Porto Alegre metropolitan area profile

Global Cities Initiative

Overview (rank among 13 Brazilian metros)
BRAZIL
Population, 2012 Employment, 2010 GDP per capita, 2012 Exports in billions,
NOVA
IVOTI DOIS SAPIRANGA HARTZ
IRMÃOS
ARARICÁ
2007-2012
ESTÂNCIA
in millions in millions MONTENEGRO
CAPELA DE
VELHA CAMPO
BOM
PAROBÉ
SANTANA PORTÃO TAQUARA
NOVO

4.0 2.0 $18,770 (6 ) $36.6 (3 )

SÃO HAMBURGO
LEOPOLDO

(4th) (4th) th rd
TRIUNFO
NOVA
SANTA
RITA
ESTEIO
SAPUCAIA
DO SUL

GRAVATAÍ GLORINHA SANTO ANTÔNIO

CANOAS DA PATRULHA

EIRINCHO-
HA
CA
Economic performance, 2011-2012
CHARQUEADAS
PORTO ALVORADA

ELDORADO DO SUL ALEGRE

Rank among 13 Brazilian metros: Rank among 300 world metros: GUAÍBA VIAMÃO

8th 142nd
ARROIO DOS
RATOS
SÃO
JERÔNIMO

Municipality Population, 2010

Top employment sectors, 2012 PORTO ALEGRE BRAZIL Less than 50,000
50,000 - 250,000
JOB SHARE JOB CHANGE, 2011-2012 250,001 - 500,000
500,001 - 1,000,000
More than 1,000,000
Public services Public services Miles
0 10 20 30 40
21 3.1

Distribution/retail Distribution/retail 2010 metro share of

37 50
19 1.3

Manufacturing Manufacturing State State

population GDP
17 0.6

Business services Business services

2.1 3.2
12 1.8
National National
0% 10 20 30 -1 0% 1 2 3 4 5
population GDP

Key statistics (national values)

Population Migration Education GDP per capita Employment
Change, 1990-2012: Share born outside the state: Share with a college degree: Change, 1990-2012: Change, 1990-2012:

23% (34%) 4.6% (14%) 14% (11%) 32% (42%) 59% (37%)
Working age share of total: Emigrants per 1,000 residents: Literacy rate: Change, 2011-2012: Change, 2011-2012:

66% (63%) 2.8 (2.6) 97% (91%) 0.4% (0.5%) 1.7% (1.4%)
Porto Alegre metropolitan area profile
Global Cities Initiative
OVERVIEW Alegre’s population is literate, the highest among large metro Porto Alegre’s major employment sectors are similar to most
areas. But it ranks only ninth for the share of its population other Brazilian metropolitan areas. Public services and
Porto Alegre is the largest city in southern Brazil and the who has completed tertiary education (14 percent). distribution and retail together account for 41 percent of all
capital of Rio Grande do Sul state. Its location at the employment in the metro. Over the last year, Porto Alegre
intersection of five rivers and the Patos Lagoon, near the Porto Alegre has a high native population, as only 5 percent of experienced 3.8 percent growth in its hotels and catering
Atlantic Coast, has supported its development as a transporta- its residents were born outside the state of Rio Grande do Sul, sector and a 4.7 percent growth in its information services
tion hub for shipping, railroads, highways, and airlines. The lower than any other major metropolitan area profiled here. It sector. The metropolitan area specializes in transportation
fourth largest metropolitan area in Brazil, Porto Alegre is an ranks sixth for the share of its residents who are foreign born services and is home to General Motors, which recently
important business and financial center and home to two major (0.4 percent), and second only to Curitiba for the share of announced a $2 billion regional expansion.
universities. foreign-born residents who are naturalized Brazilian citizens.
Uruguayans account for one-quarter, Argentineans 16 percent, Despite ranking lower on the employment and GDP
POPULATION and Portuguese 6 percent of all immigrants. Porto Alegre measures, Porto Alegre is the third largest exporter in Brazil,
ranks seventh for the proportion of its “residents” counted as exporting $37 billion in goods between 2007 and 2012. Porto
Almost 4 million people live in the metropolitan area of Porto living abroad in 2010, 2.8 per 1,000. The top destination Alegre’s exports are diverse. Its major export, plastics,
Alegre, accounting for 37 percent of the state’s population. countries are the United States (22 percent), the United accounts for only 13 percent of all exports. Other major
Approximately the same size as the Phoenix metropolitan Kingdom, and Australia (9 percent each). sectors are oil seeds, grains, and fruits, footwear, meat, and
area, about one-third of metro Porto Alegre’s residents live in vehicles and parts. Argentina and China are the largest
the central city. Six (6) percent of Porto Alegre’s population ECONOMY destination markets, followed by the United States, which
lives in favelas (irregular settlements), the 10 highest share
th receives 12 percent of metro exports.
among large metro areas. In 2011–2012, Porto Alegre was the eighth best performing
metropolitan economy in Brazil, and the 142nd best-performing
Founded in 1742 by colonists from the Azores, Porto Alegre among the world’s 300 largest metro economies. In many
attracted German and Italian immigrants during the 19 th ways, Porto Alegre and other mid-performing Brazilian metros
century. Its strategic location near navigable waterways and share a similar economic picture.
international borders has supported its long-term growth. Its
recent growth, however, has been muted. Between 1990 and The Porto Alegre metro area is home to 2.0 million employees
2000, its population increased 15 percent (10 among large
th (fourth nationally), up 59 percent from 1990 (10th nationally).
metros), and between 2000 and 2012, it was the slowest- Porto Alegre’s GDP of $75 billion ranks it fifth nationally, but its
growing major metropolitan area in Brazil (7 percent) and grew GDP growth from 1990 to 2012 was only 62 percent—less
at half the pace of the nation (14 percent). than all other Brazilian metro areas and the national average.
It contributes half of the state of Rio Grande do Sol’s GDP.
Porto Alegre’s population is slightly older than other large GDP per capita growth has been strong since 1990 (32
metro areas, with 8.2 percent of its residents over age 65 percent) but sluggish compared to other metro areas (11th),
(compared to 7.2 among all large metro areas). Likewise, it and was below the national average in the past year (0.4
has a slightly smaller share of its population who are children percent, eighth among metro areas).
(26.2 versus 27.2 percent). Ninety-seven (97) percent of Porto