Good to know
Good to Know
- Cartagena's foreign resident population concentrates in specific expat-heavy neighborhoods (Bocagrande, Centro Histórico, Castillogrande, Manga), making integration patterns distinctly geographic rather than city-wide.
- The expat community has grown substantially with digital nomad visa introduction in 2022; largest groups remain North American and European, with growing Venezuelan diaspora population.
- Tech startup scene is small but active, heavily weighted toward tourism and logistics solutions leveraging Cartagena's port and tourism economy—not a secondary tech hub like Medellín or Bogotá.
- While business registration is straightforward, Cartagena faces structural challenges for scaling tech businesses: limited early-stage funding access, bureaucratic inefficiency, and concentration of economic power among import-export merchants.
- Expat entrepreneurs cluster in hospitality, tourism, fashion, and real estate sectors more than in tech, though tech interest is rising.
Ethnic Composition
Mestizo
- Percentage
- 58
White
- Percentage
- 20
Mulatto (Mixed Black and White)
- Percentage
- 14
Black
- Percentage
- 4
Mixed Black-Amerindian
- Percentage
- 3
Amerindian
- Percentage
- 1
Largest Expat Groups
Primary Origins
United States
- Detail
- North Americans comprise a significant portion; many U.S. cities concentrate expat populations in Cartagena
Canada
- Detail
- Canadian expats drawn by favorable exchange rates and Caribbean lifestyle
Spain
- Detail
- Spanish expats represent important immigrant community in Cartagena
European Union countries
- Detail
- Growing number of European digital nomads and lifestyle expats
Significant population of Venezuelan migrants and expats
- Country
- Venezuela
Expat Neighborhoods
- Bocagrande (primary expat hub, beach-facing luxury)
- Centro Histórico (Old Town, accessible tourism-focused)
- Castillogrande
- Manga
Infrastructure
- Challenges
- Limited localized government support for tech entrepreneurship; power concentrated in import-export business around the port; ranked 17th out of 32 Colombian cities on Doing Business report
Coworking And Networking
- Coworking Cartagena (pop-up coworking for entrepreneurs)
- Gen E (entrepreneurship community and accelerator)
- Cartagena Tech Network (community of founders and investors)
- VamosA (international entrepreneurship training program, operates Cartagena and Medellín)
Startup Ecosystem
- Status
- Nascent but developing
Key Sectors
- Tourism technology (audio guides, travel apps)
- Logistics and supply chain (cargo management)
- EdTech (education technology platforms)
- GreenTech and sustainability (recycling, waste management, carbon offset)
- Gaming (video game development)
- Fashion and design
Example Startups
- Soundwlkers (tourist audio guide app)
- Nauty360 (boat rental platform)
- Biz Nation (EdTech platform)
- Biinyu Games (gaming company)
- Reciclamos Juntos (waste management and recycling)
- Solucion Telematica (digital services)
- CARGOAPP (supply chain solutions)
Metro Area Year
2025
Population Year
2026
Total Population
1010995
Metro Area Population
1106000
Foreign Born Population
- Status
- Not officially published
- Note
- Precise census data for foreign residents not published for Cartagena specifically; estimates suggest low thousands of permanent residents in expat-heavy neighborhoods
Notable Nationalities
- United States
- Canada
- Spain
- European (various)
- Venezuela
- Other Latin American
Emerging tech scene with growing startup ecosystem focused on tourism and logistics innovation
Regional Position
Cartagena ranks 7th in Colombia for startup popularity; positioned as emerging bridge between European and Colombian tech ecosystems as of 2025; less developed than major hubs Bogotá and Medellín but growing
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Cartagena
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.