Objetivo: descrever as proporções de abandono do tratamento segundo características sociodemográficas e clínicoepidemiológicas dos casos novos de tuberculose no estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Métodos: estudo ecológico descritivo, com dados do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan) referentes ao período 2001-2014; a Gerência Regional de Saúde (GERES) calculou a proporção de abandono. Resultados: dos 57.015 novos casos, 6.474 (11,3%) abandonaram o tratamento, representando decréscimo de 16,4% (2001) para 9,3% (2014); as GERES I Recife, III Palmares, IV Caruaru, VIII Petrolina e IX Ouricuri ainda apresentavam proporção de abandono >5% em 2014; essa proporção foi maior para homens (11,9%), de 20-39 anos (12,7%), com Ensino Fundamental incompleto (12,1%), negros (13,7%), institucionalizados (12,5%) e da forma clínica pulmonar + extrapulmonar (14,1%). Conclusão: apesar do decréscimo, a proporção de abandono continuava elevada; homens, adultos, com baixa escolaridade, negros, institucionalizados e portadores de tuberculose pulmonar mais extrapulmonar demonstram maior predisposição ao abandonoOBJECTIVE:: to describe abandonment rates according to sociodemographic, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of new tuberculosis cases being treated in Pernambuco State, Brazil. METHODS:: this is a descriptive ecological study using data from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases from 2001 to 2014; the abandonment rate was calculated by the Regional Administration on Health (GERES). RESULTS:: of the 57,015 new cases, 6,474 (11.3%) abandoned treatment, although abandonment decreased from 16.4% (2001) to 9.3% (2014); the abandonment rate in GERES I Recife, III Palmares, IV Caruaru, VIII Petrolina and IX Ouricuri was still >5% in 2014; the rate was higher in males (11.9%), people aged 20-39 (12.7%), people with incomplete elementary school (12.1%), black-skinned people (13.7%), institutionalized people (12.5%) and those with pulmonary + extrapulmonary tuberculosis (14.1%). CONCLUSION:: despite the decrease, the abandonment rate remained high; males, adults with low education level, black-skinned people, institutionalized patients and patients with pulmonary + extrapulmonary tuberculosis seemed more prone to abandoning treatment