MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Almost 40 million Brazilians climbed to middle class in the last eight years
Lula da Silva social polices helped 28 million out of poverty An estimated 39.5 million Brazilians climbed to the middle class between 2003 and May 2011 according to a report from the Getulio Vargas Foundation, FGV, released Monday and which underlined inclusion and inequality reduction as the main forces.
“The years 2010 and 2011 have been exceptional” since ten million people have been incorporated to the C bracket of society said Professor Marcelo Neri.
“Economic growth and inequality reduction” have been the main reasons for low income people to abandon poverty supported by an improvement in health and education.
“Inequality in Brazil is falling significantly and fast”, said Neri showing that the Gini inequality index dropped to 1.1% between 2000 and 2007.
At the same time the new members of the low middle class, besides consuming new foods and textiles are also involved in purchasing other items such as fuel, telecommunications and computers, emphasized Professor Neri.
According to the FGV report currently 105 million Brazilians belong to the middle class C with a family income in the range of 750 to 3.229 US dollars per month.
However another 63.6 million are still in poverty brackets D and E while 22.5 million are described as belonging to the population segments with the highest purchasing power.
Between 2003 and 2010, former president Lula da Silva implemented social policies that helped 28 million Brazilians out of poverty and indigence.
Last June President Dilma Rousseff launched her program “Brazil without misery” which is basically a continuation of the plans launched by Lula da Silva and with which she pretends to end the extreme poverty in which 16 million Brazilians live.
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Read all commentsI'm quite sure Geoff will soon comment to let us know his contempt towards those 40 million and his feelings of British petty burgeois superiority.
Jun 28th, 2011 - 06:18 am 0That clown will come up with something, though he knows that his British petty burgeois superiority is slowly fading away...and it hurts him terrible. in his heart :D
Jun 28th, 2011 - 07:15 pm 0I do not know Geoff so am unable to comment about whether he will or will not comment.
Jun 29th, 2011 - 12:06 am 0Instead I will comment on the story.
Living in Brasil I hope that I have some insight into what is happening here. Yes the economy is growing in leaps and bounds. Yes many more have gone from level D to level C3. Now how did they get there? Was it through Job development? Sorry to say No. In fact the manufacturing sector is down below the 2003 level. Was it through improved infrastructure? No wrong again. Many of the proposed planned and costed improvements have stopped due to “Superfaturmento”. For those who don't know that is the Brazillian word for the way to steal the public money legally. You bid for a contract, Start it and charge prices such as R$100,00 for each brick. Before you know it you have used up all the money given to youby the Govt.. You then tell your friend in power that the construction will cost 10X more than expected. He rubbs his hands, loads hyis socks or underpants with your “contribution” and endorses the increase. You then discover that the new bricks will cost R$250,00 each.
Sooner or later the person in Brasillia or more likely someone in the media, who did not get an exclusive interview, spills the beans. The work stops. There is an oficial enquiry. The country moves on.
Then how did there become a larger middle class?
The Government does not want the people to starve or be miserable so they developed the “Bosa Familiar” This money takes anyone on the basic wage with 2 or more children up into the middle class. Many of these people have no experience with a surplus in the pocket so buy more, mainly on credit. I know supermarkets that are allowing you to buy your food now and not have to pay until August.
That is the way Brasil gets an increase in the middle class.
Long live P.T..
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