Population of Brazil

The population of Brazil is a racially diverse one consisting of four main ethnic groups including Amerindians, Asians, Africans, and Europeans. Brazil takes a census every ten years and records the changes in population in each state of the country.

The current population of Brazil is estimated at 203,429,773 people. The census is supposed to take place in July 2011, so they will have a more accurate number after tallying up the numbers.

Demographics of Brazil's Population

What do the demographics of Brazil tell us about the people who live there? First, the demographics tell us that Brazil is primarily a very young nation with over 60% of the population at or under the age of 29 years old.

Estimates for 2011 look like this when the numbers are broken down:

• 65 years of age and up - 6.7%
  
  
• 15-64 years of age - this age group is the largest one in Brazil with 67% of the population between these ages.
  
  
• 0-14 years of age - the second largest percentage of people in Brazil fall between these ages, which is about 26% of the population.

Growth Rates in Brazil

The population of a young Brazil back in 1550 was about 15,000. Since then, Brazil has grown into the fifth largest country worldwide! What does the growth look like for Brazil? The growth rate is different than the population numbers. When we look at the population numbers, they always seem to go up, as evidenced below.

• 2003, just over 182 million
  
  
• 2004 and 2005, around 186 million
  
  
• 2006, 188 million
  
  
• 2007, 190 million
  
  
• 2008, 196 million
  
  
• 2009, just under 199 million
  
  
• 2010, 201 million

The growth rate however has actually dropped over the last several years. The year 2009 saw a decrease from the previous year by about 2.44%. Between 2009 and 2010, the growth rate dropped again by 2.5%. From 2010 to 2011, the growth rate dropped even more by nearly an entire percentage point to 3.42%.

Where is the Population of Brazil Located in the Country?

The interior of Brazil has for many years been nearly empty save for a few indigenous tribes that inhabit those remote areas. That is slowly changing given the push toward urbanization and the interest in utilizing the natural resources of the country.

Most Brazilians inhabit the northeastern and southeastern coast of the Atlantic. The majority of those on the coast are either right on the coast or no more than 300 kilometers away.

A quick overview of the inhabited areas of Brazil might look something like this:

• Southern Brazil - most people who live here are Caucasian with European origins
  
  
• Southeastern Brazil - you'll find a lot of ethnic diversity in this area of the country. Inhabitants have ethnic backgrounds of Caucasian, African, Asian, and mixed races. These states of Brazil are home to the most historic and oldest Portuguese village, and perhaps for that reason, seems to draw a greater diversity of people.
  
  
• Central-Western Brazil - a unique mix of races between Portuguese and Indians, but these states also see a large percentage of Italian and German people.
  
  
• Northeast Brazil - almost all the people living in these states are brown or black-skinned as a result of 400 years of interracial mixes of people.
  
  
• North Brazil - Amerindians were the primary inhabitants of this area of Brazil in the beginning centuries, but by the early 20th century, other ethnic people began moving into the North.

Did You Know?

The estimated growth rate for Brazil's population in 2011 is around 1.134%. It's also estimated that by the time the census is taken, there will have been 17.79 births for every 1,000 people. The death rate is significantly below the birth rate at 6.36 deaths for every 1,000 Brazilians.

The average number of children Brazilian women bear is two, which means the population doesn't exactly increase by leaps and bounds, but it is relatively steady for the most part.

How long do Brazilians live? The life span is an average of 69 years for Brazilian males and 76 years for Brazilian females. The average life span if you average the two out is around 72 or 73 years.

Brazil is home to the largest number of ethnic Japanese people other than their home country of Japan? Brazil is a true melting pot of ethnic groups!