Population in the largest city in Brazil
Brazil: Population in the largest city was 12.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
12.3%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
139th
of 153 countries
All-time high
15.1%
in 1971
All-time low
11.9%
in 2005
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in the largest city in Brazil, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in the largest city in Brazil stood at 12.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Brazil peaked at 15.1% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 2005.
That places Brazil 139th out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Brazil, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 13.9% | — |
| 1961 | 13.8% | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 13.7% | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 13.6% | -0.5% |
| 1964 | 13.6% | -0.4% |
| 1965 | 13.5% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 13.8% | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 14.1% | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 14.4% | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 14.7% | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 15.0% | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 15.1% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 15.0% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 15.0% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 14.9% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 14.8% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 14.7% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 14.7% | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 14.7% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 14.7% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 14.8% | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 14.6% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 14.4% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 14.2% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 14.0% | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 13.8% | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 13.7% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 13.5% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 13.4% | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 13.3% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 13.2% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 13.2% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 13.0% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 12.9% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 12.8% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 12.7% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 12.5% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 12.4% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 12.3% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 12.1% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 12.0% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 12.0% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 12.0% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 11.9% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 11.9% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 11.9% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 11.9% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 12.0% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 12.0% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 12.0% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 12.0% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 12.0% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 12.1% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 12.1% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 12.1% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 12.1% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 12.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 12.1% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 12.1% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 12.2% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 12.2% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 12.2% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 12.2% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 12.3% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.9% | 13.5% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 14.9% | 14.7% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.0% | 13.3% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.7% | 12.1% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.0% | 11.9% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.1% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
- 136 Sri Lanka 14.6% compare
- 137 Uzbekistan 14.1% compare
- 138 Iran, Islamic Republic of 13.6% compare
- 140 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 11.8% compare
- 141 Russian Federation 11.8% compare
- 142 Nigeria 11.3% compare
More urban development data for Brazil
- 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)
- Population in largest city 22.99 million (2025)
- 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 the largest city in Brazil?
- Population in the largest city in Brazil was 12.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 15.1% in 1971.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 2005.
- How does Brazil rank for population in the largest city?
- Brazil ranks 139th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brazil data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.