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Theprovinces of Peru (Spanish:provincias) are the second-level administrative subdivisions of the country. They are divided intodistricts (Spanish:distritos). There are 196 provinces inPeru, grouped into 24departments (or regions), while two provinces—Lima andCallao—are subject to a special regime, with the latter not belonging to any department.[1][2][3][4] This makes an average of seven provinces per department. The department with the fewest provinces is the Constitutional Province of Callao (one province equal in status to a department) and the one with the most isAncash (twenty).
While provinces in the sparsely populatedAmazon rainforest of eastern Peru tend to be larger, there is a large concentration of them in the north-central area of the country. The province with the fewest districts isPurús Province, with just one district. The province with the most districts isLima Province, with 43 districts. The most common number of districts per province is eight; a total of 29 provinces share this number of districts.
The current provincial system dates back to the1823 constitution, which replaced thepartidos of the formerViceroyalty of Peru. In 1824, seven departments were created, divided into 56 provinces in total.
Until the 20th century, a number of provinces were granted the designation oflittoral province (Spanish:provincia litoral), an autonomous regime equal in status to a department. The most notable example is that ofCallao, which operated under this regime from 1836 to 1857, when this status was changed to aconstitutional province (Spanish:provincia constitucional), a designation with no practical difference, on April 22 of that year.[5]
According to the 2002 law for thedecentralisation of the country, there are two provinces under a special regime (Spanish:régimen especial):Lima andCallao.[1][2] The latter does not belong to any department since 1836.
As of 2025, Peru has 196 provinces in total.[6] The latest to be created is that ofPutumayo, on April 10, 2014.
The table below shows all provinces with their capitals and the department in which they are located. The UBIGEO code uniquely identifies each province. Capitals in bold are also a departmental capital. Provinces in which the department's capital is located all have an UBIGEO code ending in01.
| Province | Population | Department | Name of City | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lima | 7,605,742 | Lima | Lima | 43 |
| Constitutional Province of Callao | 876,877 | None | Callao | 6 |
| Arequipa | 864,250 | Arequipa | Arequipa | 29 |
| Trujillo | 811,979 | La Libertad | Trujillo | 11 |
| Chiclayo | 757,452 | Lambayeque | Chiclayo | 20 |
| Piura | 665,991 | Piura | Piura | 9 |
| Maynas | 492,992 | Loreto | Iquitos | 13 |
| Huancayo | 466,436 | Junín | Huancayo | 28 |
| Santa | 396,434 | Ancash | Chimbote | 9 |
| Cusco | 367,791 | Cusco | Cusco | 8 |
| Coronel Portillo | 333,890 | Ucayali | Pucallpa | 7 |
| Ica | 321,332 | Ica | Ica | 14 |
| Cajamarca | 316,152 | Cajamarca | Cajamarca | 12 |
| Sullana | 287,680 | Piura | Sullana | 8 |
| Huánuco | 270,233 | Huánuco | Huánuco | 11 |
| Tacna | 262,731 | Tacna | Tacna | 10 |
| Lambayeque | 258,747 | Lambayeque | Lambayeque | 12 |
| San Román | 240,776 | Puno | Juliaca | 4 |
| Puno | 229,236 | Puno | Puno | 15 |
| Huamanga | 221,469 | Ayacucho | Ayacucho | 15 |
| Province | Capital city | Established | Disestablished | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arica | Arica | 1823 | 1929 | Incorporated into Chile |
| Callao[c] | Callao | 1836 | 1857 | Elevated toConstitutional Province |
| Chancay [es] | Huacho | 1821 | 1988 | Dismembered |
| Conchucos [es] | Piscobamba | 1821 | 1861 | Dismembered |
| Huánuco[c][7] | Huánuco | 1867 | 1869 | Elevated to department |
| Ica[c][8] | Ica | 1855 | 1563 | Elevated to department |
| Iquique | Iquique | 1878 | 1883 | Incorporated into Chile |
| Loreto[c][9] | Moyobamba | 1853 | 1866 | Elevated to department |
| Moquegua [es] | Moquegua | 1823 | 1936 | Reorganised |
| Tumbes[c] | Tumbes | 1901 | 1942 | Elevated to department |
| Tinta [es] | Tinta | 1825 | 1833 | Dismembered |
| Tarapacá[c] | Tarapacá | 1837 | 1883 | Incorporated into Chile[d] |
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