The last census, performed in 2007, determined that the Region of Puno is home for 1,268,441 Peruvians. This number represents 4.633of Peruvians. About 303 of the population live in poverty or extreme poverty, and the majority of them live in rural areas without access to proper education or health services.

In the Region of Puno native languages such as Quechua and Aymara are mainly spoken. At least two thirds of the population speak these two native languages while only a third of the population speak Castellano (Spanish from the region of Castilla in Spain) . These percentages diminish every year as more people migrate from rural areas to urban areas in Puno or other regions such as Arequipa, Cusco, and Lima. When people migrate to urban areas, this know ledge isn't usually transferred to second generations unfortunately.

Peru is a democratic country where mayors, governors, and counselors are elected every four years. In January 2015 the elected mayor of the City of Puno, Ivan Flores Quispe, started a new term. The main City Hall is located in downtown Puno. The president of the region, Juan Luque, was elected at the same time and for the same period of time. The main office is also located in downtown Puno.