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Rio Grande: population and official figures

Population (IBGE estimate, 1 July)
198,935
2026
Population, 2022 census
191,900
2022
Area (km²)
2,682.9
2022
People per km² (2022 census)
71.5
2022

In depth

What is the population of Rio Grande?

IBGE, Brazil's national statistics institute, estimated the population of Rio Grande at 198,935 on 1 July 2026, the 160th largest of Brazil's 5,570 municipalities, the 11th largest of the 497 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul state. The 2022 census counted 191,900 residents.

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

Is the population of Rio Grande growing?

Between the 2010 and 2022 censuses the population of Rio Grande fell by 5,328, from 197,228 (2010 count adjusted to 2022 boundaries) to 191,900, an average of -0.23% a year; the 24th 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 Rio Grande changed since the 2022 census?

IBGE's estimates put Rio Grande's population 7,035 above the 2022 census count by July 2026 (+3.7%), against +5.5% for Brazil as a whole; the estimate was 198,935 in 2025 and 198,958 in 2024.

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

How big is Rio Grande?

Rio Grande covers 2,682.9 km² and had 71.5 residents per km² at the 2022 census, the 51st 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 Grande do Sul state's population lives in Rio Grande?

Rio Grande holds 1.8% of the estimated 11,233,317 people in Rio Grande do Sul state and 0.09% of Brazil's 214,211,951 (2026 estimates).

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

Is Rio Grande a metropolis?

IBGE's urban hierarchy (REGIC) ranks Rio Grande as a sub-regional centre, level 3A 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

Who runs Rio Grande?

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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