In 2024, 68,159 people applied for refugee status in Brazil—up 16.3 percent from the previous year. The data were released by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

According to the report, the nationality with the highest number of requests was Venezuelan, with 27,150 applications, followed by Cubans (22,288) and Angolans (3,421). In all, Brazil received requests from individuals coming from 130 countries.

The document highlights the “significant growth” in the number of applications made by Cubans, which saw a 94.2 percent rise from 2023.

Gender and age

In 2024, men accounted for 59.1 percent of all applicants, while women represented 40.9 percent. Among Venezuelan applicants, men made up 37.6 percent of the total, and women accounted for 43 percent.

Across all age groups, the number of male seekers exceeded the number of female ones, the report indicates. Those aged 25–39 had the highest proportion of men, at 63.2 percent, while women accounted for 36.7 percent. Among female applicants, 24.3 percent were under 15 years old.

Recognition

The document also mentions that, in 2024, 13,632 refugees were recognized as such in Brazil, with a predominance of Venezuelans.

Last year, 44.4 percent of the applications were registered in northern states. The state of São Paulo (in the Southeast) had the largest volume of requests (36.1%), followed by Roraima (35.6%) and Amazonas (5.1%).

The largest contingents of people recognized as refugees in 2024 had Venezuela as their main country of origin—which comprised more than 93 percent of the cases—as well as Afghanistan, Colombia and Syria.

The figures show that men accounted for 55.9 percent of all people recognized as refugees in Brazil in 2024, while women represented 43.9 percent.

In addition, 41.8 percent were children, adolescents, and young people aged up to 18. Both men (31.4%) and women (37.6%) recognized were more markedly found to age up to 15.

Crédito arquivo Nacional EBC