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Demographic Census Data 2022 on Work and Income, Released by IBGE in October 2025, Shows Nova Lima in the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte as the Richest City in Brazil, with Average Income of R$ 6,929, While the National Average for 2022 Was R$ 2,850 in the Official Survey
In 2024, IBGE recorded an average income of R$ 3,208 in Brazil, but the richest city in Brazil is well above that level: Nova Lima, in the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte, with an average monthly income of R$ 6,929, almost R$ 7,000.
The information comes from the Demographic Census 2022 on Work and Income, released by IBGE in October 2025, and helps to highlight inequality: the average income of Nova Lima exceeds more than double the national average for 2022, estimated at R$ 2,850, and is also above the average of Minas Gerais in 2022, which was R$ 2,586.
Why Nova Lima Appears as the Richest City in Brazil
The ranking places Nova Lima as the richest city in Brazil by considering the average income from work reported by IBGE.
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In the mentioned data, the average monthly income of R$ 6,929 represents more than four minimum wages at the time and contrasts with the national average of R$ 2,850 in 2022.
In addition to work income, Nova Lima is also noted for having the highest per capita household income in the country, with an average of R$ 4,300, reinforcing the profile of high income in the municipality.
What the 2022 IBGE Census Measured and When the Data Was Released
The numbers presented come from the Demographic Census 2022 in the area of Work and Income.
According to the reported data, IBGE released this dataset in October 2025, and the ranking began to circulate thereafter as a summary of income inequality among municipalities.
The comparative snapshot gains strength because it combines two references: the national average of 2022 and the average income for the country reported for 2024, allowing a view of the gap between the Brazilian average and the richest city in Brazil.
Inequality in Numbers: The Leap Between Nova Lima and Brazil in 2022
The central contrast appears in the proportions: Nova Lima, with R$ 6,929, is at a level more than twice the national average of R$ 2,850 in 2022.
In practice, this shows that work income is distributed highly unequally, with few municipalities concentrating incomes well above the average.
The state data reinforces this reading: the average of Minas Gerais in 2022 was R$ 2,586, also well below the value observed in the richest city in Brazil, widening the gap within the state itself.
The Metropolitan Factor and the Residential Profile Mentioned by an IBGE Analyst
According to the newspaper O Tempo, IBGE experts relate Nova Lima’s performance to its proximity to Belo Horizonte and the profile of its residents.
Analyst André Simões attributes the outcome to the presence of higher-income families seeking to live outside the urban center, with strong occupancy in condominiums and higher wages.
This combination of metropolitan proximity and the concentration of high-income groups helps to explain why the richest city in Brazil stands out in the 2022 Census ranking.
Top 10 Ranking: Cities with the Highest Average Salaries
The released list indicates the 10 cities with the highest average salaries in Brazil, with monthly amounts:
Nova Lima MG R$ 6,929
São Caetano do Sul SP R$ 6,167
Santana de Parnaíba SP R$ 6,081
Petrolândia SC R$ 5,989
Vespasiano Corrêa RS R$ 5,779
Tunápolis SC R$ 5,417
Marema SC R$ 5,395
Niterói RJ R$ 5,371
Nova Ramada RS R$ 5,328
Vitória ES R$ 5,242
The ranking concentrates municipalities with high incomes across different regions, but the highlight remains on Nova Lima as the richest city in Brazil based on the presented criteria.
The Demographic Census 2022 on Work and Income, released by IBGE in October 2025, positions Nova Lima as the richest city in Brazil, with an average income of R$ 6,929, more than double the national average for 2022, which was R$ 2,850.
This scenario, reinforced by the 2024 data and the per capita household income of R$ 4,300, exposes a municipal inequality that extends beyond states and regions.
If you want to track this type of ranking more clearly, always compare your municipal value with the national average for the same year and observe the metropolitan profile, which tends to concentrate income in few territories.
In your city, does the average work income seem closer to the national average or closer to the richest city in Brazil?
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