Brazil currently has 189.6 million inhabitants distributed across 5,565 cities and the capital of the Brazilian southeastern state of São Paulo is the most populous, with 10.9 million people. The figures are presented in the 2008 Population Estimates, just disclosed by the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics.
The study shows that in the second place in the ranking of most populous cities is Rio de Janeiro, with 6.1 million inhabitants, followed by Salvador, with 2.9 million.
Belo Horizonte, which was in the fourth position in 2000, is now in the sixth position. The capital of the state of Minas Gerais was overtaken by the Federal District (the Brazilian capital), which this year reached a population of 2.5 million people. Fortaleza has been in the fifth position for eight years running.
The study shows that, on the other tip, is the city of Borá, in the state of São Paulo, with a population of just 834 inhabitants, just 39 more than in 2000.
Among the five Brazilian cities with the lowest number of inhabitants in 2000, just Borá and Serra da Saudade (with 889 inhabitants), in Minas Gerais, continue in the same position in 2008. The research disclosed last week also includes the city of Nazária (in the state of Piauí).
According to the IBGE, for the calculation of the new population results a methodology that brought together figures from the census and demographic components was used, making it possible to evaluate and even correct information about the volume and the composition of the population by sex and age.
The figures were disclosed in the Official Gazette (Diário Oficial). According to the IBGE, the city halls have 20 days, from the publication, to place complaints about the information in the study. After this period, the IBGE has up to October 31 to forward the figures to the Federal Court of Audits (TCU).
ABr
