According to the 2002 Census, this region´s population reached a 1.861.526 inhabitant. Which is equivalent to the 12, 3% of the total national and inter censual growth of 7, 34%. Its populational density is of 50, 2 inhab/km2.
The most inhabited comunas (counties) are Concepción, Talcahuano, Los ASngles and Chillán and the ones with fewer inhabitants are San Fabián de Alico, Antuco, San Rosendo and Quilaco.
Regarding the gender composition, the data points out that the regional population is composed of 915.200 men (49, 2%) and 946.362 women (50, 8%) and that the male index reaches a 96, 71 men for each 100 women.
Besides, the population concentrates mainly at urban zones (82,10%) with an increasing trend since the 1992 census urban population average was of 77,44%.
Concerning the structure by age, when we compare the 1992 and the 2002 figures, the region of Biobío shows the following situations:
The population between 0 and 19 years of age decreased in a 5, 8% (from 688.202 to 648.377 persons) and the population above the 30 years of age has gone through a growth of 28% (from 720.561 to 924.562 persons).
53.907 persons (2, 9% of the regional total) identifies with some ethnical group, in this region. Out of this total, the majority is the mapuche ethnical group with 52.918 (98, 1%) concentrating mainly in the Biobío and Arauco provinces.
