Peru Cities by Population 2024

Peru is one of South America's most populous countries, and when you break down the populations of the cities, it's easy to see why this country, which is the 20th largest in the world by area, is the 44th most populous in the world. The capital city, Lima, contributes a large portion to the population figures. It is the only city in the country that has surpassed the one million resident milestone, and in fact, with a population of over 7 million, it has surpassed many milestones and is by far Peru's largest city. The next most populous city has a much lower but still respectable population of over 800,000. In total, Peru has 21 cities that boast populations exceeding 100,000. There are also 121 cities that have minimum population counts of 10,000. These cities are spread across 25 different regions, with the exception of the Lima Province which stands alone.

Peru's cities are developing and expanding, and it's evidenced by the number of residents that reside in urban areas. In 1960, over half of the population lived in rural areas. In 2015, this number dropped to just 21% due to a combination of city expansion and development and more natives leaving rural areas to pursue opportunities and take advantage of all that the larger cities have to offer.