The study, conducted by the Fiscal Policy Observatory of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, analyzed income tax returns and found a significant increase in wealth concentration among the richest Brazilians between 2017 and 2022. This period, which saw the presidencies of Michel Temer and Jair Bolsonaro, marked a reversal from the early 21st century when the living conditions of the poorest had stabilized and even improved.
Key findings of the report include:
- The richest 0.1% of Brazilians, amounting to 153,666 individuals, nearly doubled their income during this period, reaching an average monthly salary of about $90,000.
- In contrast, 95% of the population, or 147 million people, earned an average of $465 per month, a growth of 33%, barely above the inflation rate of around 30%.
This increase in wealth inequality is further evidenced by the booming luxury goods sector in Brazil, which saw sales reach nearly $15 billion in 2022. Projections suggest a 30% increase in sales for 2023.
Economist Sérgio Gobetti, the author of the study, attributes this trend to both structural and circumstantial factors. One key factor is the anticipation of corporations to distribute maximum dividends to their partners before the possible implementation of a new bill that would tax profits and dividends, which are currently exempt.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated economic struggles, particularly impacting the 40% of the workforce in the informal sector and leading to an increase in homelessness. As of 2022, there were over 281,000 homeless individuals in Brazil.
Furthermore, certain sectors, such as agriculture and cattle farming, benefit from tax breaks in Brazilian legislation, contributing to this inequality. The study's findings challenge President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's goal of fighting inequality and highlight the ongoing issue of wealth disparity in one of the world's most unequal countries.
