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Paulista: population and official figures

Population (IBGE estimate, 1 July)
367,155
2026
Population, 2022 census
342,167
2022
Area (km²)
96.9
2022
People per km² (2022 census)
3,530.0
2022

In depth

What is the population of Paulista?

IBGE, Brazil's national statistics institute, estimated the population of Paulista at 367,155 on 1 July 2026, the 77th largest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities, the 5th largest of the 185 municipalities in Pernambuco state. The 2022 census counted 342,167 residents.

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

Is the population of Paulista growing?

Between the 2010 and 2022 censuses the population of Paulista grew by 41,701, from 300,466 (2010 count adjusted to 2022 boundaries) to 342,167, an average of +1.09% a year; the 128th fastest 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 Paulista changed since the 2022 census?

IBGE's estimates put Paulista's population 24,988 above the 2022 census count by July 2026 (+7.3%), against +5.5% for Brazil as a whole; the estimate was 365,144 in 2025 and 362,960 in 2024.

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

How big is Paulista?

Paulista covers 96.9 km² and had 3,530.0 residents per km² at the 2022 census, the 31st most 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 Pernambuco state's population lives in Paulista?

Paulista holds 3.8% of the estimated 9,583,176 people in Pernambuco state and 0.17% of Brazil's 214,211,951 (2026 estimates).

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

Is Paulista a metropolis?

IBGE's urban hierarchy (REGIC) ranks Paulista (as part of the Recife/PE urban area) as a metropolis, level 1C on a scale whose top level is 1A, and Paulista is part of the Região Metropolitana de Recife.

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

Who runs Paulista?

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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