (22%).

4,832 Roma (gypsies) were also registered in the census, mainly in Atlántico, Bolívar, Valle, Bogotá and Santander.

Migration

Immigration

Population of Venezuelans residing in Colombia in 2005.

Immigration in Colombia during the 19th and 20th centuries was not as strong as in other countries of the continent. This situation was due to two main factors: firstly, the policies inherited from the time of the Spanish colony with laws that always discouraged the entry of foreigners into the territory, firstly from the Viceroyalty of New Granada. The second factor is the social, political and economic instability of the country after its independence from the Spanish Empire due to constant internal conflicts, civil wars, dictatorships and coups d'état. These facts made the attractiveness of the country not of great attention to immigrant groups. Even so, groups and communities from Europe and the Middle East entered the country and had a profound impact on economic, social and cultural development in certain areas of the Colombian national territory. Immigrants entered through the port of Barranquilla, considerably increasing the city's population and making it one of the most cosmopolitan, developed and urbanized cities in Colombia.

Among the most numerous and important migratory flows, Arab immigration stands out, coming from countries like Lebanon and Syria, of different religions (mainly Christians), who settled in northern areas, such as Maicao. Jewish immigrants also arrived in Colombia, mainly from Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine. European immigration should also be mentioned, mainly Spanish, followed by groups of Germans, British, French, Italians and other European countries; and finally, the little immigration of Asians. The arrival of political immigrants from other Latin American countries in times when there were dictatorships or political repressions in their countries, such as Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile and other countries, was also presented (although quantitatively reduced). of the Caribbean.

Given the situation of political and economic instability in the neighboring country, Colombia is experiencing an unprecedented phenomenon of immigration. As of March 31, 2019, it is estimated that at least 1'260,594 Venezuelans live in Colombia, of which 770,975 are migrants with legal status in the country, while the remaining 489,619 entered irregularly or have exceeded its residence time.

Emigration

Colombian emigration
N.o	Country	Hab.
1	United States	2 643 734
2	Venezuela	1 328 591
3	Spain	623 296
4	Ecuador	277 549
5	Canada	234 145
6	Chile	170 548
7	United Kingdom	147 331
8	France	125 548
9	Argentina	123 876
10	Panama	113 521
11	Mexico	107 922
12	Brazil	91 285
13	Italy	70 571
14	Costa Rica	63 553
15	Australia	63 002
16	Peru	50 127
17	Germany	45 117
18	Switzerland	42 438
19	Belgium	31 596
20	Rest of the World	529 616

The Medellín market is one of the meeting points of Colombians residing in Mexico City.

The emigration of Colombians has been derived from the difficult economic situation, the deterioration of the quality of life and the intensification of the internal conflict towards the end of the 20th century, leading them to seek a better quality of life or security in the face of persecution or unemployment. Colombian authorities state that this movement reached its highest level in the year 2000.

The main emigration destinations in the Americas are: the United States, which has been the main recipient since the 1960s, the country with the largest number of Colombian residents and where Colombians constitute one of the majority immigrant groups; Venezuela, which had an important reception during the 1970s until the internal Venezuelan problems began, making Colombia an important recipient of people from Venezuela. In addition to Costa Rica, which thanks to its geographical proximity and cultural affinity, Colombians are quickly assimilated, currently representing the second largest immigrant community in the Central American country (where almost 10% of the total population is immigrant). To a lesser extent, Colombians emigrate to Ecuador, Panama, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

In Europe, Spain has the largest Colombian community on the continent and is followed in importance by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. The preferred destinations for Colombian emigrants today are concentrated between North America and Europe Australia being a new destination that is increasingly arousing interest in this group.

Evolution of the population

Evolution of the Colombian population From conquest to present according to respective censuses and future projections

Source: Statoids. National censuses.

