National census
The 1961 national census recorded 10,420,357 inhabitants in Peru, with Metropolitan Lima concentrating 18.3% of the national population (1,901,927 inhabitants). The census documented the accelerated urban growth and the expansion of slums in the capital.
The 1961 national census recorded a total population of 10,420,357 inhabitants in the country. Metropolitan Lima had 1,901,927 inhabitants, representing 18.3% of the national population, a significant increase over the 9.4% recorded in 1940. This census also recorded 7 additional districts in the province of Lima, four of which were the result of the creation of seaside resorts and three of which were the result of the subdivision of existing districts due to the pressure of urban growth (Breña, Surquillo and San Martín de Porres). In 1961, 22 out of every 100 young people lived in Lima, and some 316 thousand people lived in the slums, representing 17% of the total population of Metropolitan Lima.