BRAZIL · SECURITY
Rio de Janeiro state released a new map of where armed criminal groups operate on Wednesday 11 November 2026. It shows that more than 5 million people, about a third of the state’s residents, live in those areas.
The Public Security Institute (ISP), a research body of Rio de Janeiro’s state government, counted 1,530 such areas for 2025. The count covers criminal factions and militias.
Key Facts
- Scale 1,530 areas with armed groups in 2025, covering 614.3 square kilometres, or 1.4% of the state.
- People More than 5.1 million residents live there, about 32.2% of the state’s population.
- Biggest group Comando Vermelho (Red Command), a drug-trafficking faction, leads in 779 areas with nearly 3 million people.
- Militias Often led by former police, they lead in 300 areas with 917,105 residents.
- Caveat Better methods found areas missed before, so the ISP says growth is not proven.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 74.2 points (November 2026 edition).
What Happened
The ISP mapped areas where armed groups are active across the state, using data for 2025. It found 1,530 of them, covering 614.3 square kilometres, or 1.4% of the state’s territory.
More than 5.1 million people live in them, about 32.2% of residents. Either way, a third of the state lives on a very small share of its land.
Comando Vermelho, a drug-trafficking faction whose name means Red Command, leads in 779 areas. Nearly 3 million people live in them.
Militias, armed groups often made up of former police and security agents that control territory, lead in 300 areas with 917,105 people. Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP, Pure Third Command), another drug faction, leads in 274 areas with 914,859 people.
Amigos dos Amigos (ADA, Friends of Friends), a third drug faction, leads in 91 areas with 221,703 people. In 86 areas, home to 126,274 people, the dominant group could not be identified.
Why It Matters
Against 843 areas in the 2016 survey and 868 in 2019, the new total looks like a sharp rise. The ISP warns that it does not prove armed groups expanded, because new data sources and better collection methods found areas not mapped before.
The ISP says 662 of the 1,530 areas were not mapped in 2019. The Red Command, however, moved into more rival areas than any other group, 84 of its 779.
A count of 1,530 areas is a baseline for judging later surveys, not proof of a trend. Our earlier report on a police raid in Maré, a complex of low-income informal neighbourhoods called favelas, is related reading.
What Happens Next
The next step is the ISP full report, which was not reachable at publication. No date for a follow-up survey was found.
The thing to watch is whether the next ISP survey uses the same method, which decides whether the numbers compare fairly over time. Federal policy is the other thread: our earlier report on the federal government’s crime plan covers credit still awaiting approval, and whether any of it reaches Rio is not known.
What It Means for You
For visitors and expats, the survey figures do not say which neighbourhoods are affected. It gives no tourist-risk assessment, so travellers should check official government advisories before they go.
Investors should note that the survey gives no figures on business or economic impact. Any effect on costs or operations in the Rio region is therefore not known.
Residents of the affected areas have the most direct stake, though the survey does not say how daily life differs between presence and full control. Our Brazil coverage and the Latin America Power Index, our own ranking of the region’s countries, give wider context.
What Is Not Known
The ISP says it cannot tell whether armed-group control has truly grown. The ISP counts areas with armed-group presence, not necessarily full control, and the headline figures do not say how many residents live under full control.
The state’s 2026 security policy response is not covered here. The figures are the ISP headline numbers as published, and its full report was not reachable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people live in areas with armed groups in Rio state?
More than 5.1 million people, about 32.2% of the state’s residents, according to the ISP. They live in 1,530 areas covering 1.4% of the state’s territory.
Which group is dominant in the most areas?
The Comando Vermelho, with 779 of the 1,530 areas. Militias follow with 300 and the Terceiro Comando Puro with 274.
Does the survey show armed groups are growing?
Not by itself. The ISP warns that new data sources and better methods found areas that were not mapped before.
What is a militia?
A militia is an armed group, often of former police and security agents, that controls territory and sells protection. In Rio state, militias lead in 300 areas.
Sources: Instituto de Segurança Pública (ISP-RJ), survey of areas with armed criminal groups in Rio de Janeiro state, 2025 data, released 11 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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