Census Data Shows Bolivia’s Rapid Urban Shift and Rising Middle Majority

Bolivia’s national statistics office (INE) has confirmed the country’s population at 11,365,333 following the 2024 census. The figure corrects the earlier preliminary count by adding 52,713 people.

The most striking detail is the almost perfect gender balance: 5,682,835 women and 5,682,498 men, separated by only 337 people. Behind this lies a deeper shift.

Children now make up 27 percent of the population, down from 38.7 percent in 2001. People of working age have grown to 65.6 percent, while those over 65 have reached 7.4 percent, up from 5 percent two decades ago.

Bolivia stands in a demographic window: more workers, fewer children, and a slowly aging population. How the country uses this moment will shape its growth.

Urbanization reinforces the trend. Today, seven in ten Bolivians live in cities. Santa Cruz, with 3.1 million people, has overtaken La Paz as the most populous region. This migration reflects where jobs and markets concentrate.

Living standards have improved steadily. Only 4.5 percent of the population lives in poor-quality housing, compared with 14.1 percent in 2001. Access to clean water has reached 87.2 percent, with rural areas improving from 47.6 percent to 78.2 percent.

Electricity now covers 92.2 percent of households, up from 66.1 percent, while internet access climbed from 9.6 percent in 2012 to 76.3 percent in 2024. Rural connectivity, once nearly absent, now covers more than half the population.

At the same time, identity is shifting. Only 38.7 percent now self-identify as Indigenous or Afro-Bolivian, compared to 62 percent in 2012. The decline raises questions about culture, representation, and the way people define themselves.

The story behind the numbers is political and economic. Census results decide how government money and congressional seats are distributed. They also show whether Bolivia can turn its demographic bonus into real growth before aging accelerates.

The data signals both progress and challenges: better services, stronger urban centers, and opportunities for business, but also rising demands in healthcare, pensions, and social policy.

Bolivia’s census is more than a headcount. It is a snapshot of a society in transition, with choices ahead that will decide whether its numbers become an advantage or a burden.

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