Quick facts
Belo Horizonte overview
Belo Horizonte (orange) and the other large cities of Brazil
Belo Horizonte lies in Minas Gerais in Brazil at 19.92°S, 43.94°W, about 888 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Sao_Paulo (UTC-3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Rio de Janeiro (6,747,815) and larger than Salvador (2,711,840). The largest city in Brazil is São Paulo with 12,400,232 people; the capital, Brasília, has 2,207,718.
The national capital, Brasília, is about 625 km away; the nearest large city is Nova Lima, 12 km from Belo Horizonte.
Brazil as a whole has a live population of 213,783,157 (+0.3% a year) and ranks #7 of 238 countries — see the Brazil population page for the full statistics and the Brazil atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Belo Horizonte
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Nova Lima Minas Gerais | 12 km | 120,959 |
| Contagem Minas Gerais | 12 km | 627,123 |
| Sabará Minas Gerais | 14 km | 129,380 |
| Ibirité Minas Gerais | 17 km | 179,582 |
| Santa Luzia Minas Gerais | 19 km | 219,132 |
| Ribeirão das Neves Minas Gerais | 23 km | 346,971 |
| Vespasiano Minas Gerais | 25 km | 138,583 |
| Betim Minas Gerais | 28 km | 384,000 |
Largest cities in Brazil
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Paulo | São Paulo | 12,400,232 |
| 2 | Rio de Janeiro | Rio de Janeiro | 6,747,815 |
| 3 | Belo Horizonte | Minas Gerais | 2,721,564 |
| 4 | Salvador | Bahia | 2,711,840 |
| 5 | Fortaleza | Ceará | 2,400,000 |
| 6 | Manaus | Amazonas | 2,219,580 |
| 7 | BrasíliaCapital | Federal District | 2,207,718 |
| 8 | Curitiba | Paraná | 1,948,626 |
| 9 | Recife | Pernambuco | 1,653,461 |
| 10 | Goiânia | Goiás | 1,536,097 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Belo Horizonte?
Belo Horizonte has about 2,721,564 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Belo Horizonte the capital of Brazil?
No. The capital of Brazil is Brasília (2,207,718 people), about 625 km away. Belo Horizonte is the 3rd largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Belo Horizonte compared with the rest of Brazil?
Its 2,721,564 residents are 1.3% of the 213,783,157 people living in Brazil today. São Paulo is larger with 12,400,232 people.
Where is Belo Horizonte?
In Minas Gerais, Brazil, at latitude -19.92 and longitude -43.94, 888 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Nova Lima (12 km), Contagem (12 km), Sabará (14 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Belo Horizonte Population 2026 — Brazil. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/belo-horizonte/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/belo-horizonte/">Belo Horizonte Population 2026 — Brazil</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.