Brasília: population and official figures
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Brasília: Brasília's gross domestic product was R$ 365.7 billion in 2023 at current prices, 3.34% of Brazil's GDP and the 3rd largest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities.
- Health in Brasília: Health ministry records show 1,883 deaths of babies under one year old among residents of Brasília in 2020-2024 against 182,157 live births, 10.3 infant deaths per 1,000 births; the 100th lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: 12.2).
- Education in Brasília: At the 2022 census 99.0% of children aged 6 to 14 in Brasília were attending school, the 73rd highest of 320 major Brazilian cities and the 2506th lowest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities (Brazil: 98.3%).
- Poverty and living standards in Brasília: At the 2022 census, 20.3% of residents of Brasília lived in households with an income per person of no more than half the minimum wage (R$ 606 a month), the 118th lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities and the 1280th lowest of Brazil's 5,509 municipalities (Brazil: 31.8%).
What is the population of Brasília?
IBGE, Brazil's national statistics institute, estimated the population of Brasília at 3,009,996 on 1 July 2026, the 3rd largest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities. The 2022 census counted 2,817,381 residents.
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyIs the population of Brasília growing?
Between the 2010 and 2022 censuses the population of Brasília grew by 245,222, from 2,572,159 (2010 count adjusted to 2022 boundaries) to 2,817,381, an average of +0.76% a year; the 144th slowest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: +0.52% a year).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyHow has the population of Brasília changed since the 2022 census?
IBGE's estimates put Brasília's population 192,615 above the 2022 census count by July 2026 (+6.8%), against +5.5% for Brazil as a whole; the estimate was 2,996,899 in 2025 and 2,982,818 in 2024.
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyHow big is Brasília?
Brasília covers 5,760.8 km² and had 489.1 residents per km² at the 2022 census, the 138th most densely populated of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: 23.86 per km²).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyIs Brasília a metropolis?
IBGE's urban hierarchy (REGIC) ranks Brasília (as part of the Brasília/DF urban area) as a national metropolis, level 1B on a scale whose top level is 1A, and Brasília is part of the Região Integrada de Desenvolvimento do Distrito Federal e Entorno.
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyWho runs Brasília?
In Brazil, cities and towns are run by municipalities: Mayor (prefeito) and council (câmara de vereadores) directly elected for four years; mayors can serve two terms in a row. Primary schools, basic health care, urban planning, local transport, waste; each has its own organic law.
How local power works in Brazil
Cities of a similar size in Brazil
- São Paulo 11,911,337
- Rio de Janeiro 6,731,133
- Fortaleza 2,582,360
- Salvador 2,559,945
- Belo Horizonte 2,415,451
- Manaus 2,327,101
- Curitiba 1,832,183
- Recife 1,588,983
- Goiânia 1,511,709
- Belém 1,396,157
- Porto Alegre 1,388,791
- Guarulhos 1,351,284
- Campinas 1,189,761
- São Luís 1,090,229
Up a level: all cities in Brazil · Brazil · government and power
Sources
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Estatísticas do Cadastro Central de Empresas (CEMPRE) 2022-2024: local units, companies and organisations, employed persons, salaried employees, wages and average monthly salary (SIDRA table 9509; Brazil, states and the 320 listed municipalities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6512e29fcaa1…)
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Censo Demográfico 2022: resident population, area of the territorial unit and population density, Brazil, states and municipalities (SIDRA table 4714), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6d558ffe6763…)
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Censo Demográfico 2022: resident population, absolute change from the 2010 population (adjusted to 2022 boundaries) and geometric annual growth rate (SIDRA table 4709), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5459a5d6df45…)
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Produto Interno Bruto dos Municípios, database 2010-2023 (text format, with layout): GDP, GDP per person and gross value added by sector for every municipality, with IBGE urban hierarchy, metropolitan region, Legal Amazon and semi-arid classifications, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1179047b0bcc…)
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Estimativas da População: estimated resident population on 1 July, 2021 and 2024-2026, Brazil, states and municipalities (SIDRA table 6579), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8bc8863bc78a…)
- Ministry of Health, DATASUS (Departamento de Informação e Informática do SUS): TabNet, Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC): live births by mother's municipality of residence and year, 2020-2024 (final data), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d3eb8c12756b…)
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Censo Demográfico 2022: residents of permanent private households by class of monthly household income per person in minimum wages, Brazil, states and municipalities (SIDRA table 10296; API response in codes-only format), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4896427475f0…)
- Ministry of Health, DATASUS (Departamento de Informação e Informática do SUS): TabNet, Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM): infant deaths (under 1 year) by municipality of residence and year, 2020-2024 (final data), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9c69e0471200…)
- 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: mean and median monthly household income per person of residents of permanent private households, Brazil, states and municipalities (SIDRA table 10295), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 34331c7982e4…)
- Ministry of Health, DATASUS (Departamento de Informação e Informática do SUS): TabNet, SINASC: live births by mother's municipality of residence and number of prenatal appointments, 2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9206d88e6676…)
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Censo Demográfico 2022, Agregados por Municípios: household characteristics part 3, residents of occupied permanent private households by sewage destination, water source and rubbish disposal, every municipality, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1b96b1e32794…)
- 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…)
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