Billionaire cities: what are municipalities with revenues exceeding R$1 billion

The president of the São Paulo Economists Union, Carlos Eduardo Oliveira Jr., explains that a billionaire city is defined as one that, in a period of one year, achieves a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) greater than R$1 billion. Normally, according to him, these are cities that concentrate a strong and diversified economy, often concentrated in large companies, in addition to being hubs for the country’s main economic sectors.

“Regarding the aspects that contribute to a city reaching this level, you have some points. Industry and commerce, with a strong presence of factories and distribution centers of large retail chains; agribusiness in some regions, which plays a fundamental role in local wealth; and infrastructure, with access to ports, airports, highways and railways, which facilitates commerce and attracts companies to the city”, he points out.

As for the industry sector, one of the highlights is the municipality of Uberlândia – located in the Triângulo Mineiro. The city has the 27th largest GDP in Brazil and is considered the birthplace of some industrial sectors. Overall, in 2021, the municipality had revenue of R$3,003,748,576.80.

Data made available by the Commercial and Industrial Association of Uberlândia (Aciub) indicate that the growth of the city’s Industrial GDP was 764.12%, between 2002 and 2021. The result was similar to that of municipalities such as Santo André and Sorocaba – both in the state of São Paulo – which, in the last year analyzed, had revenues of R$2,922,239,800.19 and R$3,346,077,974.35, respectively.

Public budget specialist Cesar Lima reinforces that the Services sector is, in fact, among the most important in terms of contributing to good municipal revenue, raising the local economic level.

“The importance of these cities is, in general, the contribution they have to the country’s GDP. Even if it is in the generation of services, they also have great development, sometimes agricultural or even industrial, which means that their population has sufficient resources to promote the services sector in these municipalities”, he considers.

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In Barueri, for example, located in the western region of Greater São Paulo, revenue in 2021 was R$4,121,647,003.03. And, according to Sebrae, in 2022, the economic sectors that brought together the most workers in the municipality were Office Services, Administrative Support and Other Services Provided Mainly to Companies.

Check out the complete list of 92 billionaire cities

NORTE

• Boa Vista (RR) – R$ 1,679,979,055.22
• Manaus (AM) – R$ 6.681.309.235,96
• Palmas (TO) – R$ 1.499.856.437,41
• Rio Branco (AC) – R$ 1.235.913.774,05
• Porto Velho (RO) – R$ 1,913,445,032.72
• Belém (PA) – R$ 3,689,503,264.05
• Parauapebas (PA) – R$ 2,936,642,155.35
• Canaã dos Carajás (PA) – R$ 1,689,130,935.92
• Marabá (PA) – R$ 1,273,445,865.32

NORTH EAST

• Fortaleza (CE) – R$ 8,524,592,103.39
• São Luís (MA) – R$ 3,917,438,788.96
• Natal (RN) – R$ 2.886.772.520,15
• Ipojuca (PE) – R$ 1,093,574,416.96
• Jaboatão dos Guararapes (PE) – R$ 1,608,244,468.78
• Recife (PE) – R$ 5.913.598.558,04
• Maceió (AL) – R$ 2,864,244,804.72
• Aracaju (SE) – R$ 2,173,452,944.45
• Salvador (BA) – R$ 7,669,583,334.94
• Feira de Santana (BA) – R$ 1,445,676,336.68
• Camaçari (BA) – R$ 1,625,789,206.19
• João Pessoa (PB) – R$ 2,782,264,020.39
• Campina Grande (PB) – R$ 1,230,965,324.85

MIDWEST

• Dourados (MS) – R$ 1,104,267,045.30
• Campo Grande (MS) – R$ 4.377.631.757,86
• Cuiabá (MT) R$ 3,059,625,469.51
• Aparecida de Goiânia (GO) – R$ 1,629,367,423.49
• Goiânia (GO) – R$ 6,262,460,517.01
• Anápolis (GO) – R$ 1,348,812,732.68
• Rio Verde (GO) – R$ 1,346,382,526.70

