Key Facts
- ✓ Açailândia is the 2nd most competitive municipality in Maranhão.
- ✓ The city has a population of approximately 114,000 inhabitants.
- ✓ It holds the 4th largest Municipal GDP in the state.
- ✓ The ranking analyzed 418 municipalities using 65 indicators across 13 pillars.
Quick Summary
Açailândia has been identified as the second most competitive municipality in the state of Maranhão. The ranking analyzed 418 Brazilian municipalities with populations greater than 80,000 inhabitants.
Despite being founded only 44 years ago, Açailândia has established itself as one of the top five economies in the state. The city holds the fourth largest Municipal GDP and is a leader in job creation. Its strategic location in western Maranhão, bordering Pará and Tocantins, serves as a vital connection for regional trade.
The city's economic strength is driven by steel production, agribusiness, and a massive logistics network involving federal highways and railways. The ranking highlights the city's efficiency in public management and its role as a regional development pole.
The Competitiveness Ranking Methodology
The study was conducted to provide a broader, consistent, and in-depth analysis of the main Brazilian municipalities. The initiative aims to stimulate competitiveness among cities while serving as a strategic instrument for evaluating public power actions.
According to the organization responsible for the study, the survey seeks to contribute to greater transparency and efficiency in municipal management. To achieve this, the ranking considered 65 official indicators organized into 13 thematic pillars.
The evaluation covers a wide range of municipal performance metrics, including:
- Innovation and economic dynamism
- Telecommunications
- Human capital
- Economic insertion
- Sanitation and health quality
- Education access and quality
- Security and environment
- Fiscal sustainability
- Public machinery operation
Each pillar has its own specific ranking, but the final position of the municipality is determined by the total performance across all indicators.
"the result is fruto do trabalho conjunto e do empenho da equipe administrativa, que, com dedicação e esforço contínuo, conseguiu alcançar os indicadores apresentados no levantamento"
— Dr. Benjamim de Oliveira, Mayor of Açailândia
Açailândia's Economic and Geographic Profile
Açailândia is located in the western part of the state, on the border with Pará and Tocantins. According to data from the IBGE, the municipality has approximately 114,000 inhabitants and possesses the fourth largest GDP in the state.
The city is characterized by a geographically strategic position, cut by two federal highways: BR-010 and BR-222. These roads connect the ports of Itaqui and Ponta da Madeira in the state capital to the interior. Additionally, the presence of the Norte-Sul and Carajás railways provides a robust logistics structure for the flow of industrial production.
The local economy is driven by several key sectors:
- Steel production
- Agribusiness, with a strong expansion in corn and soybean planting
- The state's largest beef cattle herd and the largest milk basin in the region
- A fuel distribution base and energy substation
Furthermore, the presence of various higher and technical education institutions has transformed the city into a university pole, strengthening professional training and supporting continuous development.
Municipal Administration and Future Outlook
The municipal administration has actively worked to ensure that Açailândia maintains its prominent position despite facing limitations. The city's mayor, Dr. Benjamim de Oliveira, highlighted the collective effort behind these results.
Regarding the ranking achievement, the mayor stated: "the result is fruto do trabalho conjunto e do empenho da equipe administrativa, que, com dedicação e esforço contínuo, conseguiu alcançar os indicadores apresentados no levantamento" (the result is the fruit of joint work and the dedication of the administrative team, who, with dedication and continuous effort, managed to reach the indicators presented in the survey).
This recognition reinforces Açailândia's status as an important pole of growth and regional development. The city continues to leverage its industrial and logistical strengths to drive economic expansion within the state of Maranhão.
