Rio Favela Population Largest in Brazil: Daily

By Fiona Hurrell, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica) has released the findings from its 2010 census which state that 22.03 percent of the 6,323,037 residents of Rio de Janeiro live in favelas, or ‘substandard’ and irregular housing communities.

According to the new report, there are 1,393,314 people in 763 favelas in Rio, ahead of Sao Paulo, whose population in favelas is listed at 1,280,400.

Perhaps the most striking insight when compared with 2000 Census figures from the IBGE (when there were 1,092,283 residents of favelas in Rio, or 18.65 percent of the inhabitants), representing a growth of favela population of 27.65 percent in ten years.

That is in stark contrast to the growth of population in the rest of the city, which has increased only 3.4 percent, from 4,765,621 to 4,929,723 in ten years, eight times slower.

The new report also shows that Rocinha remains the largest favela community in Rio, containing 69,161 residents in 2010, according to IBGE’s census.

These statistics, however, differ greatly from other published figures from international media sources, as well as the Rocinha community itself which has ranged from 100,000 to 150,000, and even 300,000 in some cases.

According to the institute, this IBGE survey used different methodologies from those of previous censuses, such as satellite images and therefor comparisons between 2000 and 2010 may differ.

Also notable for the total Rio statistics is the IBGE’s findings do not include those residing in favelas in the outer regions of the city, such as Vila do João, Maré, Vila Kennedy or Cidade de Deus which would significantly increase the overall population numbers.

Read more (in Portuguese).

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