Brazil registered 65.2 million delinquent consumers in February, Serasa announced today (5). This mark has not been reached since May 2020, at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic. These citizens have R$ 263.4 billion in negative debts (in arrears).
In February alone, the number of defaulters rose 0.54%. Each Brazilian owes, on average, R$ 4,042.08. The statistic is based on the fact that each number of the Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas (CPF) has, on average, 3.4 active debts.
Regarding the profile of defaulters, men represent 50.2% of debtors, against 49.8% of women. In the division by age group, most are between 26 and 40 years of age (35.3%), followed by the group of 41 to 60 years of age (34.9%).
Evolution
The total number of delinquent consumers had been falling since April 2021, but has been on a continuous rise since October last year. According to Serasa, the recent hikes in interest rates, which make credit more expensive, and the still high unemployment, are the main causes for the increase in default.
The fall in the average worker’s income also affects the payment of debts. Even with the gradual recovery of the job market in recent months, most people are finding jobs that pay less than the previous one, which increases the difficulty in paying overdue debts.
Among the types of debts in default in February, according to Serasa, 28.6% come from credit card debts. In second place are debts with domestic bills (water, electricity and gas), which account for 23.2%. In third, are spending on retail trade, which totaled 12.5%.
