Population (numbers taken from the 2012 census)

  • According to the Bolivian INE (Instituto Nacional de Estatisticas), there were 10,059,856 inhabitants at the last census in 2012. By 2023, it is estimated that the population will be around 12 million.
  • The departments of La Paz (2,719,344), Santa Cruz (2,657,762) and Cochabamba (1,762,761) accounted for 70% of Bolivia's total population.
  • Breakdown: women 50.1%, men 49.9%
  • Ethnic breakdown (estimate): Quechua (30%), Mestizo (30%), Aymara (25%), European (15%)
  • Urban population: 67%
 

Official Languages

  • Spanish (spoken by 97% of the population)
  • Quechua (spoken by 34% of the population)
  • Aymara (spoken by 23% of the population)
  • Guarani (spoken by 1% of the population)
  • Several languages are spoken by the Indians of the Amazonian basin

Religions

  • Catholics (95 %)
  • Protestants (5%)