Pelotas: population and official figures
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Pelotas: Pelotas' gross domestic product was R$ 12.5 billion in 2023 at current prices, 0.11% of Brazil's GDP and the 139th largest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities.
- Health in Pelotas: Health ministry records show 189 deaths of babies under one year old among residents of Pelotas in 2020-2024 against 17,082 live births, 11.1 infant deaths per 1,000 births; the 146th lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: 12.2).
- Education in Pelotas: At the 2022 census 98.8% of children aged 6 to 14 in Pelotas were attending school, the 115th highest of 320 major Brazilian cities and the 2077th lowest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities (Brazil: 98.3%; Rio Grande do Sul state: 98.2%).
- Poverty and living standards in Pelotas: At the 2022 census, 21.8% of residents of Pelotas lived in households with an income per person of no more than half the minimum wage (R$ 606 a month), the 137th lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities and the 1491st lowest of Brazil's 5,509 municipalities (Brazil: 31.8%).
- Government budget and revenue in Pelotas: The city government of Pelotas reported R$ 1.86 billion of budget revenue for 2025 in its annual accounts to the National Treasury, after R$ 79.0 million of deductions, R$ 79.0 million of them for Fundeb, the school funding pool; that is R$ 5,740 per resident, the 156th lowest of 319 major Brazilian cities.
What is the population of Pelotas?
IBGE, Brazil's national statistics institute, estimated the population of Pelotas at 336,150 on 1 July 2026, the 87th largest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities, the 4th largest of the 497 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul state. The 2022 census counted 325,685 residents.
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyIs the population of Pelotas growing?
Between the 2010 and 2022 censuses the population of Pelotas fell by 2,590, from 328,275 (2010 count adjusted to 2022 boundaries) to 325,685, an average of -0.07% a year; the 35th 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 Pelotas changed since the 2022 census?
IBGE's estimates put Pelotas' population 10,465 above the 2022 census count by July 2026 (+3.2%), against +5.5% for Brazil as a whole; the estimate was 336,150 in 2025 and 336,131 in 2024.
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyHow big is Pelotas?
Pelotas covers 1,608.8 km² and had 202.4 residents per km² at the 2022 census, the 107th least densely populated of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: 23.86 per km²).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyIs Pelotas a metropolis?
IBGE's urban hierarchy (REGIC) ranks Pelotas (as part of the Pelotas/RS urban area) 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 copyWho runs Pelotas?
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
- Cascavel 372,026
- Praia Grande 371,190
- Paulista 367,155
- Franca 366,534
- Santarém 364,298
- Olinda 364,087
- Canoas 359,845
- Uberaba 359,275
- São José dos Pinhais 353,874
- Ribeirão das Neves 348,996
- Vitória 343,935
- São Vicente 338,253
- Barueri 336,015
- Palmas 333,154
- Camaçari 323,676
- Taubaté 323,380
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…)
- Secretaria do Tesouro Nacional (National Treasury), SICONFI: SICONFI API, Declaração de Contas Anuais (DCA) Annex I-C, budget revenue realised, 2025 (2024 where 2025 was not filed), for the 320 listed municipalities (gzip of request URL -> exact API response), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8e46cf2e4cc4…)
- 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…)
- Secretaria do Tesouro Nacional (National Treasury), SICONFI: SICONFI API, Declaração de Contas Anuais (DCA) Annex I-E, budget spending by function, 2025 (2024 where 2025 was not filed), for the 320 listed municipalities (gzip of request URL -> exact API response), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2d3d576cb339…)
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