IBGE Reports Quadruple Increase in Brazil's Inhabited Localities in 2022 Census

The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) revealed in its 2022 Census update that Brazil now has 87,362 classified localities with permanent inhabitants, a fourfold increase from the 21,886 recorded in 2010. This surge of 65,476 new localities is credited to methodological advancements including enhanced mapping tools and high-resolution satellite imagery.

IBGE's expanded classification covers a broad spectrum of settlements such as cities, towns, urban nuclei, hamlets, rural nuclei, indigenous territories, quilombola communities, and agro-villages from settlement projects. For the first time, new categories like 'Outras Localidades'—comprising 38,782 smaller settlements—and 'Localidades Quilombolas' have been introduced, reflecting ethnic identities and finer spatial distinctions.

Regional demographic patterns show that the South and Southeast regions predominantly have urban localities, whereas the North and Northeast host more rural settlements and the majority of indigenous and quilombola communities, with over 8,500 indigenous and 8,400 quilombola localities documented.

Felipe Leitão, IBGE's Territorial Mapping and Ordering manager, emphasized that these localities represent more than geographic or statistical entities; they are vital social spaces that underpin daily life. The detailed data is poised to significantly enhance logistics, infrastructure planning, tourism, health and education service distribution, environmental conservation, academic research, and public policy formulation across Brazil.