Education in Belo Horizonte, Brazil: official figures
At the 2022 census 98.7% of children aged 6 to 14 in Belo Horizonte were attending school, the 131st highest of 320 major Brazilian cities and the 1934th lowest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities (Brazil: 98.3%; Minas Gerais state: 98.8%).
How many young children in Belo Horizonte attend pre-school or crèche?
93.7% of children aged 4 and 5 in Belo Horizonte attended pre-school or school in 2022 (the 27th highest of 320 major Brazilian cities; Brazil: 86.7%), and 51.0% of children under 4 attended a crèche or school (the 30th highest of 320 major Brazilian cities; Brazil: 33.9%).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyWhat is the Ideb score of Belo Horizonte?
Public primary schools in Belo Horizonte scored 6.3 on the Ideb, the Ministry of Education's 0-10 index of pass rates and test results, for the early years (1st to 5th grade) in 2025, the 117th highest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil's public schools: 6.1). The score was 5.9 in 2023 and 6.2 in 2019.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep), Ministry of Education · saved copyHow do 5th-graders in Belo Horizonte do in the Saeb tests?
In 2025, 98.8% of pupils in the 1st to 5th grades of Belo Horizonte's public schools passed the school year (Brazil: 98.0%), and 5th-graders averaged 232.9 in mathematics and 220.5 in Portuguese on the national Saeb tests (Brazil: 227.4 and 215.1).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep), Ministry of Education · saved copyHow do public schools in Belo Horizonte score for 6th to 9th grade?
For the later years of primary school (6th to 9th grade), Belo Horizonte's public schools scored 5.2 on the 2025 Ideb, the 109th highest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil's public schools: 5.0), against 4.5 in 2023.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep), Ministry of Education · saved copyAre city or state schools better in Belo Horizonte?
In the 6th to 9th grades, schools run by the city of Belo Horizonte scored 5.2 on the 2025 Ideb and schools run by Minas Gerais state in the city scored 5.3.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep), Ministry of Education · saved copyHow Belo Horizonte compares with other cities in Brazil
Children aged 6-14 attending school (%) (2022)
Belo Horizonte ranks 131 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children aged 6-14 attending school (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 128 | Alagoinhas | 98.7% |
| 129 | Joinville | 98.7% |
| 130 | Taubaté | 98.7% |
| 131 | Belo Horizonte | 98.7% |
| 132 | Araçatuba | 98.7% |
| 133 | Sorocaba | 98.7% |
| 134 | Pinhais | 98.7% |
Children aged 4-5 attending pre-school or school (%) (2022)
Belo Horizonte ranks 27 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children aged 4-5 attending pre-school or school (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Limeira | 93.9% |
| 25 | Araraquara | 93.8% |
| 26 | Piracicaba | 93.8% |
| 27 | Belo Horizonte | 93.7% |
| 28 | Santa Bárbara D'Oeste | 93.7% |
| 29 | Taubaté | 93.6% |
| 30 | Volta Redonda | 93.6% |
Young people aged 15-17 attending school (%) (2022)
Belo Horizonte ranks 166 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | Young people aged 15-17 attending school (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 163 | Valparaíso de Goiás | 85.7% |
| 164 | Rio das Ostras | 85.7% |
| 165 | Fazenda Rio Grande | 85.7% |
| 166 | Belo Horizonte | 85.7% |
| 167 | Foz do Iguaçu | 85.6% |
| 168 | Paragominas | 85.6% |
| 169 | Itabaiana | 85.6% |
Ideb, public schools, 1st-5th grade (2025)
Belo Horizonte ranks 117 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | Ideb, public schools, 1st-5th grade |
|---|---|---|
| 114 | Caraguatatuba | 6.4 |
| 115 | Pinhais | 6.4 |
| 116 | Sorriso | 6.4 |
| 117 | Belo Horizonte | 6.3 |
| 118 | Guarulhos | 6.3 |
| 119 | Osasco | 6.3 |
| 120 | Anápolis | 6.3 |
Ideb, public schools, 6th-9th grade (2025)
Belo Horizonte ranks 109 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | Ideb, public schools, 6th-9th grade |
|---|---|---|
| 106 | Ourinhos | 5.3 |
| 107 | Rio de Janeiro | 5.2 |
| 108 | Fortaleza | 5.2 |
| 109 | Belo Horizonte | 5.2 |
| 110 | Aparecida de Goiânia | 5.2 |
| 111 | Serra | 5.2 |
| 112 | São José do Rio Preto | 5.2 |
More on Belo Horizonte: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · all cities in Brazil
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep), Ministry of Education: Ideb 2025, primary school late years (6th-9th grade): pass rates, Saeb scores and Ideb 2005-2025 by municipality and school network (spreadsheet from the zip download), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0a54ddd30107…)
- Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep), Ministry of Education: Ideb 2025, primary school early years (1st-5th grade): pass rates, Saeb scores and Ideb 2005-2025 by municipality and school network (spreadsheet from the zip download), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e132cd0ab831…)
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Censo Demográfico 2022: gross school attendance rate by age group (0-3, 4-5, 6-14 and 15-17), Brazil, states and municipalities (SIDRA table 10056), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4966e323affd…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.