1.1. Population

Venezuela's National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE) projected a population of 34 090 650 as of 30 June 2024.19 The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe, CEPAL) indicated that, for 2026, the projected population is 28 633 700.20 The metropolitan areas with the largest populations are Caracas (2.58 million), Maracaibo (2.03 million), Valencia (1.44 million), Maracay (845 329), and Barquisimeto (812 384).21 In 2024, an estimated 89 % of Venezuela's population lived in urban areas.22 The largest projected age groups for 2025 were those aged 15-19 (9.98 % of the population), followed by ages 10-14 (9.8 %) and 20-24 (8.79 %).23 About 70 % of the population identifies as Catholic, and between 20 and 25 % as Evangelicals.24

The Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V) indicated that, as of November 2025, an estimated 7.9 million Venezuelans were living abroad.25 The same source indicated that, as of February 2026, 6 947 649 Venezuelans were living in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the largest populations residing in Colombia (2.8 million), Peru (1.6 million), Brazil (761.3 thousand), Chile (669.4 thousand), and Ecuador (440.4 thousand).26 Outside Latin America and the Caribbean, countries with the highest number of Venezuelans included US (987.6 thousand), Spain (602.5 thousand), Italy (64.3 thousand), and Portugal (31.2 thousand).27 According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), irregular entries of Venezuelan nationals into countries such as Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, and Panama, declined between 2022 and 2025, while regular entries within South America increased.28 IOM noted that 'mobility patterns may be changing in structure and shifting towards more formal channels and/or nearer destinations within South America'.29