How Many People Live in Brazil?
Live population counter updated every second
This live counter uses the same data as our world population page (UN World Population Prospects 2024). It updates every second based on national birth, death, and growth rates.
Brazil has a population of approximately 214 million people, making it the 7th most populous country and by far the largest in South America (it contains about half the continent's population). Brazil experienced one of the fastest fertility declines in modern history: from 6.15 children per woman in 1950 to about 1.50 today, a drop that took Europe 150 years compressed into 70.
The country is now barely above replacement level and heading below it. Brazil's population is projected to peak around 2040 at roughly 230 million and then begin declining. The northeast (Bahia, Maranhão, Pernambuco) still has slightly higher fertility than the south (São Paulo, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul), but the gap is closing rapidly.
Brazil is also one of the most urbanized large countries on Earth: 87% of Brazilians live in cities. São Paulo's metro area (22.4 million) is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The Amazon region remains extremely sparsely populated, with the entire northern state of Amazonas (1.57 million km², larger than France, Germany, and Spain combined) having only about 4 million people.
📊 Key Demographics
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 📊 Total population | ~216 million | 7th globally, 1st in South America |
| 👶 Fertility rate | 1.50 (2023) | Dropped from 6.15 in 1950 |
| 📅 Median age | 35.2 years | Aging rapidly |
| 🏙️ Urban | 87% | One of the most urbanized large countries |
| 📈 Growth rate | +0.5%/year | Slowing, peak expected ~2040 |
| 📏 Density | 25/km² | Low due to vast Amazon |
🏙️ What Are Brazils Largest Cities?
| # | City | City proper | Metro area | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🏙️ São Paulo | 12.3 million | 22.4 million | Financial capital, largest Southern Hemisphere city |
| 2 | 🏖️ Rio de Janeiro | 6.7 million | 13.5 million | Carnival, Christ the Redeemer, beaches |
| 3 | 🏛️ Brasília | 3.0 million | 4.8 million | Planned capital (built 1960), modernist architecture |
| 4 | 🌊 Salvador | 2.9 million | 4.0 million | Afro-Brazilian culture, Carnival, colonial history |
| 5 | 🌴 Fortaleza | 2.7 million | 4.1 million | Beach tourism, northeastern hub |
| 6 | 🏭 Belo Horizonte | 2.5 million | 5.9 million | Mining capital, third-largest metro |
| 7 | 🌳 Manaus | 2.2 million | 2.6 million | Amazon gateway, free trade zone |
| 8 | 🌊 Curitiba | 1.9 million | 3.6 million | Urban planning model, green city |
Brazil's rapid transition
Brazil's fertility crash is one of the most dramatic in history. In 1960, the average Brazilian woman had 6 children. By 2000, it was 2.2. By 2023, it was 1.5, below France, the UK, and the US. This happened without a one-child policy (like China) or intensive government campaigns (like India). It was driven by urbanization, television (yes, telenovelas showing small urban families changed reproductive norms), women's education, and access to contraception. Demographers call it "the Brazilian miracle" because it happened so fast and so organically.
🌿 The Amazon Rainforest Is Bigger Than the Entire EU
The Brazilian Amazon covers 5.5 million km², larger than the 27 EU countries combined. Its home to about 30 million people, including roughly 900,000 indigenous people from over 300 ethnic groups. About 80 uncontacted tribes are believed to still live in the Amazon, deliberately avoiding the outside world. Deforestation has cleared about 17% of the original forest, mostly for cattle ranching and soy farming.
- ibge.gov.br Jan 2027: 214,200,000
- statisticstimes.com Jan 2027: 213,923,000
- tradingeconomics.com Jan 2027: 215,000,000
- population.un.org Jan 2027: 214,300,000
- worldpopulationreview.com Jan 2027: 213,563,000
- worldometers.info Jan 2027: 214,500,000
- database.earth Jan 2027: 214,261,025
- georank.org Jan 2027: 214,261,037
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