IBGE released today, August 28, 2014, the estimates of the resident population for the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities, based on the reference date of July 1, 2014. It was estimated that Brazil had 202.7 million inhabitants and a growth rate of 0.86% between 2013 and 2014. São Paulo remained as the most populated municipality, adding up to 11.9 million inhabitants, followed by Rio de Janeiro (6.5 million), Salvador (2.9 million), Brasília (2.9 million) and Fortaleza (2.6 million). The 25 most populated municipalities added up to 51.0 million inhabitants, representing 25.2% of the total population of Brazil.

The population estimates are key to calculate economic and socio-demographic indicators in the periods between censuses. They are also one of the parameters used by the Brazilian Court of Audit to distribute the State and Municipal Revenue Sharing Fund. This annual release was in accordance with the complementary law no. 59, of December 22, 1988, and with article 102 of the law no. 8,443, of July 16, 1992.

The table containing the estimated population for each municipality was published in the edition of the Official Gazette (DOU) of today, August 28, 2014. The results of the 2014 Population Estimates can also be accessed on page www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/populacao/estimativa2014. A complete analysis of the population estimates can be seen on link  https://www.ibge.gov.br/arquivos/noticias/pdf/analise_estimativas_2014.pdf.

THE 25 MOST POPULATED MUNICIPALITIES

Excluding the capitals, the most populated municipalities were Guarulhos (1.3 million), Campinas (1.2 million), São Gonçalo (1.0 million), Duque de Caxias (878.4 thousand), São Bernardo do Campo (811.5 thousand), Nova Iguaçu (806.2 thousand), Santo André (707.6 thousand), Osasco (693.3 thousand) and São José dos Campos (681.0 thousand). Also excluding the capitals, the 25 most populated municipalities added up to 17.0 million inhabitants, representing 8.4% of the total population of Brazil in 2014.

THE 25 MOST POPULATED MUNICIPALITIES, EXCLUDING CAPITALS

With an estimated population of 822 inhabitants in 2014, Serra da Saudade, located in the state of Minas Gerais, was the less populated municipality in Brazil, followed by Borá, in São Paulo, with 835 inhabitants. Today, these were the only two municipalities with less than one thousand inhabitants on July 1, 2014. The population of the 25 less populated municipalities added up to 32,946 inhabitants, representing approximately 0.02% of the total population of Brazil.

THE 25 LESS POPULATED MUNICIPALITIES

Considering the composition of the Metropolitan Areas (RM) in 2010, the RM of São Paulo remained as the most populated, with 20.9 million inhabitants, followed by the RM of Rio de Janeiro (11.9 million inhabitants), the RM of Belo Horizonte (5.8 million inhabitants), the RM of Porto Alegre (4.2 million inhabitants) and the Integrated Development Area (RIDE) of the Federal District and surroundings (4.1 million inhabitants). The 25 most populated metropolitan areas added up to 87.0 million inhabitants, representing 42.9% of the total population.

POPULATION OF THE METROPOLITAN AREAS

Notes:                          

1) Composition of the Metropolitan Areas in 2010.

2) Not including Maricá, which now composes the RM of Rio de Janeiro, according to LCE 133, of December 15, 2009.

3) Municipalities of Autazes, Careiro, Itapiranga, Manaquiri and Silves included in the RM of Manaus, though not included in the territorial base in 2010. They were included by LC no. 64, of April 30, 2009, though later declared unconstitutional by the Court of Justice of Amazonas. Arguing vice of initiative, the court ruling was published on November 8, 2010 in the Electronic Gazette of Justice.

4) Not including Bonfinópolis, Brazabrantes, Caldazinha, Caturaí, Inhumas, Nova Veneza and Teresópolis de Goiás, which now compose the RM of Goiânia, according to the State Complementary Law no. 78, approved on March 25, 2010.

5) Not including Santa Izabel do Pará, which now composes the RM of Belém, according to LCE no. 72, of April 20, 2010.

6) Not including Vera Cruz, which now composes the RM of Natal, according to LCE no. 391, of July 22, 2009.

7) Not including Alhandra, Pitimbu and Caaporã, which now compose the RM of João Pessoa, according to the Complementary Law no. 90, of September 23, 2009, and Pedras de Fogo, according to the State Complementary Law no. 93, of December 11, 2009.

8) Not including Nazária, which was dismembered from the municipality of Teresina by State Law no. 4810 and installed on January 1st, 2009.

9) Not including municipalities surrounding the RM of Valley of Cuiabá River.

10) Not including Alvorada do Sul, Assaí and Primeiro de Maio in the RM of Londrina, which now compose the RM according to LCE no. 129, of July 14, 2010.

Considering the composition of the Metropolitan Areas up to June 30, 2013, the RM of São Paulo remained as the most populated, with 20.9 million inhabitants, followed by the RM of Rio de Janeiro (12.1 million inhabitants), the RM of Belo Horizonte (5.8 million inhabitants), the RM of Porto Alegre (4.2 million inhabitants) and the Integrated Development Area (RIDE) of the Federal District and surroundings (4.1 million inhabitants). The 25 most populated metropolitan areas added up to 89.9 million inhabitants, representing 44.4% of the total population.

Concerning the ranking of the states, the three most populated were located in the Southeast Region, whereas the three less populated were located in the North Region. The state of São Paulo was the most populated, with 44.0 million inhabitants and 21.7% of the total population of Brazil, followed by Minas Gerais, with 20.7 million inhabitants (10.2% of the total population), and Rio de Janeiro, with 16.5 million inhabitants (8.1% of the total population). The state of Roraima was the less populated, with 496.9 thousand inhabitants (0.2% of the total population), followed by Amapá, with 750.9 thousand inhabitants (0.4% of the total population), and Acre with 790.1 thousand inhabitants (0.4% of the total population).

Medium-sized municipalities are those with highest growth in Brazil

The highest geometric growth rates registered between 2013 and 2014 were found in "medium-sized" municipalities, which had between 100 thousand and 500 thousand inhabitants in 2014 (1.12%). In general, these municipalities were important hubs in their states or were part of the main metropolitan areas in Brazil, thus attracting migration.

On the other hand, the growth of the municipalities with more than 500 thousand inhabitants (0.84%) was less pronounced, even less than the national average (0.86%). Such trend was mainly influenced by the slower pace of growth of the major capitals and metropolitan areas, like, for example, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Belém, Recife and São Paulo. Today, the growth rates of these capitals were below that of the national average.

On average, the small Brazilian municipalities recorded the lowest population growth rates between 2013 and 2014. The low growth, or even the decrease in a number of cases, could be explained by the migration component, influenced by their low economic dynamism. The growth rate was estimated at 0.72% for the municipalities with up to 100 thousand inhabitants.

 The municipality that posted the highest growth rate between 2013 and 2014 was Nova Redenção (BA), changing from 8,527 to 9,453 inhabitants (10.87%). Satuba (AL) registered the lowest growth (-15.87%), changing from 15,737 to 13,241 inhabitants. Concerning the capitals, Palmas recorded the highest growth (2.91%), from 257,903 to 265,409, and Porto Alegre posted the lowest growth (0.32%), from 1,467,823 to 1,472,482 inhabitants. 

Methodology used by IBGE

In 2013, IBGE used the demographic components method to publish the population projection for the Federation Units, by sex and age, which represented a methodological improvement. As a result, the estimates of the resident population for the Brazilian municipalities were produced from this projection for each state, with reference date of July 1, 2014. They incorporated the calculation of the demographic parameters based on the results of the 2010 Population Census and on the most recent information of birth and death registries.