Growth brings progress to poorer regions, but inequality persists

Despite having made economic advances in its historically poorer regions, Brazil’s vast geographic disparities remain stubbornly entrenched, according to data on income, education and living standards.

The Northeast and North regions still register per capita GDP totals that are well below the national average of BRL 53,887 (USD 10,242), according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). And the gap extends beyond economic output: average monthly household income per capita stood at BRL 1,319 in the Northeast and BRL 1,389 in the North in 2024, compared to a national average of BRL 2,020. The South topped the ranking with BRL 2,499, followed by the Southeast at BRL 2,381.