The IBGE publishes today "Demographic Trends: an analysis of the sample of the Demographic Census 2000", which develops a review of the basic socioeconomic and demographic indicators, unveiled by the censuses, and overviews the Brazilian municipalities analyzing the trends of growth or of decline in the period 1991/2000. These demographic studies will only be updated with the accomplishment of the next population census, in 2010.

Among the 5,507 Brazilian municipalities that existed during the period of the last Census, 1,496, or 27.2% of the total, had population loss between 1991 and 2000. Also, almost 40% (2,193 municipalities) presented a growing annual rhythm ranging from 0% to 1.5%, below the national average of 1.6% per year.

Among the municipalities with negative annual growth, stood out, because of their population size, Ilhéus-BA, Nilópolis-RJ, São Caetano do Sul-SP and Teófoli Otoni-MG. Big poles of population loss were observed in the following places: in regions of the extreme north of Rio Grande do Sul; in the west of Santa Catarina, in areas near the frontier with Argentina, in the axis of the highway BR 156. Also, in municipalities of the central part of the state of Paraná, near the frontier with Paraguay, in the axis of the highway BR 385; as well as in a group of municipalities in the north of the state, near the limits with São Paulo. Another important pole was a corridor of municipalities that spread from Minas Gerais to Bahia, between the highways BRs 101 and 116. In the Northeast region, the main losses were observed in the municipalities of the frontier of Alagoas and Pernambuco and in the central regions of Paraíba and Piauí. In the Central West Region, stood out the municipalities of the north and west of the state of Goiás, and in the North Region stood out municipalities scarcely inhabited of its southeast.

The study shows that all together the municipalities with population loss concentrated 14.6 millions inhabitants and that the majority of them had population up to 50 thousand inhabitants. There was a direct relation between this group of municipalities with the new municipalities created between 1991 and 2000.

Around 40% of the Brazilian municipalities had a low annual demographic growth

The 2,193 municipalities (39.8% of the total of the Brazilian municipalities) that had growth between 0% and 1.5% per year, indicating the relative losses of population through emigration, concentrated 66.1 millions of inhabitants, i.e., 38.9% of the total population of the Country. Among them were six municipalities of state capitals, saturated in terms of population and with low levels of fertility: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Porto Alegre and Vitória.

 1,164 municipalities presented a medium growth of 1.5% to 3.0% per year (21.1% of the total of the Brazilian municipalities). They concentrated 63.5 millions inhabitants or 37.4% of the total Brazilian population. 15 municipalities of Brazilian state capitals were part of this group: Salvador, Fortaleza, Brasília, Curitiba, Belém, Goiânia, São Luís, Maceió, Teresina, Natal, Campo Grande, João Pessoa, Cuiabá, Aracaju and Porto Velho. Important agglomerate poles of municipalities with medium growth were found in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, in a central corridor in Santa Catarina, and in the metropolitan areas of São Paulo. Also, in the coastal area of Rio de Janeiro, in the coastal area of Espírito Santo and in a large part of the coast of the Northeast Region. In the central area of Brazil as well, in the east of Mato Grosso do Sul, an agglomerate of municipalities with medium growth was observed.

 Only 654 municipalities, or 11.9% of the total, presented a growing annual rhythm over 3.0%. They concentrated 25.6 million inhabitants that equaled to 15,1% of the resident population on the Country in 2000. In this group were six municipalities of state capitals: Manaus, Florianópolis, Macapá, Rio Branco, Boa Vista and Palmas. The agglomerate poles of municipalities with expressive demographic growth were located mainly: in the northeast and in the coast of Santa Catarina, in the metropolitan areas of Paraná and São Paulo, and in coastal area of Rio de Janeiro. Another important area of growth could be verified in the north of the state of Mato Grosso, in the Legal Amazônia, through the visualization of the Arch of Deforestation or Clearing of Timber. As a matter of fact, the accelerated growing area in Legal Amazônia includes almost all the municipalities of Roraima and Amapá, as well as a group of municipalities located in the north of Mato Grosso, in the southeast of Pará and in the southwest of Amazonas. Regarding Pará and Amapá, the significant population growth seems to be related to the arrival of migrants from the Northeast Region. In the Central West Region, stood out, beside the group of municipalities of the north of Mato Grosso, the municipalities around Brasília, as a consequence of the demographic occupation in the last 20 years.

Municipalities with population decline have illiteracy rate of 23.6%

According to the classification of the municipalities by the size classes of the mean geometric rates of annual population increase, the highest rate of illiteracy of persons from 15 years old and over (23.6%) was found in the group of municipalities which had population loss between 1991 and 2000. It was in this layer that it was observed also the lowest average of years of study (4.5) and the lowest rates of school enrollment. For the total of the Country, the illiteracy rate, in 2000, was 13.6% and the years of study were, on the average, 6.2 (years).

On the other hand, the highest rate of literacy (88.9%) was found in the group of municipalities that grew from 1.5% up to 3.0% per year. In this category we can observe the largest Brazilian cities, 69.9% of the municipalities with population above 100 thousand inhabitants. In this layer, we observe the major average of years of study (6.6) and the more expressive rates of school enrollment.

Municipalities with annual growth from 1.5% to 3.0% have the lowest fertility rate

The lowest level of fertility (2.21 children per woman) was found in the group of municipalities included in the layer from 1.5% to 3.0% per year. In this layer we could find municipalities that are part of the metropolitan areas of Porto Alegre, of São Paulo, of Espírito Santo, of the coastal areas of Rio de Janeiro, and of a large part of the coast of the Northeast Region. In the municipalities with population loss, we could find the highest rate: 2.75 children per woman while the Brazilian overall rate is 2.38 children per woman.

Municipalities with population loss have infant mortality rate significantly above the national average

The highest values of infant mortality rate, 36.4 below 1-year-old deaths for each 1.000 live births, were found in the municipalities with population loss. This value remained significantly above the national rate, which was 29.7 % in 2000. The lowest rate (27.0) remained with municipalities that had growth between 1.5% and 3.0% per year.

Municipalities with population loss have a major proportion of employed persons and a lower income

The highest proportion of employed persons was observed in the group of municipalities with population loss and the lowest proportion in those with significant growth. In the first layer, 46.5% of the employed persons with 10 years old and over had an income up to 1 minimum wage (minimum wage equals to R$ 260.00), while in the other layers this proportion was significantly lower. The other extremity of income, i.e., above 20 minimum wages, had in the layer from 0% up to 1.5% of annual growing rhythm, the highest proportion. Among this group we can find the following state capital municipalities: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Porto Alegre and Vitória.

The publication also contains tables, graphs and texts with an overview of the demographic evolution in Brazil and in each federative unit. It includes as well data about education, labor and income, religion, color or race, marriage rate, migration and households, among others, related to the mean geometric rates of annual increase of the resident population in the municipalities. Also, the publication brings an appendage with a relation of all the Brazilian municipalities, according to these rates.