27.2% of the 5,507 municipalities in Brazil lost population between 1991 and 2000. On the other hand, 39.8% of the municipalities in the country experienced a population increase up to 1.5%, below the national yearly average of 1.6%.

These data are drawn from the publication, "Demographic Trends: An Analysis of the Sample from the 2000 Census."

The document was released December 28 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), which analyzes in detail the municipalities' growth and falling trends between 1991 and 2000.

The next updating of this study will only occur when the next demographic census is made, in 2010.

In the 1,496 municipalities that lost population, the result is directly related to the creation of new municipalities during the period.

Most of them had populations of fewer than 50 thousand inhabitants. In all, their population corresponded to 14.6 million inhabitants.

Among the 2,193 muncipalities that experienced population increases of up to 1.5%, the ones that stand out are state capitals: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Porto Alegre, and Vitória.

Together, these capitals have 63.5 million inhabitants, 37.4% of the country's total population.

Only 654 municipalities, that is 11.9% of the total, experienced an annual growth rate superior to 3.0%.

Translation: David Silberstein
Agência Brasil

Comments (1)

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written by Guest, January 01, 2005

Not so expectant of an oncoming tidal wave do the more than 3,000,000 millions coastal locals at the greater Recife area remain while they live their unimpeded daily lives.No point in case, but the local populace when "da wave" hits.

I wish I wouldn't give this presumption so much thought.

Mrcio Osrio

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