Pre-Columbian times

Estimated population in 1535 of the current Colombian territory:

• Bassist estimate: 850,000 (Angel Rosenblat, 1954).
  • Chibcha Group: 500,000
    • Muiscas: 300,000
• Moderate estimate: 3,000.000 (Germán Colmenares, 1973).
  • Magdalena River Valley: 1.500.000
    • Muiscas: 800,000-1,200,000
  • Valle del Cauca: 600.000-1,000.000
  • Tayronas: 1,000,000
• Alcist estimate: 5,000-6,000.000 (Gabriel Giraldo Jaramillo, 1957).
  • Muiscas: 2,000,000

Colonial period

• In 1560 there would still be up to 1,260.000-1,500,000 indigenous, 6,000-8,000 whites and 5,000-7,000 blacks, mulattoes and mestizos.
• In 1570 there would be 750,000-800,000 indigenous people in New Granada (170,000 in Santa Maria and Cartagena; 125,000 in Tunja). Whites and mixed-ups were 20,000 and 15,000 slaves.
• In 1650 there were 600,000 indigenous people, 150,000 white-mestizos, 60,000 blacks, 20,000 mulattos and 20,000 zambos.
• In 1761, 702,661 inhabitants (about 350,000 white and mixed).
• In 1772 there were 738,523 inhabitants (129,279 white, 353,435 mixed, 143,800 Indians and 51,999 blacks).
• In 1778 there were 827,550 souls (278,068 white, 136,753 Indians and 368,093 mixed, black and other castes).

19th century

Colombian population growth in the 19th century:

20th and 21st centuries

Colombian censuses during the 20th and 21st centuries:

• In 1905 the census counted 4 533 777 inhabitants.
• In 1912 the census counted 5,472,604 inhabitants.
• In 1918 the census counted 5 855 077 inhabitants.
• In 1928 the census counted 7 851 110 inhabitants.
• In 1938 the census counted 8 697 041 inhabitants.
• In 1951 the census counted 11 548 172 inhabitants.
• In 1964 the census counted 17 484 510 inhabitants.
• In 1973 the census counted 20 666 920 inhabitants.
• In 1985 the census counted 27 853 432 inhabitants.
• In 1993, the census numbered 33 109 839 inhabitants.
• In 2005, the census had 41 468 384 inhabitants.

In May 2011, Colombia reached 46,000,000 inhabitants according to the DANE population clock. It is believed that by the middle of the century the country will suffer an aging process due to the drop in the birth rate and the increase in life expectancy. The following table shows the future increase in the elderly population and the reduction in the population under 15 years of age.

Language

The official language is Spanish or Castilian. Within the Spanish used in Colombia we find different accents such as Santander, Antioqueño, Valluno, Rolo, Costeño, Pastuso, Opita, among others.

The indigenous languages of Colombia, Palenquero Criollo and Sanandresano from the San Andrés and Providencia roots, are also official in their territories. More than sixty aboriginal languages are spoken, such as Wayuunaiki, Nasa Yuwe, Emberá, Guambiano and Ticuna.

Religion

Although close to 60% of the population is Catholic (a situation favored by the Concordat of 1973), the Political Constitution of 1991 establishes freedom and equality of worship. Minorities are Protestant (23%), grouped in a multitude of independent congregations.

Religions:

• Christianity in Colombia
  • Catholic Church in Colombia
  • Protestantism in Colombia
• Judaism in Colombia
• Islam in Colombia
• Buddhism in Colombia
• Hinduism in Colombia

Vital Statistics

UN Estimates

Official vital statistics since 1900

Population by Age

Age of all the inhabitants of Colombia as of December 31, 2020:

Total fertility rate by department

Statistics

Population: 43,593,035 (July 2006 est.) 64.5% (men 13,689,384/women 14,416,439)

• 65 years or older: 5.2% (men 996.022/women 1,279.548) (2006 est.)

Median age:

• Total: 26.3 years
• Men: 25.4 years
• Women: 27.4 years (2006 years).

With the 2005 Population Census, a birth rate of 21.66% and a mortality rate of 5.95% were calculated, leaving a natural growth rate of 15.71% (1.1571). However, the country only grew 12.53% annually since the migration rate was -3.18%. For 2005 the fertility rate was 2.22 children per woman and life expectancy was 72.56 years.

DANE projected that for 2010 the birth rate would be 19.86% and the mortality rate would be 5.82%, leaving a natural growth rate of 14.04% (1.1404), although the country it would grow 1.178% annually because the migration rate would be -2.26%. For 2010, a fertility rate of 2.10 children per woman and a life expectancy of 74 years are calculated.

Sexuality

• Sexual Diversity in Colombia