Over 25 million Brazilians live on poverty line

Over 25 million Brazilians live on the poverty line, with a family income of R$387.07—or $5.5—a day. The amount was set by the World Bank in order to define whether an individual can be regarded as poor.

Figures were released today (Dec. 15) by the Rio-based Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) as part of a survey entitled 2017 Synthesis of Social Indicators.

It also shows that the highest poverty rate is to be found in the country’s Northeast, where 43.5% of the population are poor. The region with the lowest poverty rate is the South: 12.3%.

Inequality

The data bring to light Brazil’s alarming inequalities at every level. For instance, the per capita income of the 20% people making the most money stands at some $1,350—over 18 times the average of those making the lowest amount of money, $72.90.

Furthermore, women usually earn considerably less money than men on the same job. Moving to race and color, the numbers shows that, of the people making up the bottom 10% in income, 78.5% are black, against a white 20.8%.

Black and brown people also account for the highest amount of unemployed, in addition to having the worst housing and starting their professional careers the earliest, as they are the ones with the lowest level of education.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira