Percentage represents about 120 million people; The data was released in a survey by IBGE on urban characteristics around households
A survey of the (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) pointed out that 68.8% of the population lives in streets that do not have wheelchair access ramps. This percentage is equivalent to 119.9 million people, according to the “2022 Demographic Census: urbanistic characteristics around households”, released on Thursday (17.br.2025).
Although high, the indicator showed improvement in 2022, when the census data were collected. In 2010, when the previous poll was conducted, there were 146.3 million Brazilians living on roads without accessibility for wheelchair users, the equivalent of 95.2% of the population.
Mato Grosso do Sul is the state with the highest percentage of people residing in wheelchair ramps with 41.1%. Then comes Paraná, with 37.3% and the Federal District, where 30.4% of people live on roads with accessibility infrastructure.
The lowest percentage was recorded in Amazonas, with 5.6%. Pernambuco (6.2%) and Maranhão (6.4%) are the other 2 worst states in the indicator.
The survey observed 10 questions related to the capacity of circulation and paving of the road, existence of manhole or wolf mouth, street lighting, bus stop or van, signaling for bikes, sidewalk or ride, sidewalk obstacle, wheelchair ramp and afforestation.
According to the census, 84% of the Brazilian population lives in sidewalk streets, representing 146.6 million people. This was another indicator that showed a considerable increase compared to the 2010 census, when 66.4% of Brazilians lived on sidewalk, representing 66.4% of the population.
The Federal District has the largest percentage of people living on sidewalk streets, with 92.9%. It is followed by Goiás, with 92.6% and São Paulo, with 91.6%. In addition to these, Sergipe and Minas Gerais, both with 90.3% of residents residing on sidewalks, complete the only 5 Brazilian states where more than 90% of the population has sidewalk on the street where they live.
“It is noteworthy that, for the 2022 census, the existence of sidewalk was verified whether or not there was paving, while in 2010, the accounting occurred if there was a footwear or paved path”Explains Jaison Cervi, IBGE Research and Territorial Classifications Manager.
The survey also shows that 32.8 million people reside on obstacle -free sidewalks, equivalent to 18.8% of the total survey. This data is unprecedented in the survey. The smallest percentages were observed in Maranhão (4.7%), Piauí (4.9%) and Acre (5.6%), while standing out Rio Grande do Sul, with 28.7%, Mato Grosso, with 27.4%and São Paulo, with 25.5%.
New Indicators
Another 3 new indicators were analyzed by IBGE: the presence of signposted to bicycles, the maximum circulation capacity of the road and the existence of bus or vans.
Regarding signs for bicycles, the study pointed out that this urban equipment is present on roads where 3.3 million people reside, which is equivalent to 1.9% of the population. Santa Catarina stood out among the federation units, with 5.2% of the signed roads for bicycle traffic. The lowest percentage observed was in Maranhão and Amazonas, both with 0.5%.
“In general, the percentages of residents residing on roads with signs for bicycles were significantly low, revealing that the road infrastructure in the country is still very targeted for motor vehicles”, Analyzed Cervi.
Regarding the maximum circulation capacity, IBGE revealed that 90.8% of the Brazilian population lies on roads or public places where the flow of trucks or buses is possible. Another 10.5 million people live on roads that support only the circulation of cars or vans, representing 6.1% of the population, while 5 million people, ie 2.9% of the population, live in streets where only bicycles, motorcycles or pedestrians are possible.
Jeison Cervi argued that historical centers are associated with the rate of roads where only lighter vehicles can circulate. Pernambuco (11.9%), Rio de Janeiro (10.7%) and Bahia (10.0%) are the only states that have more than 10%of their residents on roads. Other conditions, according to the researcher, are rugged and massive presence of people inhabiting slums or urban communities.
“For example, Salvador is the capital with the lowest percentage of residents on roads with truck or bus circulation, with 63.4%, and higher percentage of residents on roads with maximum circulation capacity by cars and vans, registering 17.9%”, Said the researcher.
There were also 5,267 people (0.003% of the population) who live in places where circulation is possible only through waterway transportation. The largest percentage found was in Amazonas, with 0.1%.
The survey found that only 15.3 million people live on streets where there are bus or vans points, equivalent to 8.8% of the population. According to IBGE, this urban infrastructure item, indicative of the existence of public transport, had a very unequal distribution in the national territory.
In the states of the South and Southeast regions were found the largest proportions of residents on the road with these characteristics, all with percentages greater than 10%. Noteworthy are Rio Grande do Sul (14.5%), Santa Catarina (11.9%) and São Paulo (11.8%). Tocantins (1.6%), on the other hand, presented the lowest proportion.
“The existence of this transport fulfills the need to circulate people to perform social, cultural, political and economic activities considered necessary in society. It is important to highlight that, in general, the presence of bus stops does not happen in all parts”Said Filipe Borsani, disclosure analyst.
Most Brazilians live on wooded roads
The IBGE survey also found that 66% of Brazilians live in wooded streets, representing 114.9 million people. The most wooded capital in the country is Campo Grande, in Mato Grosso do Sul, with 91.4% of the roads with at least 1 tree. Salvador, the capital of Bahia, presented the lowest percentage, with 34.1% of wooded roads. 58.7 million people, or 33.7%, live without trees.
In terms of afforestation densities, 35.6 million people (20.4%) accounted for tree presence on roads with up to 2 trees, 23.5 million (13.5%) on roads with 3 or 4 trees, while 55.8 million (32.1%) are located on roads with 5 trees or more.
IBGE analyst Maikon Novaes stressed the importance of afforestation in increasing the quality of life of residents.
“Urban afforestation is essential for the quality of life in cities. It contributes to the well-being of the inhabitants, offering various environmental, social and economic benefits. Temperature reduction is an important consequence, reducing the incidence of heat islands along the urban tissue. By integrating the results of urban research with afforestation practices, municipalities can create more sustainable and pleasant urban environments, improving the quality of life of its inhabitants“, These.
Yellows live in streets with better urban infrastructure
The IBGE survey also pointed out that people who identify themselves as yellow reside on streets with better infrastructure in almost every question analyzed. Higher maximum circulation capacity (truck and bus, 95.6%), paved (96.3%), manhole or wolf mouth (61.8%), public lighting (98.8%), bus stops (13.5%), signed to bicycle (4.2%), presence of sidewalk or ride (94.6%), wheelchair ramp (29.6%) (80.0%).
The white population was identified as the 2nd with the highest supply of almost all the elements surveyed: Via with maximum circulation capacity (93.5%), paved (91.3%), manhole or wolf (60.8%), public lighting (98.1%), bicycle signed (2.5%), sidewalk or walking (88.2%), (19.2%) and afforestation (70.6%).
On the other hand, the population that declared themselves as black has lower percentages in terms such as public lighting (96.8%), signaled to bicycle (1.4%), presence of sidewalk or ride (79.2%), wheelchair ramp (11.1%) and afforestation (59.4%).
Already the population declared as brown presented low percentages in the existence of elements such as paved road, (86.0%) manhole or mouth (47.1%) and bus stops (7.1%).
The population that declares themselves as an indigenous, resident in areas with urban characteristics, has a lower percentage of obstacles on the sidewalk (52.4%). It also records the highest percentage of residents (6.4%) on roads with less accessibility, ie maximum circulation capacity for motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians.
In addition, among this population are the lowest percentages in the presence of all the polls raised by the survey such as paved (72.2%) manhole or wolf mouth (36.0%), public lighting (90.4%), bicycle -signposted (1.1%), sidewalk or walking (63.7%), (9.8%), afforestation (58.5%).
