Brazil’s Street Homelessness Hits 365,822 in UFMG Study as Rio’s Count Faces Scrutiny

Overview

• The OBPopRua/UFMG analysis using CadÚnico records estimates 365,822 people living on the streets nationwide at the end of 2025, up from 327,925 a year earlier, with 61% in the Southeast.
• By state, São Paulo has 150,958 people in street homelessness, followed by Rio de Janeiro with 33,656 and Minas Gerais with 33,139, according to the study.
• In Minas Gerais, the street population rose about 9.6% in 2025, and Belo Horizonte increased roughly 8% to 15,474 people.
• Rio de Janeiro’s municipal census posted on the Data Rio portal lists 8,195 people in 2024, far below UFMG’s CadÚnico-based estimate of about 23,431 for the city.
• The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office says it has sought the Rio census data since 2024 and has filed an action seeking urgent federal court intervention over alleged municipal omission.