Brazil had 214.2 million inhabitants as of July 1, 2026, according to estimates released on Friday (28) by IBGE, the national statistics institute. The figure matters beyond the headline: it determines how much federal money each city hall receives, because it feeds the calculation of the FPM, the Municipal Participation Fund that transfers federal revenue to towns.

Growth versus 2025, when the country had 213.4 million people, was 0.37%. Put differently, for every 1,000 Brazilians, fewer than four people were added to the total in one year. In 2025 the rate was slightly higher, at 0.39%.

In absolute terms, Brazil gained 790,900 residents in one year, according to IBGE. As Folha de S.Paulo put it, that is roughly ten packed Maracanã stadiums, Rio's iconic football arena, joining the count.

How the math works

Since Brazil does not run its census every year, IBGE projects the population of each municipality using July 1 as the reference date. The federal audit court (TCU) then uses these estimates to split the FPM and the FPE, the equivalent fund for states and the Federal District. For small towns these transfers are often the main source of revenue, so every resident more or less changes the local budget.

The country now has 15 municipalities with more than 1 million inhabitants, counting the capital Brasília. Together they hold 42.9 million people, 20% of the national population. São Paulo remains the largest city, with 11.9 million residents; only Guarulhos and Campinas, both in São Paulo state, are not state capitals.

At the other end, Serra da Saudade, in Minas Gerais state, is Brazil's smallest municipality, with just 857 residents. Anhanguera (Goiás), Borá (São Paulo) and Araguainha (Mato Grosso) also have fewer than 1,000 people each, according to IBGE.

Slower growth ahead, then decline

In the early 2000s Brazil's population grew more than 1% per year, almost triple the current pace, according to estimates IBGE revised in 2024. Institute researchers point to fewer children per woman and faster aging as the drivers of the slowdown.

Projections show the country reaching a population peak of 220.43 million people in 2041. From 2042 onward the trend reverses, and the decline is expected to intensify in the following decades.

Among the states, Mato Grosso do Sul saw its population rise 0.74% to 2,946,273 residents, double the national pace, according to Campo Grande News.