Quick facts
Recife overview
Recife (orange) and the other large cities of Brazil
Recife lies in Pernambuco in Brazil at 8.05°S, 34.88°W, about 8 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Recife (UTC-3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Curitiba (1,948,626) and larger than Goiânia (1,536,097). 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 1,658 km away; the nearest large city is Olinda, 6 km from Recife.
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 Recife
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Olinda Pernambuco | 6 km | 364,717 |
| Camaragibe Pernambuco | 12 km | 160,318 |
| Paulista Pernambuco | 13 km | 342,167 |
| Abreu e Lima Pernambuco | 16 km | 104,248 |
| Jaboatão dos Guararapes Pernambuco | 16 km | 644,037 |
| São Lourenço da Mata Pernambuco | 16 km | 118,258 |
| Igarassu Pernambuco | 25 km | 123,017 |
| Cabo de Santo Agostinho Pernambuco | 31 km | 216,969 |
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 Recife?
Recife has about 1,653,461 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Recife the capital of Brazil?
No. The capital of Brazil is Brasília (2,207,718 people), about 1,658 km away. Recife is the 9th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Recife compared with the rest of Brazil?
Its 1,653,461 residents are 0.8% of the 213,783,157 people living in Brazil today. São Paulo is larger with 12,400,232 people.
Where is Recife?
In Pernambuco, Brazil, at latitude -8.05 and longitude -34.88, 8 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Olinda (6 km), Camaragibe (12 km), Paulista (13 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Recife Population 2026 — Brazil. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/recife/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/recife/">Recife 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.