Among Brazil’s five regions, the Southeast had the smallest rate of violent intentional deaths (IVD) in 2022. The region had 14.1 IVDs per 100,000 inhabitants. On top of that, the region also followed the national trend of fall in the number of IVDs, with a reduction recorded when compared to 2021. Despite the positive results, the region still accumulates the second highest total number of IVDs, 11,930, only behind the Northeast region, which had 20,122 violent deaths. Moreover, the region had six cities among the 50 most violent, all of them in the same state, four in the state’s capital metropolitan region. The remaining two are strategic locations for one of the most important economic activities for this state, the oil sector.
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Southeast’s Violent Deaths
From 2021 to 2022, the Southeast Region had a 2% decrease in the total number of intentional violent deaths – intentional homicides, robberies followed by murder, intentional bodily injury followed by death, and feminicides, which represent less 191 deaths. Cases went from 12,121 to 11,930.
Rio de Janeiro – State with the Worst Results
Rio de Janeiro was the state with the worst results in the Southeast region, with 4,485 violent deaths, the highest total number – which also represents the second worst absolute result in the country, losing only to Bahia, with 6,659. At the same time, it had 27.9 IVDs per 100,000 inhabitants. Despite the high rate and total numbers, RJ had an improvement, a 5.8% decrease in violent deaths. This result is due to a decrease in all parameters that compose the IVDs: intentional homicides (-5.9%); robbery followed by murder (-41.8%); intentional bodily injury followed by death (-25.5%).
In addition to that, the number of people killed by policemen on duty and off duty also fell by 1.9%. On the other hand, Rio has the second most lethal police force, with 1,330 deaths recorded. The only number that has not fallen was that of policemen killed, the total remained at 28.
Six Cities Among the 50 Most Violent
The Southeast has six cities listed among the country’s 50 most violent, all of them are located in Rio de Janeiro state, and four are part of the capital’s metropolitan region. The one with the worst result was Itaguaí, which had a rate of 61.6 IVDs per 100,000 inhabitants, it came in the 16th position. It is closely followed by Queimados, with a rate of 61.2, in the 17th position. On the 43rd and 49th positions respectively are Duque de Caxias, with 44.3, and Belford Roxo, with 41.8.
The remaining two cities are strategic for the oil industry, a strong activity in the Rio state. The first is Angra dos Reis, known for its beautiful shore and islands and for the naval industry that builds ships for the luxury sector and for the E&P. The city is in the 22nd position, with 55.5 IVDs. The second one is Macaé, known as “Brazil’s oil capital”, it reached the 36th position, with 46.7 violent deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
Vitória – Most Violent Capital
Even though Rio accumulated a series of negative results, the worst security conditions according to the IVD rate, was that of the capital of Espírito Santo, Vitória. The city suffered with a 8.9% increase in violent deaths, which drove the rate from 24.7 to 26.9. Regardless of the results verified in terms of rates, the absolute numbers from Rio de Janeiro city are far above those from Vitória. While the first had 1,319 violent deaths in 2022, the second had 87.
Source: 2023 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook.
