Podgorica is the capital and largest city of Montenegro. According to 2011 census, the population of Podgorica city proper is 150,799, while Podgorica Capital City (analogous to metropolitan area, and similar to opština/municipality subdivision in the rest of Montenegro) has a population of 185,937.
Settlements in Montenegro are organized into subdivisions known as Mjesna zajednica, or "local communities," which represent the smallest territorial units in the country. Despite their significance, the Montenegrin Statistical Office does not publish data specific to these local communities. In contrast, the administration of Podgorica Capital City has categorized the city into planning zones (planske cjeline) for internal purposes, accompanied by population statistics derived from the 2011 census. These planning zones do not align with local communities or traditional Podgorica neighborhoods but are illustrative of distribution of Podgorica population.[1][2]
Discrepancies between data from the Capital City documents and the Montenegrin Statistical Office may arise from differences in definitions, the scope of the city proper, or the inclusion of preliminary data from the 2011 census.
The Capital City of Podgorica comprises 141 settlements, with three designated as urban by the Montenegrin Statistical Office—Podgorica city proper, Golubovci and Tuzi—while the rest exhibit rural characteristics. Golubovci and Tuzi serve as central hubs for their respective sub-municipalities (gradske opštine), covering a significant portion of the southern and southeastern areas of Podgorica Capital City, extending from Podgorica city proper to Skadar Lake. The Golubovci sub-municipality has a population of 16,093, while Tuzi sub-municipality is home to 12,096 residents.
Below is a list of settlements with populations exceeding 500 residents:
Settlement
Population
Podgorica
150,977
Tuzi
4,748
Golubovci
3,110
Mojanovići
2,593
Goričani
1,462
Mahala
1,346
Mataguži
1,292
Donji Kokoti
1,073
Balabani
1,014
Vranj
1,012
Srpska
880
Bijelo Polje
823
Gornji Milješ
742
Botun
697
Sukuruć
661
Grbavci
575
Beri
556
Donji Milješ
512
Dinoša
500
Most of the larger settlements are part of continuous rural sprawl around the towns of Golubovci and Tuzi in the Zeta Plain, located in the southern part of Podgorica Capital City. In contrast, the northern section of the Capital City area is characterized by mountainous terrain and sparse population.
The commuter belt of Podgorica extends beyond the city itself, reaching into the municipalities of Danilovgrad, Cetinje, Bar and Nikšić. Coupled with Podgorica's role as the primate city of Montenegro—serving as the focal point for national administrative, healthcare, educational, and economic activities—the daily population is likely considerably higher than the officially recorded resident population.
