What is the highest permanently inhabited settlement in the world?

La Rinconada in Peru is the world's highest permanently inhabited settlement.

The mining town sits in the Peruvian Andes at approximately 5,100 meters (16,700 feet) above sea level, near the La Rinconada gold mine in the Puno region. Its altitude is so extreme that oxygen levels are much lower than at sea level, making ordinary physical activity difficult for visitors and residents alike.

La Rinconada grew rapidly as gold prices attracted prospectors. Between 2001 and 2009, its population was estimated to rise from a small mining camp to around 30,000 people. Gold mining remains central to the local economy, but the town has also faced severe pollution, poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and health risks linked to altitude.

Potosí, Lhasa, and El Alto are all high-altitude cities, but none is higher as a permanently inhabited settlement. A common distinction matters here: temporary research stations, military posts, and seasonal camps may stand at greater elevations, but they do not meet the usual definition of permanent civilian habitation.