Although Brazil is the sixth most populous nation, its nationwide demographic density is low compared to other countries. The population is concentrated along the Atlantic coastal areas of the southeastern and northeastern states. Industrial activity is concentrated in the southeastern region, with 50 percent of the industrial production located in the state of São Paulo. Migration from the northeast to the southeast, as well as from rural to urban areas, has been heavy since 1970. More recently, the population flow has turned towards the less inhabited central-western and northern regions.
Population Distribution and Inhabitants per Sq. Mile (Sq.Km)(1)
1970
1980
1997
Region
Pop. mil.
Mi2
Km2
Pop. mil.
Mi2
Km2
Pop. mil.
Mi2
Km2
North
3.6
2.3
0.9
6.0
4.4
1.7
11.5
7.8
3.0
Northeast
28.1
46.9
18.1
35.5
59.3
22.9
45.6
75.6
29.2
Southeast
39.9
111.6
43.1
52.7
147.6
57.0
68.2
190.0
73.6
South
16.5
74.3
28.7
19.4
87.0
33.6
23.9
107.5
41.5
West Central
5.1
8.2
3.2
7.7
10.6
4.1
10.7
17.1
6.6
All Brazil
93.2
28.2
10.9
121.3
37.0
14.3
159.9
47.9
18.5
(*) For administrative and statistical purposes Brazil is divided into five regions, based on broadly similar features with perimeters following state boundaries.
