Quick facts
São Luís overview
São Luís (orange) and the other large cities of Brazil
São Luís lies in Maranhão in Brazil at 2.53°S, 44.3°W, about 29 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Fortaleza (UTC-3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Campinas (1,031,554) and larger than Campo Grande (906,092). 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 1,526 km away; the nearest large city is Paço do Lumiar, 22 km from São Luís.
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 São Luís
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Paço do Lumiar Maranhão | 22 km | 155,307 |
| São José de Ribamar Maranhão | 27 km | 259,164 |
| Bacabal Maranhão | 197 km | 107,755 |
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 São Luís?
São Luís has about 917,237 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is São Luís the capital of Brazil?
No. The capital of Brazil is Brasília (2,207,718 people), about 1,526 km away. São Luís is the 15th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is São Luís compared with the rest of Brazil?
Its 917,237 residents are 0.4% of the 213,783,157 people living in Brazil today. São Paulo is larger with 12,400,232 people.
Where is São Luís?
In Maranhão, Brazil, at latitude -2.53 and longitude -44.3, 29 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Paço do Lumiar (22 km), São José de Ribamar (27 km), Bacabal (197 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). São Luís Population 2026 — Brazil. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/sao-luis/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/brazil/sao-luis/">São Luís 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.