According to the first results of the 2025 National Censuses—the 13th Population Census, the 8th Housing Census, and the 4th Indigenous Communities Census—presented Friday by the
, Peru's total population has reached 34,157,732 inhabitants.
"These results will make it possible to update key information for the design of public policies, national development planning, and decision-making in strategic sectors such as health, education, employment, housing, and social protection," INEI chief Dr. Gaspar Moran said while presenting the findings.
The 2025 National Censuses were conducted between August and October of last year, followed by a census recovery phase carried out in November and December.
The census operation used electronic tablets and technological tools that helped streamline data collection, georeference housing units, transfer information to the cloud, and monitor field personnel.
Peru, the fourth-most populous country in South America
According to the first results of the 2025 National Censuses, Peru's total population stands at 34,157,732 inhabitants, making it the fourth-most populous country in South America, after Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina.
According to the preliminary results, of the total population recorded in Peru, 32,706,028 people were effectively counted.
Meanwhile, the undercounted population, estimated from the post-enumeration survey, reached 1,451,704 people, accounting for 4.25% of the total—one of the lowest rates in South America.
Population growth rate reaches 1.11% annually
Between 2017 and 2025, Peru's total population grew by nearly 2,920,000 people, corresponding to an average annual growth rate of 1.11%, higher than the 1.02% recorded during the 2007–2017 intercensal period.
This trend may be associated, among other factors, with foreign immigration recorded in recent years.
Women account for over 50% of the population
The female population stands at 17,292,043, while the male population reaches 16,865,689.
In percentage terms, women account for 50.6% of the national population, while men represent 49.4%, reflecting a slight predominance of the female population.
Largest population group: People aged 15 to 59
The results reveal changes in the population's age structure.
The potentially working-age group, comprising people between 15 and 59 years old, increased from 61.9% of Peru's inhabitants in 2017 to 62.5% in 2025, consolidating its position as the largest group within the country's population structure.
Demographic aging
The average age of Peru's population increased from 32.0 years in 2017 to 34.2 years in 2025, reflecting a sustained process of demographic aging in the country.
This shift is driven by a lower proportion of children and adolescents, as well as a growing share of the adult and older adult population.
The results show significant changes in the South American country's demographic structure.
The share of the population under 15 years of age declined from 26.5% in 2017 to 22.7% in 2025, while the proportion of people aged 60 and older increased from 11.7% to 14.8%.
Aging outlook
According to the census results, Puno and Moquegua regions recorded the highest levels of population aging, with 88 and 87 older adults, respectively, for every 100 people under the age of 15.
Current demographic projections also indicate that, starting in 2040, the population aged 60 and older is expected to surpass the population under 15 years of age.
Metropolitan Lima surpasses 10,100,000 inhabitants
The territorial distribution of the population shows that Metropolitan Lima is home to 29.7% of Peru's inhabitants, with 10,129,708 residents.
The coast continues to account for more than half of the country's total population.
After Metropolitan Lima, Piura region has a population of 2,115,587 inhabitants, followed by La Libertad region (2,056,560) and Arequipa (1,814,396), consolidating their positions as Peru's major population centers.
Internal migration accounted for 20.9% of the censused population
Lima recorded the highest net migration balance (immigrants minus emigrants), with 2,300,000 people.
Also standing out as regions with a positive migration balance are Arequipa (300,000), Callao (218,000), Tacna (101,000), San Martin (92,000), Ica (80,000), Ucayali (73,000), and Madre de Dios (66,000).
In contrast, Cajamarca was the region with the highest number of emigrants. As a result, it recorded the country's largest negative migration balance, at 623,000 people.
Likewise, Puno (-374,000), Huancavelica (-304,000), Ancash (-292,000), Piura (-267,000), and Ayacucho (-263,000) rank among the regions with the highest population outflows to other parts of Peru.
The National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) has made available an interactive digital platform where users can consult the main results of the 2025 National Censuses, demographic indicators, and statistics by region.