São Paulo, Brazil, home to a metropolitan population of about 23 million

iss073e0982063 (Oct. 21, 2025) --- São Paulo, Brazil—with a metropolitan population of about 23 million—is the fifth most populous region in the world. As Brazil's economic powerhouse, São Paulo hosts one of the largest stock exchanges in the world and leads in the automotive, aerospace, and pharmaceutical industries. The city's brighter, more energy-efficient white LED lights reflect the region’s ongoing progress and modernization of its infrastructure. This photograph was taken from the International Space Station as it orbited 264 miles above the Brazilian coast at approximately 2:20 a.m. local time.