• Highlights

• 19.2 million people lived out of their birthplace, and 10.4 million (54.0%) were born in the Northeast Region. It should be highlighted that 6.8 million (65.5%) of Northeastern migrants lived in the Southeast Region.
• The Northeast (96.6%) and South (91.9%) regions recorded the highest percentages of resident population in their own birthplace. On the other hand, the Central-West Region (73.4%) showed the lowest index of natural residents.
• 29.0 million people lived in different Federation Units from their birthplaces. São Paulo had the highest volume of non-naturals living in its territory: 8.6 million people. In contrast, 2.9 million people who were born in São Paulo lived in other states.
• Bahia and Minas Gerais were the Federation Units that mostly lost natural people along the history, with 3.4 and 3.5 million people, respectively, living in states different from their birthplaces.
• Considering the analysis of fixed date, i.e., it considers as the period of analysis the place of residence of persons 5 years before the reference date of the Census, Santa Catarina showed the highest migration surplus and the highest net migration rate in 2022. Between 2017 and 2022, that state reported a population gain of 354 thousand people, a contribution of 4.66% to its total population. That phenomenon marks a historical change, since São Paulo showed the highest surplus since the introduction of the fixed date issue in the Population Censuses in 1991.
• São Paulo registered a migration balance of -90 thousand people, with a net migration rate of -0.20%, the first negative figure for this Federation Unit since the beginning of the fixed date analysis in 1991. That state remains as the main migration center in Brazil, receiving 736 thousand immigrants and losing 826 thousand emigrants between 2017 and 2022, the biggest contingents in Brazil.
• Among the Northeastern Federation Units, Paraíba stood out, by showing a net migration rate of 0.78% due to a positive migration balance of 31 thousand individuals. That result represents the first positive balance recorded in the state since 1991 and it is relevant as it is the only state in the region to report a positive rate in 2022.
• That positive migration balance of Paraíba was leveraged by flows from São Paulo (22.3%), and Rio de Janeiro (20.0%), possibly linked with a comeback movement, as well as from Pernambuco (20.4%), reflecting the interconnection between the two states, especially in the economic dynamics and in the labor market relations.
• Rio de Janeiro registered the highest negative migration balance in Brazil, showing a significant contingent of emigrants, whose destination occurs predominantly within the own region. Among those flows, displacement for neighbor state stood out: São Paulo (21.4%), Minas Gerais (17.7%) and Espírito Santo (7.3%). It was the first negative balance in the state since 1991 (-69 thousand), when the indicator began to be surveyed.
• The Federal District, in turn, showed the second highest negative balance, directing to Goiás a significant percentage of its emigrants (48.5%), followed by smaller flows to Minas Gerais (7.5%) and Bahia (6.6%).

Data from the 2022 Population Census show that 19.2 million people live in a region different from that where they were born, and 10.4 million (54.0%) were born in the Northeast. It should be highlighted that 6.8 million (65.5%) of Northeasters who lived out of the birthplace lived in the Southeast, reflecting the historical movement of migration of the Northeastern population towards that region.

On the other hand, the Northeast (96.6%) and South (91.9%) regions recorded the highest percentages of resident population in their own birthplace, whereas the Central-West (73.4%) showed the lowest index of natural residents.

The Information is part of 2022 Population Census: Fertility and migration: Preliminary sample results, released today (27) by the IBGE. The release event will take place at the Auditorium of the Institute of Chemistry (IQ) of the University of Brasília (UnB), Darcy Ribeiro campus, and will be streamed through Digital IBGE and IBGE´s social media.

The results can be accessed on the IBGE portal and in platforms like SIDRA and Census Overview. In the last case, data can be viewed through interactive maps. Please see also news on international migration and fertility.

Among the states, 29.0 million people lived in Federation Units other than those of their birthplace. São Paulo had the highest volume of non-naturals living in its territory: 8.6 million people. In contrast, 2.9 million people who were born in São Paulo lived in other states.

Bahia and Minas Gerais were the Federation Units that mostly lost natural people along the history, with 3.4 and 3.5 million people, respectively, living in states different from their birthplaces.

"These patterns reflect both historical processes of population redistribution and regional economic dynamics, which drive the attraction or expulsion of migration flows in different periods, coupled with the population size of each Federation Unit compared with the total Brazilian population," highlights Marcelo Dantas, an analyst of the release.

In 2022, 3 million people lived in regions other than those that they lived in 2017

The Census also investigates migration by fixed date, which asks persons on the place of residence exactly five years before the reference data of the survey. Migrants were those who lived in different localities in the two dates, enabling measures of migration analysis like immigration, emigration, migration balance and net migration rate.

