Macaé has the lowest homicide rate among municipalities in Rio de Janeiro state with more than 100,000 residents, according to the 2026 Cities Safest in Brazil yearbook. The study, conducted by MySide, analyzes mortality rates using data from Brazil’s Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
The yearbook records 8.2 homicides per 100,000 residents in Macaé, less than half the national average of 21.5. The rate in Maranguape, Ceará, which ranks last nationally, is 101.5 per 100,000.
Within Rio de Janeiro state, Petrópolis ranks second at 11.3, followed by Niterói at 12.6 and Nova Friburgo at 13.1. The city of Rio de Janeiro has a rate of 25.4 per 100,000. The state as a whole ranks 17th nationally, with an average of 26.5.
Macaé rose from fifth place in the state in the 2025 yearbook, which used 2024 data, to the top spot in the latest ranking. Its reported rate fell from 15.0 to 8.2, a decrease of about 45% in one year.
Separate figures from the Rio de Janeiro Public Security Institute show that violent deaths in Macaé fell from 147 in 2018 to 23 in 2025, a reduction of 84%. Total robberies declined from 1,552 in 2016 to 135 in 2025. The report notes that the city has invested in technology, including a camera network with facial recognition and license plate reading connected to security forces and municipal departments.
Sources: G1.