Ceará in numbers

8,794,957residents · 2022 Census

Rank: 8th among the 27 states
Share of Brazil: 4.3% of Brazil's 203,080,756 people
Municipalities: 184
Capital: Fortaleza
Region: Northeast
Source: IBGE, 2022 Demographic Census (SIDRA table 4714)

Ceará has 8,794,957 inhabitants (2022 Census), the 8th most populous state in the country, behind São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and 4 others, and holds 4.3% of Brazilians. The capital, Fortaleza, has 2,428,708 people, 27.6% of the state. The state has 184 municipalities.

Ceará on the map of Brazil

Dark outline: Ceará. Color: state population, in millions.

Population rank among the states in the same region (Northeast):

State	People
Bahia	14,141,626
Pernambuco	9,058,931
Ceará	8,794,957
Maranhão	6,776,699
Paraíba	3,974,687
Rio Grande do Norte	3,302,729
Piauí	3,271,199
Alagoas	3,127,683
Sergipe	2,210,004

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The 10 most populous municipalities in Ceará

#	Municipality	People	% of state
1	Fortaleza	2,428,708	27.6%
2	Caucaia	355,679	4.0%
3	Juazeiro do Norte	286,120	3.3%
4	Maracanaú	234,509	2.7%
5	Sobral	203,023	2.3%
6	Itapipoca	131,123	1.5%
7	Crato	131,050	1.5%
8	Maranguape	105,093	1.2%
9	Iguatu	98,064	1.1%
10	Quixadá	84,168	1.0%

Municipalities by size

Size	Municipalities	Population	% of state
up to 5,000	1	4,841	0.1%
5,000 to 20,000	86	1,107,825	12.6%
20,000 to 100,000	89	3,806,986	43.3%
over 100,000	8	3,875,305	44.1%

8 municipalities have over 100,000 inhabitants and hold 44.1% of the state's population.

See all 184 municipalities in Ceará (2022 Census population)

