Living in Cities in Colombia: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Statistics of human lives reveal the profound transformation of where we make our homes, mapping the quiet shifts of millions of families across generations. At MYRIAD, we look at the numbers behind these movements to understand how geography shapes daily existence. In Colombia, this means tracing a remarkable migration from rural landscapes toward bustling metropolitan centers, capturing the changing rhythm of work, community, and shared spaces over more than two centuries of recorded history.

The historical arc of this urbanization unfolds steadily decade by decade, beginning in the 1800s estimate with 10.02 percent of the population living in cities. This share grew slowly through the 1810s estimate at 11.22 percent, the 1820s estimate at 12.42 percent, the 1830s estimate at 13.63 percent, the 1840s estimate at 14.83 percent, the 1850s estimate at 16.03 percent, the 1860s estimate at 17.24 percent, the 1870s estimate at 18.44 percent, the 1880s estimate at 19.65 percent, and the 1890s estimate at 20.85 percent. By the 1900s estimate it reached 22.05 percent, rising through the 1910s estimate at 25.87 percent, the 1920s estimate at 29.68 percent, the 1930s estimate at 33.5 percent, the 1940s estimate at 37.31 percent, the 1950s at 41.12 percent, the 1960s at 49.16 percent, the 1970s at 57.2 percent, the 1980s at 65.24 percent, the 1990s at 70.28 percent, the 2000s at 75.32 percent, and the 2010s at 78.36 percent. In the 2020s, living in cities in Colombia stands at 81.4 percent, ranking #20 of 157 countries. Looking ahead, future trends point toward the 2030s projection at 83.4 percent, the 2040s projection at 85.4 percent, the 2050s projection at 87.4 percent, the 2060s projection at 89.4 percent, the 2070s projection at 91.4 percent, the 2080s projection at 93.4 percent, the 2090s projection at 95 percent, and the 2100s projection at 95 percent.

For someone born in Colombia across these changing eras, the probability of experiencing daily life within an urban environment shifted dramatically from a small minority to an overwhelming majority. In 1900 it was 22.05 percent, meaning most ancestors lived amidst agrarian landscapes, whereas today city streets define the everyday reality for most citizens. This vast demographic shift redefines how communities form, how neighbors interact, and how generations inherit the spaces they call home. Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born?