The 2022 Census shows that the population of Brazil reached 203,062,512 people, with an increase of 12.3 million since the last collection, in 2010. The data were released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The average population growth in recent years was 0.52%, the lowest recorded in the country since 1872, when the country’s first census was carried out.
Regions
With 84.8 million inhabitants, the Southeast Region remained the most populous. The total number of inhabitants is equivalent to 41.8% of the country’s population. Following Southeast are the Northeast (26.9%), South (14.7%) and North (8.5%). The least populated region is the Midwest, with 16.3 million inhabitants or 8.02% of the country’s population.
Comparing the 2010 and 2022 demographic censuses, the annual population growth was not uniform across the major regions. Although it is still the less populous, the Midwest recorded the highest growth, at an average rate of 1.2% per year over the last 12 years.
The smallest population growths were in the Northeast and Southeast. The rate is lower than the average in Brazil, 0.52% per year.
States
São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro are the three most populous states in the country and concentrate 39.9% of the population. The state of São Paulo alone, with more than 44 million people, represents a fifth of the population.
Following are Bahia, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul. In the opposite direction are the states located on the northern border of Brazil, including Roraima, which remains the least populous state (with 636,303 inhabitants), followed by Amapá and Acre. The 2022 Census also shows that 14 states and the DF had average annual growth rates above the national average (0.52%) between 2010 and 2022.
Despite being the least populous, the state with the highest population growth was Roraima, where the average annual growth rate reached 2.92% in the period, the only one to surpass the mark of 2% per year.
Households
There was also an increase in the number of households in the country. There was an increase of 34% compared to the 2010 Census, totaling 90.7 million.
The average number of residents per household in the country is 2.79 people. This result represents a decrease in relation to the 2010 Census. At that time, the average was 3.31 residents per household.
The Censo Summary
• The population grew by 12.3 million people compared to 2010. At the time, there were 190.7 million inhabitants, and now there are 203 million; an increase of 6.4%
• As for households, the increase was much greater: in 2010 there were 67.5 million and now there are 90.6 million, or 34% more: a growth rate five times greater than that of the population
• With more households, the average number of residents per household has dropped: there are now 2.79 on average; 13 years ago, this number was 3.31
• In the last 12 years, the population growth rate was 0.52% per year. It is the smallest ever recorded, since 1872
• São Paulo remains the most populous state with 44 million residents; and Roraima, the least populous, with its 636,000 inhabitants
• The Southeast region has the largest number of Brazilian residents (84.8 million inhabitants), with 41.8%, while 8% live in the Midwest
• Among the cities, the capital of São Paulo also leads in population, with 11.4 million people
• Manaus draws attention for being the city that gained more residents in the last 12 years in absolute numbers, jumping from 1.8 million to 2 million residents
• Salvador had the biggest drop in population, falling from 2.67 million to 2.41 million residents. With that, the most populous metropolis in the Northeast is now Fortaleza, which became the 4th most populous in the country
• Roraima had the highest growth rate, which can be explained in part by the unprecedented inclusion of the Yanomami people in the census.
As cidades mais populosas do país:
São Paulo – 11.451.245 (1,8% a mais que em 2010)
Rio de Janeiro – 6.211.423 (-1,7%)
Brasília – 2.817.068 (+9,6%)
Fortaleza – 2.428.678 (-1,0%)
Salvador – 2.418.005 (-9,6%)
Belo Horizonte – 2.315.560 (-2,5%)
Manaus – 2.063.547 (+14,5)
Curitiba – 1.773.733 (+1,2%)
Recife – 1.488.920 (-3,2%)
Goiânia – 1.437.237 (+10,4%)
Source: Agência Brasil and UOL