Uruguay’s Demographic Shift: Aging, Urbanizing, and Diversifying

Uruguay’s latest census, shared by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), unveils significant demographic changes.

The nation’s population stands at 3.444 million, with a slight majority of 52% women.

This number marks a 1% increase since 2011, largely due to around 62,000 new immigrants.

INE Director Diego Aboal credits these immigrants for preventing a population decline, which could have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and low birth rates.

Uruguay is experiencing an aging trend, with a median age of 38 years. The number of people over 85 has risen to 2% of the population.

Those over 100 years have increased to 822 individuals. Additionally, more Uruguayans now live in urban areas, with only 4% residing in rural settings.

Household sizes are getting smaller, now averaging at 2.5 people. This shift reflects changing family dynamics and urban lifestyles.

The country has seen a rise in foreign-born residents, now at 3%, mostly from Venezuela, Argentina, and Cuba.

Most Uruguayans live in the southern coastal region, near Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean. The 2023 census also gathered data on remote work and pet ownership.

Around 6.5% of Uruguayans work remotely, with this figure reaching nearly 11% in Montevideo.

Two-thirds of households in Uruguay have a pet, totaling over 2.1 million pets, with dogs being the majority.

This census was notable as Uruguay’s first to offer online self-completion, a choice made by 60% of households.

This digital approach signifies Uruguay’s shift towards modern data collection techniques.