Fortaleza vs Rio de Janeiro

Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro are level on the CIRA Index at 57. Fortaleza grades better on 5 measures, Rio de Janeiro on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Fortaleza 57, Rio de Janeiro 57
• OECD: Fortaleza 54, Rio de Janeiro 55
• UN Tourism: Fortaleza 53, Rio de Janeiro 63
• UNDRR: Fortaleza 43, Rio de Janeiro 46

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Fortaleza 75, Rio de Janeiro 70
• Economy and jobs: Fortaleza 58, Rio de Janeiro 58
• Climate and hazards: Fortaleza 45, Rio de Janeiro 40
• Water and environment: Fortaleza 38, Rio de Janeiro 69
• Community and housing: Fortaleza 63, Rio de Janeiro 38
• Access and continuity: Fortaleza 50, Rio de Janeiro 54

Where Fortaleza is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 24.1 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (Ministério do Turismo & Embratur / Secretaria do Turismo do Ceará (Setur-CE), Jan–Aug 2026). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Unemployment rate: 7.8 % of the labour force (IBGE - Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios Contínua (PNAD Contínua), Q3 2024). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
• Extreme heat days: 0 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Short-let density: 0.4 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & IBGE, August 2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.

Where Rio de Janeiro is stronger

• Income per head: 24,209 GDP per capita, USD PPP (IBGE Cidades e Estados / World Bank, 2023). Between 15,000 and 30,000: grade 1/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 441.7 kg per resident per year (region figure) (Ministério das Cidades / SNIS, '18º Diagnóstico do Manejo de Resíduos Sólidos Urbanos', 2022). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Green space: 49 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI), 2024). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: Crisis communication only, ad hoc (Secretaria de Estado de Turismo do Rio de Janeiro (Setur-RJ) & G1, 2025). Grade 1/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Brazil: #32 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Brazil: #32 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Fortaleza in full · Rio de Janeiro in full

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