Overview
- INEI’s preliminary results published in early June 2026 report Peru’s population at 34,157,732, making the country the fourth most populous in South America.
- Adults aged 60 and over now account for 14.8% of the population (5,055,316), the average age rose to 34.2 years, and the ageing index climbed from about 44 in 2017 to about 65 in 2025.
- Falling fertility is a key driver: total fertility is about 1.7 children per woman nationally and roughly 1.4 in Lima, a long-term decline from mid-20th-century cohort levels near seven children.
- Population is highly concentrated in Lima Metropolitana, which holds nearly 30% of residents and a net internal migration gain of about 2.3 million, while regions such as Piura are growing in size and others like Cajamarca, Puno and Huancavelica show net outflows.
- INEI projects that continued ageing could lead older adults to outnumber children under 15 by around 2040 and says the change will strain health systems, pension funding and urban planning unless policy and services are adapted.