Population of Uruguay
As of July 2026, the population of Uruguay is 3.4 million. The number of inhabitants has decreased by 2 thousand in the last year, representing a decline of 0.06%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 34.2 years in 2016 to 36.7 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 78.6 years and population density is 19.5 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Population Growth
The population growth rate of Uruguay peaked in 1958, reaching around 1.36% annually, but has since declined to approximately -0.07% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 33.42 thousand in 1958 to nearly -2.29 thousand in 2026.
Life Expectancy
In Uruguay, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 75.9 years in 2006 to 78.6 years in 2026, representing an increase of almost 3 years over the past 2 decades.
Most populous cities in Uruguay
The cities of Uruguay are mostly small, but 3 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Montevideo, Montevideo Department, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 1.3 million inhabitants. It is followed by Salto, Salto Department with 114.1 thousand and Maldonado with 102 thousand.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Uruguay:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montevideo, Montevideo Department | 1,270,737 |
| 2 | Salto, Salto Department | 114,084 |
| 3 | Maldonado | 102,000 |
| 4 | Rivera, Rivera Department | 84,775 |
| 5 | Paysandú, Paysandú Department | 81,550 |
| 6 | Las Piedras, Canelones | 69,682 |
| 7 | Tacuarembó, Tacuarembó Department | 60,586 |
| 8 | Melo, Cerro Largo | 56,013 |
| 9 | Artigas | 43,897 |
| 10 | Mercedes, Soriano | 43,543 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Durazno, Durazno Department | 40,279 |
| 12 | Minas, Lavalleja | 38,645 |
| 13 | Florida | 36,471 |
| 14 | San José de Mayo, San José Department | 35,883 |
| 15 | Colonia del Sacramento, Colonia | 32,164 |
| 16 | Barros Blancos, Canelones | 31,650 |
| 17 | San Carlos, Maldonado | 27,471 |
| 18 | Rocha, Rocha Department | 26,784 |
| 19 | Fray Bentos, Río Negro Department | 26,297 |
| 20 | Treinta y Tres, Treinta y Tres Department | 25,890 |