March 5, 2026
ABr
By Fabiola Sinimbu
Brazilian favelas have grown to occupy an area of 92,300 hectares in the last 40 years, as per data from Mapbiomas’ annual mapping of urbanized areas, released Wednesday (Mar. 4).
According to the figures, slums have almost tripled in size in four decades, becoming 2.75 times larger, while cities, in general, have grown 2.5 times.
The increase was observed from 1985 to 2024, when the urban area of favelas jumped from 53,700 to 146 thousand hectares.
Manaus was the Brazilian city where slums grew the most in size compared to other urban areas during this time span. The area occupied by favelas in the capital of Amazonas increased 2.6-fold.
The study also reveals that the growth dynamics of slums was more intense in Brazil’s metropolitan areas – which in 2024 were home to 82 percent of urbanized areas in slums.
Mapiomas Coordinator Júlio Pedrassoli believes that the faster growth of slum areas compared to the national average and their strong concentration in metropolitan regions suggest a well-known and worrying trend.
“Metropolises concentrate a lot of wealth, but they also intensify structural problems. In the face of ongoing climate change, this is a warning sign,” Pedrassoli pointed out.
The metropolitan areas with the largest shantytown areas are São Paulo, Manaus, and Belém, capital of the state of Pará – with 11,800, 11,400, and 11,300 hectares respectively.
In terms of individual slums, the Federal District is home to those that grew the most from 1985 to 2024. This expansion placed the Sol Nascente and 26 de Setembro slums in first and second place among the largest slums in Brazil, with 599 hectares and 577 hectares.
Water security
Brazilian cities have also occupied more areas threatened by water availability in recent years.
According to researchers, 25 percent of natural areas that have been urbanized are located where water supply capacity is critical. These total some 167,500 hectares.
In total, this amount includes territories in 1,325 Brazilian municipalities, with the city of Rio de Janeiro having the largest urbanized area with minimal water security coditions. In Rio, an additional 7,600 hectares have been urbanized in areas with these conditions over the past 40 years.
“There is a mismatch between the growth of cities and the availability of water. The fact that 1,325 municipalities have expanded their urban areas under these conditions reveals that the problem is structural and national. It is not just a matter of risk,” Pedrassoli concludes saying.
ABr
Agência Brasil (ABr) is the national public news agency, run by the Brazilian government. It is a part of the public media corporation Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), created in 2007 to unite two government media enterprises Radiobrás and TVE (Televisão Educativa).
ABr
By Fabiola Sinimbu
Brazilian favelas have grown to occupy an area of 92,300 hectares in the last 40 years, as per data from Mapbiomas’ annual mapping of urbanized areas, released Wednesday (Mar. 4).
According to the figures, slums have almost tripled in size in four decades, becoming 2.75 times larger, while cities, in general, have grown 2.5 times.
The increase was observed from 1985 to 2024, when the urban area of favelas jumped from 53,700 to 146 thousand hectares.
Manaus was the Brazilian city where slums grew the most in size compared to other urban areas during this time span. The area occupied by favelas in the capital of Amazonas increased 2.6-fold.
The study also reveals that the growth dynamics of slums was more intense in Brazil’s metropolitan areas – which in 2024 were home to 82 percent of urbanized areas in slums.
Mapiomas Coordinator Júlio Pedrassoli believes that the faster growth of slum areas compared to the national average and their strong concentration in metropolitan regions suggest a well-known and worrying trend.
“Metropolises concentrate a lot of wealth, but they also intensify structural problems. In the face of ongoing climate change, this is a warning sign,” Pedrassoli pointed out.
The metropolitan areas with the largest shantytown areas are São Paulo, Manaus, and Belém, capital of the state of Pará – with 11,800, 11,400, and 11,300 hectares respectively.
In terms of individual slums, the Federal District is home to those that grew the most from 1985 to 2024. This expansion placed the Sol Nascente and 26 de Setembro slums in first and second place among the largest slums in Brazil, with 599 hectares and 577 hectares.
Water security
Brazilian cities have also occupied more areas threatened by water availability in recent years.
According to researchers, 25 percent of natural areas that have been urbanized are located where water supply capacity is critical. These total some 167,500 hectares.
In total, this amount includes territories in 1,325 Brazilian municipalities, with the city of Rio de Janeiro having the largest urbanized area with minimal water security coditions. In Rio, an additional 7,600 hectares have been urbanized in areas with these conditions over the past 40 years.
“There is a mismatch between the growth of cities and the availability of water. The fact that 1,325 municipalities have expanded their urban areas under these conditions reveals that the problem is structural and national. It is not just a matter of risk,” Pedrassoli concludes saying.
ABr
Agência Brasil (ABr) is the national public news agency, run by the Brazilian government. It is a part of the public media corporation Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), created in 2007 to unite two government media enterprises Radiobrás and TVE (Televisão Educativa).
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