POPULATION

Overview

Population dataset provides Brazil’s official population statistics from IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). This dataset includes:

Population estimates: Official projections and estimates for non-census years
Census data: Actual population counts from census years (2007, 2010)
Time coverage: Data from 2001 to 2021 (with some gaps)
Geographic detail: Available at country, state, and municipality levels
Regular updates: Annual estimates published by IBGE
Demographic foundation: Base data for per capita calculations and demographic analysis

Population data is fundamental to many analyses, providing denominators for per capita metrics, understanding urbanization patterns, tracking demographic trends, and supporting policy and development planning.

Data Source and Methodology

Population data comes from: - Census years (2007, 2010): Actual population enumeration - Estimation years (2001-2006, 2008-2009, 2011-2021): IBGE official population projections based on census data and vital statistics - Methodology: Cohort-component methodology considering births, deaths, migration - Updates: Revised annually as new vital statistics data becomes available

For more information, visit IBGE Population Estimates.

Available Dataset

population

Official Brazilian population statistics and estimates.

Coverage: All Brazilian municipalities, states, and national level
Time period: 2001 to 2021
Data types: Census counts (2007, 2010) and official estimates (other years)
Geographic levels: Country, State, Municipality
Use cases:
- Calculate per capita indicators for all metrics
- Track demographic changes and urbanization
- Assess population concentration
- Population-weighted aggregations
- Demographic planning and projections
- Support for epidemiological and social statistics

Important Data Characteristics

Census Years vs. Estimate Years

Year Type	Years	Nature
Census	2007, 2010	Actual population count
Estimates	2001-2006, 2008-2009, 2011-2021	Official IBGE projections

Census years provide actual counts; other years are official projections.

Population Definition

Resident population: People living in a given area as of the reference date
Includes: Brazilian citizens and legal residents
Reference date: July 1 for most estimate years, September 1 for 2010 census

Function Parameters

1. dataset

Only one dataset is available:

dataset = "population"  # Population statistics

2. raw_data

Controls whether to download original or processed data.

TRUE: Returns raw IBGE data format
FALSE: Returns treated data with English variable names and standardized format

raw_data = FALSE  # logical

3. geo_level

Specifies geographic aggregation level.

"country": National total
"state": State-level population (27 units)
"municipality": All 5,570+ municipalities

geo_level = "municipality"  # character string

4. time_period

Specifies which year(s) to download.

Available years: 2001-2006, 2007 (census), 2008-2009, 2010 (census), 2011-2021

time_period = 2020              # single year
time_period = c(2010, 2020)     # specific years (includes 2010 census)
time_period = 2010:2020         # range of years

5. language

Output language for variable names.

"pt": Portuguese
"eng": English

language = "eng"  # character string

Examples

Example 1: Population by state for a single year

# download treated population data at the state level for 2021
pop_2021 <- load_population(
  dataset = "population",
  raw_data = FALSE,
  geo_level = "state",
  time_period = 2021,
  language = "eng"
)

Example 2: Population by state over time

# download treated population data at the state level for 2010 to 2021
pop_series <- load_population(
  dataset = "population",
  raw_data = FALSE,
  geo_level = "state",
  time_period = 2010:2021,
  language = "eng"
)

Example 3: Population by municipality

# download treated population data at the municipality level for 2020
pop_munic <- load_population(
  dataset = "population",
  raw_data = FALSE,
  geo_level = "municipality",
  time_period = 2020,
  language = "eng"
)

Data Notes

Data Structure

Each record contains: - Geographic identifier (state or municipality name/code) - Year - Population count

Simple and straightforward structure, useful as base for other calculations.

Census vs. Estimate Quality

Census years (2007, 2010): High quality, actual counts
Estimate years: Official IBGE projections based on demographic models
Estimates are less certain: Especially for small geographic areas

Municipal Variations

Not all municipalities equally reliable: Very small municipalities may have estimation uncertainty
Boundary changes: Municipalities occasionally merged or divided; affects time comparisons
Code consistency: Use IBGE municipal codes (rather than names) for accurate merging with other datasets

Important Limitations

Estimate years: Non-census years are projections, not actual counts
Lag in release: May take time for latest estimates to be published
Revisions: Estimates revised annually as better vital statistics data becomes available
Boundary changes: Municipal boundaries changed; affects historical comparisons
Definition: Includes registered residents; may not match actual lived population