Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
4 min of reading 
0 comments 
Detailed survey on income distribution shows inequality in the country, reveals how much different segments of the population earn, and explains why many Brazilians might be at the top without realizing it
The idea of being among the richest in Brazil may seem distant for a large part of the population. However, when we analyze the latest official data, this perception changes completely. The information was released by “g1”, based on the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua), published by IBGE, which revealed how income is distributed in the country in 2025.
Right from the start, the study shows a surprising scenario: the top of the income pyramid begins much earlier than many imagine. This happens because inequality in Brazil is still extremely high, which means that an income considered “normal” in large urban centers already places a person among the richest.
In 2025, the average monthly income per person in Brazilian households was R$ 2,264. This value considers all household income divided by the number of residents. Still, this number hides a large difference between the layers of the population.
-
The quantum battery that uses entangled qubits quadruples the capacity of the quantum computer — and the experiment was led by Australia’s CSIRO with Queensland and Okinawa.
-
Savings accounts record the lowest monthly withdrawal since August 2024 and signal a slowdown in the outflow of funds from investors.
-
Chinese investment in Brazil reaches US$ 6.1 billion, placing the country at the top globally for Beijing, with 52 projects in mining, electric cars, technology, and clean energy.
-
Historic: For the first time in history, the world’s fastest super executive jet, the Global 8000, will be brought to Brazil, featuring a speed of 1,170 km/h, a range of 14,800 km, and the most comfortable cabin in its category.
Base of the pyramid reveals low-income reality and structural inequality
When we look at the base of the pyramid, the numbers show a very different reality. The poorest 5% of Brazil lived on just R$ 166 per person in 2025. Just above, another group had an average income of R$ 374 per month.
Furthermore, when expanding the scope to the poorest 20%, the average income still remains below R$ 600 per person. In other words, about one-fifth of the Brazilian population lives on extremely limited amounts.
To better understand this division, IBGE uses a system called percentiles, which organizes the population from poorest to richest. This makes it easier to compare how much each group earns and how income is concentrated in the country.
Another important piece of data reinforces this scenario: the median income, which represents the value that divides the population into two equal parts. In 2025, this median was R$ 1,311 per person. This means that half of Brazilians live on less than this amount.
Therefore, even with an average of R$ 2,264, the reality for the majority of the population is well below that. This happens because higher incomes pull the average up, increasing inequality.
Still, there have been important advances. Between 2019 and 2025, the income of the poorest 10% grew by 78.7%, while the next group saw an increase of 42.4%. Even with this improvement, inequality remains high.
Top income starts earlier than expected and includes salaried workers
Now comes the most surprising data: the richest 10% of Brazil had an average income of R$ 3,590 per person in 2025. In other words, a person earning around R$ 5,000 per month, especially in smaller households, can already be part of this group.
Furthermore, labor market data reinforces this conclusion. In 2025, the average income of employed workers was R$ 3,560, a value practically equal to that of the richest 10%.
This shows that this group is not formed only by millionaires or large business owners. In practice, many salaried workers with higher incomes are already at this top.
However, within this group, there are still significant differences. See:
- Richest 5%: average income of R$ 5,519
- Range between 96% and 99%: average of R$ 9,648
- Richest 1%: average income of R$ 24,973
In addition, the income of the richest 10% grew by 8.7% between 2024 and 2025, above the national average of 6.9%. This shows that the top earners continue to advance faster than the rest of the population.
Income concentration in Brazil remains high even with recent advances
Another important point of the study is the concentration of income in the country. In 2025, the richest 10% concentrated 40.3% of all national income. Meanwhile, the poorest 70% shared only 32.8%.
At the base of the pyramid, the poorest 10% accounted for only 1.2% of the total income. Furthermore, the richest earned, on average, 13.8 times more than the poorest 40%, an increase compared to the previous year, when this difference was 13.2 times.
Geographically, the Midwest stood out as one of the regions with the highest average income. This growth occurred mainly due to the Federal District, which showed an increase in income among public sector workers and employers.
In addition, factors such as higher professional qualification, growth in the labor market, and an 11.8% increase in rental and leasing income also contributed to the advancement of the higher classes.
Therefore, although the country has registered an improvement in the lower income brackets, inequality still remains one of Brazil’s main economic challenges.
Did you imagine that earning around R$ 5,000 per month could already place someone among the richest in Brazil?
Be the first to react!