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Petrópolis: population and official figures

Population (IBGE estimate, 1 July)
294,954
2026
Population, 2022 census
278,881
2022
Area (km²)
791.1
2022
People per km² (2022 census)
352.5
2022

In depth

What is the population of Petrópolis?

IBGE, Brazil's national statistics institute, estimated the population of Petrópolis at 294,954 on 1 July 2026, the 100th largest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities, the 9th largest of the 92 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro state. The 2022 census counted 278,881 residents.

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

Is the population of Petrópolis growing?

Between the 2010 and 2022 censuses the population of Petrópolis fell by 16,893, from 295,774 (2010 count adjusted to 2022 boundaries) to 278,881, an average of -0.49% a year; the 12th 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 Petrópolis changed since the 2022 census?

IBGE's estimates put Petrópolis' population 16,073 above the 2022 census count by July 2026 (+5.8%), against +5.5% for Brazil as a whole; the estimate was 294,926 in 2025 and 294,983 in 2024.

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

How big is Petrópolis?

Petrópolis covers 791.1 km² and had 352.5 residents per km² at the 2022 census, the 154th 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 Rio de Janeiro state's population lives in Petrópolis?

Petrópolis holds 1.7% of the estimated 17,225,410 people in Rio de Janeiro state and 0.14% of Brazil's 214,211,951 (2026 estimates).

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

Is Petrópolis a metropolis?

IBGE's urban hierarchy (REGIC) ranks Petrópolis (as part of the Petrópolis/RJ urban area) as a regional capital, level 2C on a scale whose top level is 1A, and Petrópolis is part of the Região Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro.

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

Who runs Petrópolis?

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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