Population in largest city in Brazil
Brazil: Population in largest city was 22.99 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
22.99 million
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
6th
of 153 countries
All-time high
22.99 million
in 2025
All-time low
4.49 million
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in largest city in Brazil, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in largest city in Brazil is 22.99 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in largest city in Brazil peaked at 22.99 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.49 million, in 1960.
Brazil ranks 6th of 153 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in largest city in Brazil, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4.49 million | — |
| 1961 | 4.68 million | +4.2% |
| 1962 | 4.88 million | +4.2% |
| 1963 | 5.08 million | +4.2% |
| 1964 | 5.30 million | +4.2% |
| 1965 | 5.52 million | +4.2% |
| 1966 | 5.87 million | +6.2% |
| 1967 | 6.26 million | +6.8% |
| 1968 | 6.69 million | +6.8% |
| 1969 | 7.14 million | +6.8% |
| 1970 | 7.62 million | +6.8% |
| 1971 | 8.00 million | +5.0% |
| 1972 | 8.38 million | +4.7% |
| 1973 | 8.77 million | +4.7% |
| 1974 | 9.18 million | +4.7% |
| 1975 | 9.61 million | +4.7% |
| 1976 | 10.07 million | +4.7% |
| 1977 | 10.54 million | +4.7% |
| 1978 | 11.03 million | +4.7% |
| 1979 | 11.55 million | +4.7% |
| 1980 | 12.09 million | +4.7% |
| 1981 | 12.38 million | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 12.63 million | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 12.88 million | +2.0% |
| 1984 | 13.13 million | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 13.39 million | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 13.66 million | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 13.93 million | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 14.21 million | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 14.49 million | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 14.78 million | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 15.07 million | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 15.29 million | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 15.49 million | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 15.70 million | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 15.91 million | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 16.13 million | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 16.34 million | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 16.56 million | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 16.79 million | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 17.01 million | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 17.26 million | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 17.51 million | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 17.77 million | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 18.03 million | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 18.29 million | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 18.55 million | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 18.82 million | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 19.10 million | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 19.38 million | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 19.66 million | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 19.90 million | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 20.14 million | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 20.39 million | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 20.63 million | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 20.88 million | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 21.14 million | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 21.39 million | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 21.65 million | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 21.85 million | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 22.04 million | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 22.24 million | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 22.43 million | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 22.62 million | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 22.81 million | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 22.99 million | +0.8% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 22.99 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.00 million, 7.7× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 22.99 million is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3.02 million, 7.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.59 million | 4.49 million | 7.14 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.48 million | 7.62 million | 11.55 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.28 million | 12.09 million | 14.49 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.81 million | 14.78 million | 16.79 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.17 million | 17.01 million | 19.38 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.76 million | 19.66 million | 21.85 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.52 million | 22.04 million | 22.99 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More urban development data for Brazil
- Population in the largest city 12.3% (2025)
- Population density 25.26 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.4432 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 94.31 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.8742 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 11.08 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 50.9 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 2,036 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in largest city in Brazil?
- Population in largest city in Brazil was 22.99 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in largest city recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 22.99 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in largest city recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.49 million in 1960.
- How does Brazil rank for population in largest city?
- Brazil ranks 6th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in largest city rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brazil data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.