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Brazil Population and Religion Percentage
Brazil officially the República Federativa do Brasil is the largest country in South America. Brazil is the world’s seventh-most populous country and 5th largest by land area. The total Land Area of Brazil is 8,460,415 sq. km (3,266,584 sq. mi) and the Population Density of Brazil is 25.5 per sq. km. (66 people per sq. mi.).
As of August 2022, Brazil had a population of 203,062,512, which is 6.5% higher than the last census in 2010 but falls short of the projected 213.3 million in 2021, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
| Brazil | 2022 |
| Total Population | 203,062,512 (203 million) |
| Global Rank | 7th |
| Share of World Pop. | 18.47% |
| Area | 8,460,415 sq. km (3,266,584 sq. mi) |
| Area Rank | 5th |
Density | 25.5 person/sq.km |
Source: Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics
Christianity is the largest religion in Brazil, with Catholics having the most adherents. In the 2010 census, 64.63% of the population declared themselves Catholic, 22.2% as Protestant, 8% as nonreligious, 2% as other Christians, and 3.2% as followers of other religions including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
| Religion/Affiliations | Percentage |
| Christianity | 88.8% |
| – Roman Catholic | 64.60% |
| – Protestant | 22.20% |
| – Other Christian | 2.00% |
| No religion | 8.0% |
| Spiritism | 2.0% |
| Other religions (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism etc.) | 1.20% |
Catholics in Brazil
Brazil has the largest number of Catholic Christians in the world. The largest proportion of Catholics is concentrated in the Northeast (59%) and South (53%) regions. The smallest proportion of Catholics is found in the Center-West region (49%). The State of Piauí has the largest proportion of Catholics (85%) and the State of Rio de Janeiro has the smallest one (45.19%). Among the state capitals, Teresina has the largest proportion of Catholics in the country (86.010%), followed by Aracaju, Fortaleza, Florianópolis, and João Pessoa.
Protestantism in Brazil
Protestantism in Brazil largely originated with American missionaries in the second half of the 19th century. Evangelical Protestantism and Pentecostalism have grown very rapidly in Brazil since the late 20th century. The 2010 Census reported that 22.2% of the Brazilian population is Protestant, about 44 million. As of the year 2000, the largest proportion of Protestants was found in the North (19.8%), Central-West (18.9%), and Southeast (17.5%) regions.
Among the state capitals, Rio de Janeiro has the largest proportion of non-Pentecostal Protestants in the country (10.07%), followed by Vitória, Porto Velho, Cuiabá, and Manaus. But Goiânia is the state capital with the largest proportion of Pentecostal Protestants in the country (20.41%), followed by Boa Vista, Porto Velho, Belém, and Belo Horizonte.
Other Christians Churches are Eastern Orthodoxy, Jehova’s Witness, Later Day Saints, etc.
Non-Christians Religion
There are small populations of people professing Buddhism (215,000), Judaism (107,000), Islam (35,000), Shinto, Rastafarian, and many other religions. They comprise 21st-century immigrants from East Asia, the Middle East, or of recent immigrant descent.
Race and ethnicity in Brazil
The Brazilian Census broadly divides the population into five Ethnic categories. The Branco (White) are approximately half the population of Brazil identify with European Origin. The “Pardo” or Multiracial is about 43% of the total population and is of mixed European, African, and Indigenous Origin.
The Preto (Black) are mainly of African ancestry and make up around 8% of the Brazilian population. The remaining population is of Amarelo/Asiático (Yellow/Asian), and Indígena (Indigenous) people.
Race in Brazil as per 2010 Census
- Brancos (White) – 47.7%
- Pardos (Multiracial) – 43.1%
- Pretos (African) – 7.6%
- Amarelos (East Asians) – 1.1%
- Indígenas (Indigenous) – 0.4%
Source: Census 2010
Top Cities in Brazil by Population
Brazil’s southeast continues to be its most populated region, hosting some 41.8% of its entire population or 84.8 million people. That is where Brazil’s largest cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, are located.
| # | City | Population 2020 |
| 1 | São Paulo | 1,12,53,503 |
| 2 | Rio de Janeiro | 63,20,446 |
| 3 | Brasília | 25,70,160 |
| 4 | Salvador | 26,75,656 |
| 5 | Fortaleza | 24,52,185 |
| 6 | Belo Horizonte | 23,75,151 |
| 7 | Manaus | 18,02,014 |
| 8 | Curitiba | 17,51,907 |
| 9 | Recife | 15,37,704 |
| 10 | Goiânia | 13,02,001 |
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