The northeast Region received nearly 746 thousand immigrants from other regions, whereas nearly 995 thousand persons left this region within five years before the 2022 Population Census, resulting in a negative migration balance of 249 thousand people.

"Despite being a significant negative balance, the result represents a strong reduction over the negative balance of more than 700 thousand people registered in the 2010 Census," reminds him.

For the Southeast Region, the flows were of 859 thousand immigrants and 980 thousand emigrants, producing a negative balance of 121 thousand people in the 2017-2022 period.

"The Southeast recorded the first regional loss since 1991. That region is no longer the one that showed the highest positive regional balance in the previous censuses to become a net loser of persons in 2022," points out the analyst.

In 2022, the North Region received nearly 231 thousand immigrants from other Brazilian regions and lost nearly 432 thousand emigrants in five years, resulting in a negative migration balance of 201 thousand people.

"This is the first negative balance for that region since the data began to be collected in the 1991 Population Census. It is a reversal in the regional pattern of the North, which, historically, received more migrants than sent to other regions," highlights Dantas.

The South registered the highest regional migration balance in the 2027-2022 period in Brazil, with nearly 362 thousand people. That growth was driven, to a great extent, by 612 thousand immigrants pinpointed in the 2022 Census. It is a significant increase in relation to the balance of 76 thousand people recorded in 2010.

Having shown the second highest regional migration balance since 1991, the Central-West reported flows of 595 thousand migrants from other regions and of 387 thousand emigrants, a gain of 209 thousand people.

"This trend in the Central-West Region can be explained by structural factors, like the agricultural expansion, investments in infrastructure and strengthening of urban poles in the region."

The analysis of the full set of Federation Units showed a relative stability in the migration flows. 4.6 million displacements between states were registered in the 2005-2010 period, whereas this contingent reached 4.7 million individuals in the 2017-2022 period, a slight increase of 0.3% between the last two Censuses.

Santa Catarina has the most positive migration balance and Rio de Janeiro, the most negative

The migration balance represents the net migration and remains the prevailing concept in the analysis of population flows. The net migration rate is calculated from this balance, which expresses the magnitude of the migration in relation to the total population recorded in the reference date of the Census. Whenever positive, that rate points out how much the population was increased by the migration balance. Whenever negative, it reveals the parcel of the population that was reduced due to migration movements.

Santa Catarina showed the highest migration balance and the highest net migration rate in 2022. Between 2017 and 2022, that state reported a population gain of 354 thousand people, a contribution of 4.66% to its total population. This phenomenon marks a historical change, since São Paulo registered the highest balance since the introduction of the fixed date issue in the Population Censuses from 1991 to 2010.

São Paulo records a negative balance for the first time ever

São Paulo reported a migration balance of -90 thousand people, with a net rate of -0.20%, the first negative result for that Federation Unit since the beginning of the collection of fixed-date migration in 1991.

The analyst emphasizes that the state remains as the main migration center in Brazil, receiving 736 thousand immigrants and losing 826 thousand emigrants between 2017 and 2022, the largest contingents in Brazil.

Among the Northeastern Federation Units, Paraíba stood out, by showing a net migration rate of 0.78% due to a positive migration balance of 31 thousand individuals. That result represents the first positive balance recorded in the state since 1991 and it is relevant as it is the only state in the region to report a positive rate in 2022.

That positive migration balance of Paraíba was leveraged by flows from São Paulo (22.3%), and Rio de Janeiro (20.0%), possibly linked with a comeback movement, as well as from Pernambuco (20.4%), reflecting the interconnection between the two states, especially in the economic dynamics and in the labor market relations.

Rio de Janeiro has the most negative migration balance in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro registered the highest negative migration balance in Brazil (-165 thousand people), revealing a significant contingent of emigrants, whose destination occurs predominantly within the region itself. Among those flows, displacement for neighbor state stood out: São Paulo (21.4%), Minas Gerais (17.7%) and Espírito Santo (7.3%). It was the first negative balance in the state since 1991 (-69 thousand), when the indicator began to be surveyed.

The Federal District, in turn, showed the second highest negative balance, directing to Goiás a significant percentage of its emigrants (48.5%), followed by smaller flows to Minas Gerais (7.5%) and Bahia (6.6%).

More about the survey

The survey deepens the characterization of the Brazilian population through information collected in the block of questions relative to themes Fertility and Migration of the Sample Questionnaire of the 2022 Population Census.

The data on Fertility are disaggregated by color or race, schooling level, age group e religion of women for Brazil and Federation Units. The data on Migration are detailed by places of birth, previous residence and residence length in the municipality, as well as information on international immigration for geographies Brazil, Major Regions, Federation Units and Municipalities.