Quick facts
Fortaleza overview
Fortaleza (orange) and the other large cities of Brazil
Fortaleza lies in Ceará in Brazil at 3.72°S, 38.54°W, about 18 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Fortaleza (UTC-3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Salvador (2,711,840) and larger than Manaus (2,219,580). 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 1,689 km away; the nearest large city is Caucaia, 12 km from Fortaleza.
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 Fortaleza
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Caucaia Ceará | 12 km | 378,406 |
| Maracanaú Ceará | 20 km | 251,613 |
| Maranguape Ceará | 25 km | 108,622 |
| Itapipoca Ceará | 118 km | 138,978 |
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 Fortaleza?
Fortaleza has about 2,400,000 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Fortaleza the capital of Brazil?
No. The capital of Brazil is Brasília (2,207,718 people), about 1,689 km away. Fortaleza is the 5th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Fortaleza compared with the rest of Brazil?
Its 2,400,000 residents are 1.1% of the 213,783,157 people living in Brazil today. São Paulo is larger with 12,400,232 people.
Where is Fortaleza?
In Ceará, Brazil, at latitude -3.72 and longitude -38.54, 18 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Caucaia (12 km), Maracanaú (20 km), Maranguape (25 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Fortaleza Population 2026 — Brazil. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/fortaleza/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/fortaleza/">Fortaleza 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.