Around 41% of Brazil’s indigenous population lives on less than 1/4 of the minimum wage per capita per month, according to data from the Work and Income module of the 2022 Census, released this Thursday (09) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The proportion is higher than that of the Brazilian population in general, which was 13.3% that year. 
The research also identified that the proportion was higher than the national average among black and brown people, and lower among white and yellow people.
In numbers, Brazil’s average per capita household income was R$1,638 in 2022, decreasing to around R$1,070 in the North and Northeast Regions, rising to around R$1900 in the Southeast and Central-West, and reaching the highest figure in the South: R$2,058.
The value calculated by IBGE refers to income obtained from all sources, including salary, pensions, social benefits and rent, among others, received and shared by all residents of the household.
Regions
The Census identified that 61% of the population had a household income of up to 1 minimum wage and also identified regional differences in this proportion. The South was the only region in which the majority of the population had a per capita income greater than 1 salary. In the Southeast and Central-West, this proportion was around 46%. On the other hand, in the North and Northeast, more than 76% and 79% of households had per capita income below this amount, respectively.
Among the federative units, the highest income was identified in the Federal District, with R$2,999, and the lowest in Maranhão, with R$900. The northeastern state also stands out for having five municipalities on the list of ten with the lowest incomes. The others are in Roraima, Pará, Pernambuco and Amazonas. They are:
- 1) Uiramutã (RR) – R$ 289
- 2) Catfish (PA) – R$ 359
- 3) Manari (PE) – R$ 359
- 4) Belágua (MA) – R$ 388
- 5) Cachoeira Grande (MA) – R$ 389
- 6) São Paulo de Olivença (AM) – R$ 397
- 7) First Cross (MA) – R$414
- 8) Humberto de Campos (MA) – R$ 416
- 9) Maharaja of the Sena (MA) – R$ 426
- 10) Tonantins (AM) – R$ 432
The cities with the highest per capita household incomes are:
- 1) Nova Lima (MG) – R$4,300
- 2) São Caetano do Sul (SP) – R$ 3,885
- 3) Florianópolis (SC) – R$ 3,636
- 4) Balneário Camboriú (SC) – R$ 3,584
- 5) Niterói (RJ) – R$ 3,577
- 6) Santana de Parnaíba (SP) – R$ 3,465
- 7) Marema (SC) – R$ 3,440
- 8) Vitória (ES) – R$ 3,352
- 9) Petrolândia (SC) – R$ 3,308
- 10) Tunápolis (SC) – R$ 3,288
Income inequality
The Census also calculated the Gini coefficient, the main indicator of income inequality, which was 0.542 in 2022, which represents high inequality. The indicator goes from 0 to 1, and the lower the value, the more equal the income. Among Brazilian regions, the only one below 0.5 was the South region.
