Poverty and living standards in Belo Horizonte, Brazil: official figures
At the 2022 census, 18.5% of residents of Belo Horizonte lived in households with an income per person of no more than half the minimum wage (R$ 606 a month), the 96th lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities and the 1039th lowest of Brazil's 5,509 municipalities (Brazil: 31.8%).
How many people in Belo Horizonte live in extreme poverty?
7.6% of people in Belo Horizonte had a household income per person of a quarter of the minimum wage (R$ 303) or less in 2022, including the 3.4% in households with no income, the 133rd lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: 13.3%).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyHow unequal are incomes in Belo Horizonte?
The mean household income per person in Belo Horizonte was R$ 2,749 a month in 2022, 1.9 times the median of R$ 1,441; a wider gap means income is more concentrated at the top (Brazil: mean R$ 1,638, median R$ 1,000).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyHow many homes in Belo Horizonte lack proper sanitation?
2.8% of Belo Horizonte's residents lived in homes whose sewage went to a rudimentary pit, a ditch, a river, lake or the sea, or that had no bathroom or toilet (2022 census; the 64th lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities; Brazil: 24.2%).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyIs rubbish collected in Belo Horizonte?
Rubbish was collected by a cleaning service, at the door or from a skip, for 99.4% of residents of Belo Horizonte in 2022 (Brazil: 91.0%).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyMore figures
- 3.4% of Belo Horizonte's residents lived in households with no income per person at the 2022 census, the 75th highest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: 2.9%). Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copy
How Belo Horizonte compares with other cities in Brazil
People with household income per person up to 1/2 minimum wage (%) (2022)
Belo Horizonte ranks 225 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | People with household income per person up to 1/2 minimum wage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 222 | Ourinhos | 18.8% |
| 223 | Várzea Paulista | 18.7% |
| 224 | Araucária | 18.7% |
| 225 | Belo Horizonte | 18.5% |
| 226 | Franca | 18.4% |
| 227 | Uberaba | 18.4% |
| 228 | Niterói | 18.3% |
People with household income per person up to 1/4 minimum wage (%) (2022)
Belo Horizonte ranks 188 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | People with household income per person up to 1/4 minimum wage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 185 | Lavras | 7.7% |
| 186 | Taubaté | 7.7% |
| 187 | São José dos Campos | 7.7% |
| 188 | Belo Horizonte | 7.6% |
| 189 | Muriaé | 7.6% |
| 190 | Teresópolis | 7.5% |
| 191 | Ipatinga | 7.5% |
Residents without adequate sewage disposal (%) (2022)
Belo Horizonte ranks 257 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents without adequate sewage disposal (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 254 | Votorantim | 2.8% |
| 255 | Jacareí | 2.8% |
| 256 | Poá | 2.8% |
| 257 | Belo Horizonte | 2.8% |
| 258 | Jaraguá do Sul | 2.7% |
| 259 | São José dos Campos | 2.6% |
| 260 | Bento Gonçalves | 2.6% |
More on Belo Horizonte: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in Brazil
Sources
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Censo Demográfico 2022: residents of permanent private households by class of monthly household income per person in minimum wages, Brazil, states and municipalities (SIDRA table 10296; API response in codes-only format), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4896427475f0…)
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Censo Demográfico 2022: mean and median monthly household income per person of residents of permanent private households, Brazil, states and municipalities (SIDRA table 10295), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 34331c7982e4…)
- Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE): Censo Demográfico 2022, Agregados por Municípios: household characteristics part 3, residents of occupied permanent private households by sewage destination, water source and rubbish disposal, every municipality, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1b96b1e32794…)
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