The indicator that measures the percentage of Brazilian families who have debts such as credit cards and financing reached 79.5% in January, the highest level ever recorded, equaling last October’s record. 
The data is part of the Consumer Debt and Default Survey (Peic), released this Tuesday (6) by the National Confederation of Commerce in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC).
On the other hand, the number of families that were unable to pay these debts on time fell for the third month in a row.
In December, the debt level was 78.9%, while in January last year, it covered 76.1% of families.
When analyzing the data from January 2026, it is clear that Debt is more present in families that earn up to three minimum wages, reaching 82.5% of them.
For those with income above ten minimum wages, the indicator drops to 68.3%. Since January, the minimum wage has been set at R$1,621.
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Debt profile
The survey reveals that credit cards are the most common form of debt in household debt:
- Credit card: 85.4%
- Carnes: 15.9%
- Personal credit: 12.2%
- Home financing: 9.6%
- Car financing: 8.7%
- Consigned credit: 6%
- Special check: 3.4%
- Other debts: 2.5%
- Post-dated check: 0.3%
The research identified that the average debt commitment is 7.2 months ─ this means that this is the average time left for families to pay off these bills.
The portion of income spent on debt occupies an average of 29.7% of the family budget, according to Peic. One in five families (19.5%) claims to have more than half of their income committed to debt.
The survey is carried out with 18 thousand families across the country. Credit card debts, special checks, store vouchers, payroll loans, personal loans, post-dated checks and car and house payments are taken into account.
The CNC emphasizes that debt is not necessarily a negative financial behavior, as it is a way of directing money towards consumption, which heats up the economy as a whole.
However, the institution warns that the debt rate is worrying when families begin to experience difficulties in their ability to honor payments, known as default.
Overdue debts
The survey identified that default rates in January were 29.3%, marking the third consecutive month of declinethat is, it has fallen since October, when it was at 30.5%.
The share of families with late bills is greater as household income decreases. In households with an income of up to three minimum wages, the percentage is 38.9%. Among consumers who receive more than ten minimums, it is 14.9%.
The survey found that the average payment delay was 64.8 days in January. The CNC also identified that 12.7% of families said they will not be able to pay late debts.
High interest
According to the CNC, high interest rates make it difficult to pay off debts and make the budget increasingly tight.
The economy’s basic interest rate, Selic, is 15% per yearthe highest level since July 2006 (15.25%).
The percentage is determined by the Monetary Policy Committee (Copom) of the Central Bank (BC) and influences other rates charged in the market, such as consumer interest.
The Selic is maintained at a high level as a tool to combat inflation. The official inflation index (IPCA) spent 13 months outside the government’s target ceiling (4.5% per year), returning to the tolerance range in November 2025.
The high Selic acts restrictively on the economy, that is, it makes credit operations more expensive and discourages investments and consumption. The expected impact is lower demand for products and services, cooling inflation. The side effect is that a slow economy tends to reduce job creation.
Projection
The CNC projects that family debt will continue to riseat least in the first half of the year, reaching 80.4% in June.
For default, the estimate is a reduction to 28.9% in June. According to the CNC’s chief economist, one of the reasons for the regression is the drop in the Selic rate, already indicated by the Central Bank as of March.
“We come to a level [de juros] very high, so it will take a certain amount of time for this monetary loosening to also be felt in the credit market”, he assesses.
“Starting in March, probably at the beginning of the third quarter, end of the second quarter, families should already be faced with a significantly lower interest rate”, he adds.