#	Municipality	People	% of state
1	Fortaleza	2,428,708	27.6%
2	Caucaia	355,679	4.0%
3	Juazeiro do Norte	286,120	3.3%
4	Maracanaú	234,509	2.7%
5	Sobral	203,023	2.3%
6	Itapipoca	131,123	1.5%
7	Crato	131,050	1.5%
8	Maranguape	105,093	1.2%
9	Iguatu	98,064	1.1%
10	Quixadá	84,168	1.0%
11	Quixeramobim	82,177	0.9%
12	Pacatuba	81,524	0.9%
13	Tianguá	81,506	0.9%
14	Aquiraz	80,645	0.9%
15	Crateús	76,390	0.9%
16	Aracati	75,113	0.9%
17	Barbalha	75,033	0.9%
18	Horizonte	74,755	0.8%
19	Canindé	74,174	0.8%
20	Eusébio	74,170	0.8%
21	Russas	72,928	0.8%
22	Cascavel	72,720	0.8%
23	Pacajus	70,983	0.8%
24	Acaraú	65,264	0.7%
25	Itaitinga	64,650	0.7%
26	Icó	62,642	0.7%
27	Camocim	62,326	0.7%
28	Morada Nova	61,443	0.7%
29	Tauá	61,227	0.7%
30	Viçosa do Ceará	59,712	0.7%
31	Limoeiro do Norte	59,560	0.7%
32	Trairi	58,415	0.7%
33	São Gonçalo do Amarante	54,143	0.6%
34	Granja	53,344	0.6%
35	Beberibe	53,114	0.6%
36	Brejo Santo	51,090	0.6%
37	Boa Viagem	50,411	0.6%
38	São Benedito	47,640	0.5%
39	Itapajé	46,426	0.5%
40	Mauriti	45,561	0.5%
41	Acopiara	44,962	0.5%
42	Itarema	42,957	0.5%
43	Amontada	42,156	0.5%
44	Guaraciaba do Norte	42,053	0.5%
45	Ipu	41,081	0.5%
46	Pedra Branca	40,187	0.5%
47	Santa Quitéria	40,183	0.5%
48	Várzea Alegre	38,984	0.4%
49	Paracuru	38,980	0.4%
50	Pentecoste	37,813	0.4%
51	Mombaça	37,735	0.4%
52	Massapê	37,697	0.4%
53	Missão Velha	36,822	0.4%
54	Ipueiras	36,798	0.4%
55	Baturité	35,218	0.4%
56	Jaguaribe	33,726	0.4%
57	Bela Cruz	32,775	0.4%
58	Ubajara	32,767	0.4%
59	Paraipaba	32,216	0.4%
60	Jaguaruana	31,701	0.4%
61	Parambu	31,445	0.4%
62	Lavras da Mangabeira	30,802	0.4%
63	Nova Russas	30,699	0.3%
64	Tabuleiro do Norte	30,652	0.3%
65	Santana do Acaraú	30,628	0.3%
66	Cruz	29,761	0.3%
67	Novo Oriente	27,545	0.3%
68	Jardim	27,411	0.3%
69	Redenção	27,214	0.3%
70	Caririaçu	26,320	0.3%
71	Milagres	25,900	0.3%
72	Marco	25,799	0.3%
73	Jijoca de Jericoacoara	25,555	0.3%
74	Aracoiaba	25,553	0.3%
75	Campos Sales	25,135	0.3%
76	Tamboril	24,815	0.3%
77	Ocara	24,493	0.3%
78	Guaiúba	24,325	0.3%
79	Senador Pompeu	24,266	0.3%
80	Forquilha	24,173	0.3%
81	Independência	24,024	0.3%
82	Ibiapina	23,965	0.3%
83	Jucás	23,922	0.3%
84	Irauçuba	23,915	0.3%
85	Aurora	23,714	0.3%
86	Pindoretama	23,391	0.3%
87	Morrinhos	22,753	0.3%
88	Barreira	22,392	0.3%
89	Cedro	22,344	0.3%
90	Assaré	21,697	0.2%
91	Icapuí	21,433	0.2%
92	Coreaú	20,953	0.2%
93	Quixeré	20,874	0.2%
94	Itatira	20,424	0.2%
95	Quiterianópolis	20,213	0.2%
96	Uruburetama	20,189	0.2%
97	Chorozinho	20,163	0.2%
98	Araripe	19,783	0.2%
99	Orós	19,675	0.2%
100	Barro	19,381	0.2%
101	Reriutaba	18,606	0.2%
102	Farias Brito	18,217	0.2%
103	Solonópole	18,179	0.2%
104	Varjota	18,105	0.2%
105	Hidrolândia	17,855	0.2%
106	Itapiúna	17,841	0.2%
107	Cariré	17,632	0.2%
108	Croatá	17,481	0.2%
109	Umirim	17,470	0.2%
110	Fortim	17,294	0.2%
111	Capistrano	17,254	0.2%
112	Jaguaretama	17,232	0.2%
113	Carnaubal	17,210	0.2%
114	Banabuiú	17,195	0.2%
115	Tejuçuoca	17,154	0.2%
116	Monsenhor Tabosa	17,149	0.2%
117	Porteiras	17,050	0.2%
118	Cariús	17,015	0.2%
119	Santana do Cariri	16,954	0.2%
120	Madalena	16,896	0.2%
121	Salitre	16,633	0.2%
122	Piquet Carneiro	16,616	0.2%
123	Caridade	16,377	0.2%
124	Quixelô	15,910	0.2%
125	Frecheirinha	15,657	0.2%
126	Tururu	15,412	0.2%
127	Nova Olinda	15,399	0.2%
128	Pereiro	15,274	0.2%
129	Meruoca	15,157	0.2%
130	Barroquinha	14,567	0.2%
131	Miraíma	14,196	0.2%
132	Alto Santo	14,155	0.2%
133	Milhã	14,123	0.2%
134	Aiuaba	14,076	0.2%
135	Acarape	14,027	0.2%
136	Iracema	14,001	0.2%
137	Saboeiro	13,854	0.2%
138	Graça	13,801	0.2%
139	Uruoca	13,746	0.2%
140	Mucambo	13,666	0.2%
141	Apuiarés	12,928	0.1%
142	Chaval	12,462	0.1%
143	Choró	12,113	0.1%
144	Ipaumirim	12,083	0.1%
145	Poranga	12,065	0.1%
146	Ibaretama	11,956	0.1%
147	Ibicuitinga	11,611	0.1%
148	Ipaporanga	11,575	0.1%
149	Alcântaras	11,369	0.1%
150	Aratuba	11,224	0.1%
151	Pacoti	11,186	0.1%
152	Ararendá	11,096	0.1%
153	Groaíras	10,910	0.1%
154	Martinópole	10,846	0.1%
155	São Luís do Curu	10,822	0.1%
156	Pires Ferreira	10,606	0.1%
157	Mulungu	10,569	0.1%
158	Catunda	10,444	0.1%
159	Paramoti	10,384	0.1%
160	Jaguaribara	10,356	0.1%
161	Catarina	10,243	0.1%
162	Palmácia	10,242	0.1%
163	Abaiara	10,038	0.1%
164	Palhano	9,346	0.1%
165	Penaforte	8,972	0.1%
166	Deputado Irapuan Pinheiro	8,932	0.1%
167	Potengi	8,833	0.1%
168	Moraújo	8,254	0.094%
169	Jati	7,861	0.089%
170	Itaiçaba	7,536	0.086%
171	Tarrafas	7,529	0.086%
172	Arneiroz	7,429	0.084%
173	Senador Sá	7,262	0.083%
174	Antonina do Norte	7,245	0.082%
175	Umari	6,871	0.078%
176	Altaneira	6,782	0.077%
177	General Sampaio	6,734	0.077%
178	Ereré	6,474	0.074%
179	Pacujá	6,175	0.070%
180	Potiretama	5,974	0.068%
181	São João do Jaguaribe	5,855	0.067%
182	Baixio	5,704	0.065%
183	Guaramiranga	5,654	0.064%
184	Granjeiro	4,841	0.055%

Intermediate geographic regions

IBGE division that groups municipalities around a hub city.

Intermediate region	People	% of state	Municipalities
Fortaleza	4,766,054	54.2%	51
Sobral	1,364,524	15.5%	44
Juazeiro do Norte	1,045,233	11.9%	30
Quixadá	855,834	9.7%	31
Iguatu	407,640	4.6%	15
Crateús	355,672	4.0%	13

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Ceará?

Ceará had 8,794,957 inhabitants in IBGE's 2022 Census. It is the 8th most populous state in the country, behind São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and 4 others.

How many municipalities are there in Ceará?

Ceará has 184 municipalities. The most populous is Fortaleza, with 2,428,708 inhabitants.

What is the capital of Ceará and how many people live there?

The capital is Fortaleza, with 2,428,708 inhabitants in the 2022 Census (27.6% of the state's population).

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Download the data and cite it

Municipalities of Ceará with their 2022 Census population: CSV. Updated on Oct 26, 2026. How to cite: dadobruto.com. Ceará in numbers. Data: IBGE, 2022 Demographic Census (SIDRA table 4714). https://dadobruto.com/en/states/ceara

License: You may copy and republish the data and charts, including commercially, under the CC BY 4.0 license. The condition is to credit "dadobruto.com" and, when published online, to link to dadobruto.com or to the page the data came from. The original numbers follow the rules of IBGE, 2022 Demographic Census (SIDRA table 4714).