Brazil's Population Reaches 200 Million

The Brazilian population passed the 200 million mark this year, according to an official projection released Thursday.

The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said that a new tally based on data from the 2010 census established that the continent-sized country is now home to 201,032,714 people.

With 43.6 million people, Sao Paulo is the most populous state, followed by Minas Gerais with 20.5 million and Rio de Janeiro with 16.3 million.

The census, which features projections for the next 47 years, estimates that the Brazilian population will reach a peak of 228.4 million in 2042 before gradually decreasing to 218.2 million in 2060.

The average age of child-bearing women is expected to reach 28 years in 2030, compared with 26.9 this year, IBGE said.

Life expectancy, currently at 73.76 years, is projected to rise to 80.8 years in 2041 and to 81.2 in 2060.