Arequipa's Population Swells by 300,000 Over Nine Years, 2025 Census Shows

The 2025 national census released by the Oficina Departamental de Estadística e Informática (ODEI) shows that the province of Arequipa added roughly 300,000 residents in the past nine years, reaching a total of 1,322,000 inhabitants. The broader Arequipa region recorded 1,736,156 people in the census and an estimated 1,814,554 when accounting for the omission margin, placing it among Peru's four most‑populated departments behind Lima, Piura and La Libertad.

Demographically, the region is almost evenly split between women (50.2%) and men (49.8%). People aged 15‑59 constitute 64.8% of the population and the average age is 36 years. Urban areas host 1,613,112 residents, while the rural population is about 123,000. The province of Arequipa alone accounts for 76.1% of the regional total with 1,321,556 residents and a 22.3% growth rate. Other provinces such as Caylloma, Caravelí and Condesuyos also recorded notable increases.

Flavio Charca, regional director of ODEI Arequipa, emphasized that these figures will guide poverty‑index calculations for the coming year and support public‑ and private‑sector planning.