Baraúna, Rio Grande do Norte
Baraúna is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in Brazil’s Northeast. It covers about 825.7 square kilometers, with around 9.0 square kilometers of urban area, and sits about 94 meters above sea level. The town is roughly 279 kilometers from Natal, the state capital, and about 1,639 kilometers from Brasília, the national capital.
Population and growth
In 2022, Baraúna had 26,913 residents, ranking 21st in the state. The population is nearly evenly split between men and women (about 50.2% male and 49.8% female). Since 2010 the population has grown at an average rate of about 0.9% per year.
Geography and region
Baraúna borders Aracati to the north, Governador Dix-Sept Rosado to the south, Mossoró to the east, and Quixeré and Jaguaruana to the west. It lies in the Mossoró immediate region, within the Mossoró intermediate region (IBGE territorial division of 2017).
Demographics and development
About 70.4% of residents are aged 15–64, 21.9% are under 15, and 7.7% are 65 or older. The population density is around 32.6 people per square kilometer, with an average of about 3.03 people per household.
Development indicators
The municipality’s Human Development Index (HDI-M) is considered medium. In 2010, the HDI-M was 0.574, ranking 7th in the state and 2,386th nationally. The Gini coefficient rose from 0.38 in 2003 to 0.43 in 2010, indicating growing income inequality. The longevity index is 0.756, the income index 0.562, and the education index 0.446. Coordinates are roughly 6.64°S, 36.25°W.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 16:53 (CET).