Brazil has 1.32 million quilombola people, according to the 2022 census.

The 2022 Demographic Census showed that the quilombola population residing in Brazil is 1,327,802 people, corresponding to 0.65% of the population. There are 1,696 municipalities with quilombola populations and 473,970 permanent private households with quilombola residents. Data from the 2022 Census survey – Quilombolas: First Results were released this Thursday (27) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

Regions with the highest concentration of quilombola population

According to information from Agência Brasil, the region with the highest concentration of quilombola people is the Northeast, with 905,415, corresponding to 68.21% of the quilombola population, followed by the Southeast with 182,305 people and the North with 166,069 people, both accounting for 26.24% of the quilombola population. The Central-West and South regions, with 5.57% of the quilombola population, have 44,957 and 29,056 people, respectively.

States with the largest number of quilombola populations

Bahia is the state with the largest number of quilombola people – 397,059 – which corresponds to 29.90% of the total quilombola population recorded in the census. Next is Maranhão, with 269,074 people, which corresponds to 20.26% of the total quilombola population recorded in the census. Adding the quilombola population of Bahia and Maranhão together, we have 50.17% of the total quilombola population concentrated in these two states. Roraima and Acre have no quilombola presence.

Geographic distribution of quilombos

According to Marta Antunes, head of the IBGE's Project on Traditional Peoples and Communities, the geographical distribution of quilombos is linked to the entire process of colonization and enslavement, but also to the resistance to this historical situation that led to various territorial occupations concentrated near and along rivers.

Quilombola territories officially demarcated

Within the universe of quilombola people residing in the country, those located in the 494 officially demarcated quilombola territories represent 12,59% of this population (167,202 people), meaning that 1,160,600 (87,41%) quilombola people are outside of formally delimited and recognized areas.

Quilombola presence in the Legal Amazon

A total of 426,449 quilombola people were counted in the municipalities of the Legal Amazon, representing 1.60% of the total resident population of the region, and 32.11% of the total quilombola population residing in Brazil. 80,899 quilombola people were counted as residing in officially demarcated territories, representing 48.38% of the national quilombola population residing in officially demarcated areas.

Importance of the census for the quilombola population

"For the first time in a Brazilian census survey, the Quilombola population was identified, as an ethnic group, in the most important demographic, geographic and socioeconomic portrait of the country," said Cimar Azeredo, acting president of IBGE, in a statement.

It is important to emphasize that the data collection was supported by quilombola community leaders, who assisted in mapping the communities and acted as guides for the census takers, ensuring that all territories were visited.