Among Brazil’s five regions, the South came in 4th place in terms of violent intentional deaths (IVD) in 2022. The region had a total of 5,438 violent deaths, and 18.2 IVDs per 100,000 inhabitants. Even though, the region remained distant from the top positions, occupied by the Northeast and the North regions respectively, it was one of the two regions that went against the national trend and had an increase in the total number of IVDs and in the IVD rate. In addition, it was the region where violent deaths increased the most. Porto Alegre (RS) was the Southern capital with the worst results. The data is the result of a large research, the 2023 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, carried out by the Public Security Forum (Forum de Segurança Pública).
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South’s Violent Deaths
From 2021 to 2022, the South Region had a 4.11% increase in the total number of intentional violent deaths – intentional homicides, robberies followed by murder, intentional bodily injury followed by death, and feminicides. Cases went from 5,223 to 5,438.
The IVD rate per 100,000 inhabitants also went up, moving from 17.6 to 18.2, a 3.4% increase, the strongest expansion among the regions. The only other region that also had an increase was the Central-West, with a 0.8% increase. Both were against the grain, since Brazil reported a 2.4% decrease in IVDs
Paraná – State with the Worst Results
Paraná was the state with the worst results, with 2.595 violent deaths, the highest total number, and an increase of 7.9%. Its IVD rate was 22.7, a 7.2% growth.
Most Violent City – Rio Grande
Rio Grande was the most violent city in the South region. This medium-size city of 191,900 inhabitants (IBGE-2022) came on the 24th position on the list of the 50 most violent Brazilian cities. In 2022, it accumulated 91 homicides due to a dispute between rival dealers.
In order to contain violence, the Public Security Secretary Ranolfo Vieira Júnior transferred the Pelotas Shock Police Battalion to the neighboring municipality. The measure did not stop the increase in homicides.
Authorities claim that a policing and investigation effort in 2023 managed to reduce homicides in the city by 60% in the first semester. Still, the 23 homicides in the first half of 2023 are close to the result recorded in the 12 months of 2021, which was 28 homicides.
Rio Grande do Sul has another city among the 50 most violent cities in the country, Alvorada, in the Metropolitan Region, which is on 41st position. Paraná has three municipalities on the list: Paranaguá (34th), Almirante Tamandaré (44th), Campo Largo (46th).
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre was the capital of the Southern Region with the highest increase in records of intentional violent deaths. The city is also the third capital with the most deaths of this type considering the period of 2022. Last year, 400 intentional violent deaths (IVD) were reported. The result indicates a 24.8% increase compared to 2021, when 322 people were violently killed in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul state. There are 30 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, according to the study. The only two capitals in the rest of the country that surpass Porto Alegre in terms of intentional crimes against life are Cuiabá (37.6%) and Palmas (27.2%).
Rio Grande do Sul also saw a rise in intentional crimes against life in 2022: 2,154 people were murdered, against 2,073 in the previous year. Considering previous years, RS goes against the grain of the country, which has reduced deaths by 14.9% since 2013. Comparing the two periods, the state had an increase of 5.4%.
Source: 2023 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook
