Four of Brazil’s 26 state capitals saw their resident numbers fall between the last two IBGE population surveys, the national statistics institute reported on Friday.
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) released its annual municipal population estimates in the Official Gazette, showing that Salvador, the capital of Bahia, lost 0.17% of its inhabitants, dropping to 2,559,945 residents.
Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte, fell 0.13%; Belém, in Pará, declined 0.08%; and Belo Horizonte, in Minas Gerais, slipped 0.02%.
This article relies on single-source reporting from CNN Brasil.
Overall population trends
The IBGE estimates put Brazil’s total population at 214.2 million in 2026, with a geometric growth rate of 0.37%, slightly down from 0.39% the prior year, indicating a slowing pace of expansion.
Largest cities
The five most populous municipalities remain São Paulo (11.9 million), Rio de Janeiro (6.7 million), Brasília (3.0 million), Fortaleza (2.58 million) and Salvador (2.56 million), together accounting for 12.5% of the national total.
Contrasting growth
While some capitals shrank, others expanded: Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima, posted the strongest increase at 3.2%, whereas Porto Alegre showed no change. Most capitals registered modest gains.
Smallest municipalities
At the other extreme, the least‑populous towns include Serra da Saudade (MG) with 857 inhabitants, Anhanguera (GO) with 906, Borá (SP) with 935, Araguaína (MT) with 989 and Nova Castilho (SP) with 1,070.
Use of data
The IBGE figures serve as the basis for the Tribunal de Contas da União’s calculation of state and municipal participation funds, and are also referenced for social, economic and demographic indicators.