ON THE

• Cascavel (PR) – R$ 1,289,592,452.42
• Ponta Grossa (PR) – R$ 1,068,533,088.82
• Londrina (PR) – R$ 2.361.960.262,23
• Maringá (PR) – R$ 1,946,849,319.41
• Araucaria (PR) – R$ 1,332,316,828.64
• São José dos Pinhais (PR) – R$ 1,451,417,363.58
• Curitiba (PR) – R$ 9.496.885.740,70
• Pelotas (RS) – R$ 1.309.039.795,52
• Novo Hamburgo (RS) – R$ 1,102,782,260.90
• Gravataí (RS) – R$ 1,019,344,044.58
• Porto Alegre (RS) – R$ 7.833.246.487,83
• Canoas (RS) – R$ 2.123.049.830,66
• Caxias do Sul (RS) – R$ 2,301,030,677.35
• Chapecó (SC) – R$ 1,181,515,597.25
• Joinville (SC) – R$ 2.587.882.964,54
• Blumenau (SC) – R$ 1.852.114.203,10
• Balneário Camboriú (SC) – R$ 1,099,750,174.49

SOUTHEAST

• Ipatinga (MG) – R$ 1,105,487,889.13
• Governador Valadares (MG) – R$ 1,127,370,296.41
• Betim (MG) – R$ 2.463.313.334,47
• Contagem (MG) – R$ 2,473,968,525.32
• Belo Horizonte (MG) – R$ 13,618,525,312.76
• Juiz de Fora (MG) – R$ 2,075,051,094.93
• Uberaba (MG) – R$ 1.722.100.407,01
• Uberlândia (MG) – R$ 3,003,748,576.80
• Volta Redonda (RJ) – R$ 1,362,978,470.82
• Angra dos Reis (RJ) – R$ 1,607,053,960.06
• Belford Roxo (RJ) – R$ 1.146.692.393,70
• Rio de Janeiro (RJ) – R$ 32,630,941,470.84
• Niterói (RJ) – R$ 4.690.122.183,90
• São Gonçalo (RJ) – R$ 2,450,282,467.00
• Campos dos Goytacazes (RJ) – R$ 2,441,078,607.39
• Vila Velha (ES) – R$ 1,398,336,743,90
• Vitória (ES) – R$ 2,387,069,247.34
• Guarujá (SP) – R$ 1,806,503,357.78
• Ribeirão Preto (SP) – R$ 3,234,578,648.37
• São José do Rio Preto (SP) – R$ 2,121,174,391.86
• São Carlos (SP) – R$ 1,081,121,951.00
• Bauru (SP) – R$ 1,386,295,645.26
• Piracicaba (SP) – R$ 2,097,865,116.87
• Limeira (SP) – R$ 1,252,482,443.02
• Americana (SP) – R$ 1.009.574.431,85
• Paulínia (SP) – R$ 1,997,065,709.50
• Hortolândia (SP) – R$ 1,115,410,961.21
• Campinas (SP) – R$ 6,537,664,615.90
• Indaiatuba (SP) – R$ 1,502,336,041.14
• Sorocaba (SP) – R$ 3,346,077,974.35
• Barueri R$ (SP) – 4,121,647,003.03
• Osasco (SP) – R$ 3,439,550,444.42
• São Paulo (SP) – R$ 72,883,792,706.42
• São Caetano do Sul (SP) – R$ 1,817,133,104.30
• Santo André (SP) – R$ 2,922,239,800.19
• Diadema (SP) – R$ 1,477,115,892.90
• São Bernardo do Campo (SP) – R$ 4,712,994,363.12
• Guarulhos (SP) – R$ 4,975,891,344.26 (SP)
• Suzano (SP) – R$ 1.038.564.863,11
• Mogi das Cruzes (SP) – R$ 1,838,843,367.98
• Jacareí (SP) – R$ 1,086,902,620.04
• São José dos Campos (SP) – R$ 3,450,459,904.53
• Taubaté (SP) – R$ 1,400,186,927.73
• Praia Brande (SP) – R$ 1,824,046,575.45
• São Vicente (SP) – R$ 1,225,960,863.65
• Santos (SP) – R$ 3.158.884.824,55