Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Rio de Janeiro - Statistics & Facts
The city of Rio de Janeiro is Brazil's main and largest domestic tourist destination. Founded in the 16th century after colonization by the Portuguese, although the region was previously inhabited by indigenous populations, Rio de Janeiro was made the capital of Brazil in the 18th century, which remained there until the federal government relocated it to Brasilia in the 20th century. Rio also functioned as the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves from 1807-1821, making it the only European capital outside of Europe.
Demographic outlook
Rio is Brazil's second most populous city, after S茫o Paulo, currently with6.7 million inhabitants. Although the city saw a decline in population after the last census and its birth rate has been falling since 2017, it remains higher than the death rate, which indicates natural population growth. Regarding employment, the inhabitants of Rio have a relatively high average monthly income, although unemployment in the city is higher than the national mean.Economy and Tourism
While it is one of the smallest states in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro has the second largest GDP in the Brazilian economy. Rio's economy is geared towards the tertiary sector, with tourism being one of the most important factors. Famous for its beaches, Christ the Redeemer, and Carnival, Rio de Janeiro is a constant presence in Latin America's most popular tourist destinations with an annual hotel occupancy rate of over 60 percent. However, in spite of its popularity, the city's gross domestic product is still bellow 2018 values.Carnival
Every year in February, Brazil stops for five days to be the annual stage for one of the world's biggest cultural events, Carnival. Despite the dispute over which Brazilian city has the best carnival, the carnival of Cidade Maravilhosa (The Marvelous City), Rio de Janeiro's nickname, is enjoyed by the vast majority of residents, and moves an estimated 5.7 billion Brazilian reals.Crime and violence
In addition to being one of the main tourist destinations in South America, Rio de Janeiro is one of the Brazilian cities with the highest crime rates. Despite efforts to fight organized crime, it is with the involvement of the police that one third of the shootings take place in the Marvelous City. This led the Federal Supreme Court to oblige the State of Rio de Janeiro, in 2022, to prepare a plan to combat police lethality. In March of the same year, the government of Rio de Janeiro presented the plan and, although this being a recent development, the number of shootings has been fallen year after year.
