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Governador Valadares: population and official figures

Population (IBGE estimate, 1 July)
266,478
2026
Population, 2022 census
257,171
2022
Area (km²)
2,342.4
2022
People per km² (2022 census)
109.8
2022

In depth

What is the population of Governador Valadares?

IBGE, Brazil's national statistics institute, estimated the population of Governador Valadares at 266,478 on 1 July 2026, the 117th largest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities, the 9th largest of the 853 municipalities in Minas Gerais state. The 2022 census counted 257,171 residents.

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copy

Is the population of Governador Valadares growing?

Between the 2010 and 2022 censuses the population of Governador Valadares fell by 6,518, from 263,689 (2010 count adjusted to 2022 boundaries) to 257,171, an average of -0.21% a year; the 25th slowest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: +0.52% a year).

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copy

How has the population of Governador Valadares changed since the 2022 census?

IBGE's estimates put Governador Valadares' population 9,307 above the 2022 census count by July 2026 (+3.6%), against +5.5% for Brazil as a whole; the estimate was 266,561 in 2025 and 266,649 in 2024.

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copy

How big is Governador Valadares?

Governador Valadares covers 2,342.4 km² and had 109.8 residents per km² at the 2022 census, the 74th least densely populated of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: 23.86 per km²).

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copy

What share of Minas Gerais state's population lives in Governador Valadares?

Governador Valadares holds 1.2% of the estimated 21,460,311 people in Minas Gerais state and 0.12% of Brazil's 214,211,951 (2026 estimates).

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copy

Is Governador Valadares a metropolis?

IBGE's urban hierarchy (REGIC) ranks Governador Valadares as a regional capital, level 2C on a scale whose top level is 1A; it is not part of an officially defined metropolitan region.

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copy

More figures

Who runs Governador Valadares?

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

Up a level: all cities in Brazil · Brazil · government and power

Sources

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