Largest Cities and Towns by Population in Bolivia

63 cities and towns in Bolivia with 10,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by population at the census of March 23, 2024 (by National Institute of Statistics, Bolivia).

RankCity or TownPopulation
1Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Santa Cruz)1,601,724
2El Alto885,210
3La Paz750,225
4Cochabamba665,482
5Oruro298,257
6Sucre275,959
7Tarija215,555
8Potosí198,397
9Sacaba191,850
10Quillacollo145,000
11La Guardia135,000
12Warnes130,000
13Montero126,093
14Trinidad122,722
15Riberalta98,363
16Viacha91,199
17Yacuíbaincl. San José de Pocitos70,000
18Colcapirhua66,505
19Tiquipaya58,223
20Cobija53,367
21Cotoca50,000
22Vinto47,439
23Villazón41,504
24Guayaramerín35,759
25YapacaníVilla Germán Bush34,000
26Villamontes33,228
27Bermejo32,913
28San Ignacio de Velasco32,027
29Tupiza28,530
30Punata26,563
31Llallagua26,500
32Camiri25,898
33Achocalla25,000
34Uyuni24,966
35San Julián23,661
36Ascensión de Guarayos23,342
37El Torno21,500
38Caranavi20,847
39Sipe Sipe20,000
40Mineros18,681
41San Borja18,000
42Pailón17,048
43Portachuelo16,532
44Huanuni16,256
45Concepción14,910
46Ivirgarzama14,500
47Rurrenabaque14,260
48Patacamaya13,440
49San José de Chiquitos13,131
50Santa Ana del Yacuma13,023
51Challapata12,969
52Puerto Quijarro12,000
53Roboré11,994
54Puerto Suárez11,838
55Urubó11,360
56Entre Ríos11,000
57Chimoré10,856
58Vallegrande10,777
59Cuatro Cañadas10,689
60Monteagudo10,400
61San Ignacio de Moxos10,315
62Achacachi9,402
63Uncía9,212

Source: National Institute of Statistics, Bolivia (2024 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff.

Why don't these match official city populations?Official figures typically count only the population within administrative boundaries. UN urban area figures cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.

Tokyo

33,338,852

Urban area

9,953,160

23 wards

Essen

2,709,375

Urban area

573,618

City of Essen

Ankara

3,630,865

Urban area

5,186,002

Metropolitan municipality

What counts as an urban area? The UN uses satellite imagery to map built-up land, and treats each continuous stretch of built-up land as an urban area. This means that urban areas can extend beyond official city boundaries, and may include multiple cities and towns within a single urban area.

Can an urban area be smaller than its city? Yes. While most cities have urban areas larger than their administrative boundaries, some cities have extensive administrative limits that include sparsely populated areas.

12 urban areas in Bolivia with 50,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.

RankUrban AreaPopulation Estimate (2026)Yearly ChangeLand Area (km²)Density (P/km²)World RankProjections (2030)Projections (2050)
1La Paz2,042,056+0.86%2946,9412442,112,6292,333,217
2Santa Cruz de la Sierra2,016,546+1.79%3186,3492472,161,0032,751,765
3Cochabamba1,363,526+1.24%2994,5633731,430,9401,826,714
4Oruro351,909+1.16%714,9291,642368,223419,927
5Sucre289,128+0.95%358,1672,027300,110330,769
6Potosí245,641+0.70%279,0982,412252,495272,743
7Tarija237,613+1.02%445,3762,497247,272289,489
8Montero126,113+2.45%304,2614,907138,483201,944
9Trinidad115,402+1.44%244,7305,404122,069141,202
10Riberalta85,362+1.09%204,2687,38589,082105,275
11Cobija77,541+5.39%145,5398,15494,243183,092
12Satelite Norte59,262+4.26%183,32910,55069,366115,653

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision, Online Edition.

See also