Demographics & population — Brazil
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Demographics & population at a glance
Population size, age structure, migration, ethnicity, language, education, and health indicators. Key figure for Brazil: 220,051,512
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Population overview
- Population
220,051,512
- Population Growth Rate
0.61%
- Population Distribution
the vast majority of people live along, or relatively near, the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of São Paolo, Brasília, and Rio de Janeiro
- Urban Population
- urban population: 87.8%
- of total population rate of urbanization: 0.87% annual rate of change
- Population in Major Urban Areas
22.620 million São Paulo, 13.728 million Rio de Janeiro, 6.248 million Belo Horizonte, 4.873 million BRASÍLIA (capital), 4.264 million Recife, 4.212 million Porto Alegre
- Population: Male/Female
- male: 108,166,491
- female: 111,885,021
Age & family
- Age Structure
- years: 19.6% (male 22,025,593/female 21,088,398) 15-64
- years: 69.5% (male 75,889,089/female 77,118,722) 65
- years and over: 10.9% (male 10,251,809/female 13,677,901)
- Median Age
- total: 35.1
- years male: 34
- years female: 36.1 years
- Birth Rate - births/1,000 population
13
- Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population
7
- Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman
1.74
- Gross reproduction rate
1
- Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49
80.5%
- Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49
80.5%
- Currently married women (ages 15-49)
55.9%
- Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female
- at birth: 1.05
- male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04
- male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98
- male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75
- male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female
Migration
- Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population
-0.2
- Demographic profile
Brazil's rapid fertility decline since the 1960s is the main factor behind the country's slowing population growth rate, aging population, and fast-paced demographic transition.
Brasilia has not taken full advantage of its large working-age population to develop its human capital and strengthen its social and economic institutions but is funding a study abroad program to bring advanced skills back to the country.
The current favorable age structure will begin to shift around 2025, with the labor force shrinking and the elderly starting to compose an increasing share of the total population.
Well-funded public pensions have nearly wiped out poverty among the elderly, and Bolsa Familia and other social programs have lifted tens of millions out of poverty.
More than half of Brazil's population is considered middle class, but poverty and income inequality levels remain high; the Northeast, North, and Center-West, women, and black, mixed race, and indigenous populations are disproportionately affected.
Disparities in opportunities foster social exclusion and contribute to Brazil's high crime rate, particularly violent crime in cities and favelas (slums).
Brazil has traditionally been a net recipient of immigrants, with its southeast being the prime destination.
After the importation of African slaves was outlawed in the mid-19th century, Brazil sought Europeans (Italians, Portuguese, Spaniards, and Germans) and later Asians (Japanese) to work in agriculture, especially coffee cultivation.
Recent immigrants come mainly from Argentina, Chile, and Andean countries (many are unskilled illegal migrants) or are returning Brazilian nationals.
Since Brazil's economic downturn in the 1980s, emigration to the United States, Europe, and Japan has been rising but is negligible relative to Brazil's total population.
The majority of these emigrants are well-educated and middle-class.
Fewer Brazilian peasants are emigrating to neighboring countries to take up agricultural work.
Ethnicity & language
- Ethnic Groups
mixed 45.3%, White 43.5%, Black 10.2%, Indigenous 0.6%, Asian 0.4%
- Language Note
Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note - less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages
- Nationality Noun
- Brazilian(s) adjective: Brazilian
Education
- Literacy - total population
94.7%
- Literacy - male
94.4%
- Literacy - female
94.9%
- Literacy Definition
age 15 and over can read and write
- Education Expenditures - percent of GDP
6%
- Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)
- total: 16
- years male: 15
- years female: 16 years
Health & living conditions
- Life Expectancy at Birth
- total population: 76.3
- years male: 72.6
- years female: 80.1 years
- Infant Mortality Rate
- total: 12.9 deaths/1,000
- live births male: 14.6 deaths/1,000
- live births female: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births
- Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births
- total: 12.9 deaths/1,000
- live births male: 14.6 deaths/1,000
- live births female: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births
- Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births
72
- Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population
2.1
- Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population
2.3
- Health Expenditures - percent of GDP
10.3%
- Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk
- bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria,
- hepatitis B (2024) water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
22.1%
- Tobacco Use
- total: 12.8%
- male: 16.2%
- female: 9.4%
- Alcohol consumption per capita
- total: 6.12
- liters of pure alcohol beer: 3.84
- liters of pure alcohol wine: 0.24
- liters of pure alcohol spirits: 2
- liters of pure alcohol other alcohols: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol
- Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved
- urban: 99.8%
- of population rural: 96.9%
- of population total: 99.4%
- urban: 0.2%
- of population rural: 3.1%
- of population total: 0.6% of population
- Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved
- urban: 94.1%
- of population rural: 63.6%
- of population total: 90.2%
- urban: 5.9%
- of population rural: 36.4%
- of population total: 9.8% of population