Demographics of Brazil - Statistics & Facts
Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world, not only by are, but by population as well. This South American country is inhabited by a total of 216 million people, making it the second most populated country in the American continent, only surpassed by the United States. Most Brazilians are located in the Eastern and Southern regions. The North region, which encompasses almost half of the national territory and most of the Brazil's Legal Amazon has, by contrast, a low population density. Brazilian population is, furthermore, eminently urban. Brazil鈥檚 largest metropolises, S茫o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, are home to 11.45 and 6.21 million people, respectively.
According to the latest census, 42 percent of Brazilians considered themselves Pardos in 2023, a category used by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estat铆stica (IBGE) to designate people with a mixed ethnic ancestry, while 46 percent were white and another 10.6 were Black. Nevertheless, the ethnic distribution varies considerably across the country. For instance, in the North, 69 percent of the population identify as Pardo Brazilian, while this share fell to 22 percent in the South, where 71 percent of inhabitants are white.
The average life expectancy at birth in 2022 was 73.4 years, compared with an average of 73.55 years a decade earlier, and only slightly below the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. This value differed between women and men, with the former having an average life expectancy about six years higher than males. Simultaneously, both the infant mortality rate and the adult mortality rate have decreased to its lowest values, reflecting, among others, a better prevention system and greater access to and quality of health care and education. However, since 2019, the adult mortality rate skyrocketed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ethnic composition
Brazil is made up of a tapestry of ethnicities, with a considerable share of the population having a racial mix. The country鈥檚 population is formed by indigenous people (distributed in hundreds of ethnic groups, with the Guarani and Ticuna among the largest ones), descendants of European migrants and settlers (mainly Portuguese, but also Dutch, German, Italian, and Polish -- depending on the region and the time period of the migratory movement) and descendants of African slaves and migrants. There is also a considerable number of Brazilians of East Asian and Middle Eastern descent.According to the latest census, 42 percent of Brazilians considered themselves Pardos in 2023, a category used by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estat铆stica (IBGE) to designate people with a mixed ethnic ancestry, while 46 percent were white and another 10.6 were Black. Nevertheless, the ethnic distribution varies considerably across the country. For instance, in the North, 69 percent of the population identify as Pardo Brazilian, while this share fell to 22 percent in the South, where 71 percent of inhabitants are white.
A country with young population
Brazil is experiencing a demographic change typical in many developing countries, with a substantial increase in life expectancy and median age while fertility and mortality rates fall. The average age of the Brazilian population has been rising in recent years, from a low of 16.8 years in 1965 to 34.8 years in 2025. It remains, however, far from the median age registered in developed countries such as Japan, Italy, or South Korea, where it exceeds 43 years. A large share of the Brazilian population is young; as of 2023, the number of inhabitants below the age of 15 was more than double those aged 65 or above.The average life expectancy at birth in 2022 was 73.4 years, compared with an average of 73.55 years a decade earlier, and only slightly below the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. This value differed between women and men, with the former having an average life expectancy about six years higher than males. Simultaneously, both the infant mortality rate and the adult mortality rate have decreased to its lowest values, reflecting, among others, a better prevention system and greater access to and quality of health care and education. However, since 2019, the adult mortality rate skyrocketed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
