Quick facts
Salvador overview
Salvador (orange) and the other large cities of Brazil
Salvador lies in Bahia in Brazil at 12.98°S, 38.49°W, about 4 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Bahia (UTC-3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Belo Horizonte (2,721,564) and larger than Fortaleza (2,400,000). 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 1,063 km away; the nearest large city is Lauro de Freitas, 20 km from Salvador.
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 Salvador
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Lauro de Freitas Bahia | 20 km | 203,331 |
| Simões Filho Bahia | 23 km | 114,559 |
| Camaçari Bahia | 36 km | 321,636 |
| Santo Antônio de Jesus Bahia | 83 km | 109,791 |
| Alagoinhas Bahia | 94 km | 161,196 |
| Feira de Santana Bahia | 94 km | 616,272 |
| Jequié Bahia | 198 km | 127,475 |
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 Salvador?
Salvador has about 2,711,840 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Salvador the capital of Brazil?
No. The capital of Brazil is Brasília (2,207,718 people), about 1,063 km away. Salvador is the 4th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Salvador compared with the rest of Brazil?
Its 2,711,840 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 Salvador?
In Bahia, Brazil, at latitude -12.98 and longitude -38.49, 4 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Lauro de Freitas (20 km), Simões Filho (23 km), Camaçari (36 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Salvador Population 2026 — Brazil. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/salvador/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/salvador/">Salvador 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.