Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Brazil
Brazil: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 21.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
21.2%
Change on year
down 3.2%
World rank
5th
of 130 countries
All-time high
26.5%
in 1988
All-time low
18.2%
in 2020
Years of data
40
1981–2024
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Brazil, 1981–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Brazil is 21.2%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 3.2% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Brazil peaked at 26.5% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 18.2%, in 2020.
That places Brazil 5th out of 130 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 40 years of available data.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Brazil, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 24.6% | — |
| 1982 | 25.0% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 24.4% | -2.4% |
| 1984 | 24.1% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 24.5% | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 24.4% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 25.8% | +5.7% |
| 1988 | 26.5% | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 26.4% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 25.9% | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 25.4% | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 25.2% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 24.2% | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 26.5% | +9.5% |
| 1997 | 26.5% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 25.0% | -5.7% |
| 1999 | 25.2% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 25.9% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 25.3% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 25.3% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 24.5% | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 24.3% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 23.6% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 24.2% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 23.5% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 23.4% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 22.9% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 22.7% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 22.5% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 22.3% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 22.4% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 23.1% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 23.1% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 23.6% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 24.0% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 18.2% | -24.2% |
| 2021 | 22.2% | +22.0% |
| 2022 | 22.0% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 21.9% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 21.2% | -3.2% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 21.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.8%, 1.4× the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 21.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 17.8%, 1.2× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 25.1% | 24.1% | 26.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 25.5% | 24.2% | 26.5% | 8 |
| 2000s | 24.4% | 23.4% | 25.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 23.0% | 22.3% | 24.0% | 9 |
| 2020s | 21.1% | 18.2% | 22.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More infrastructure data for Brazil
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 216.08 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 101.93 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 22.55 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 10.63 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.1063 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -11.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 22.55 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.02 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Brazil?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Brazil was 21.2% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 26.5% in 1988.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.2% in 2020.
- How does Brazil rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- Brazil ranks 5th out of 130 countries with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brazil data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).