University of São Paulo: Study by Seade Foundation Unveils Population Growth Patterns in São Paulo State

According to a survey conducted by the Seade Foundation, only 15 municipalities out of a total of 645 municipalities in São Paulo account for almost half of the state’s population. As an example, the capital of São Paulo, the largest municipality in the state, has 11 million inhabitants, while Borá, the smallest of the registered cities, has less than a thousand residents, with 902 citizens. The data also show ongoing population growth in the state of São Paulo.

Compared to the year 2000, the number of municipalities with more than 400,000 inhabitants increased from ten to 15, seven of which are located in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. Cities with less than 10,000 inhabitants decreased, with 295 of them in 2000 and 273 in 2023, demonstrating the demographic growth of these cities. Smaller municipalities represent 42.3% of the total number of cities, with a population representing 3% of the state. Most of these locations are concentrated in the northwest region of the state of São Paulo.