The 2022 Demographic Census, released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) this Friday (May 3), shows that of the 135,315 quilombolas living in Minas Gerais, 21,954 are aged 60 or over. The number reveals that this is the second oldest quilombola population in the country, which has a total of 1.33 million people. The State is second only to Rio Grande do Sul. The data also shows that 59,291 quilombolas were up to 22 years of age in 2022 in Minas Gerais. 54,070 were between 30 and 59 years of age.
“The aging index represents the number of people aged 60 or over in relation to a group of 100 children aged zero to 14. The higher the value of the indicator, the older the population. In Minas Gerais, the aging rate of the quilombola population in 2022 was 81.37, compared to 54.98 nationally. This highlights a population of quilombolas in the state that is older than the country’s average”, highlighted the IBGE.
There is a difference between the aging rates of quilombolas depending on where they live. While in quilombola territories, the aging index is 56.14, in Minas Gerais, it is 82.49 for residents of households outside the quilombola territory.
When evaluating the age composition of quilombolas by sex, the proportion of women remains higher than that of men aged 50 and over. The age pyramid of this community reflects a younger age structure compared to the general population.
