Poverty and living standards in Porto Alegre, Brazil: official figures
At the 2022 census, 17.2% of residents of Porto Alegre lived in households with an income per person of no more than half the minimum wage (R$ 606 a month), the 81st lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities and the 880th lowest of Brazil's 5,509 municipalities (Brazil: 31.8%).
How many people in Porto Alegre live in extreme poverty?
7.0% of people in Porto Alegre had a household income per person of a quarter of the minimum wage (R$ 303) or less in 2022, including the 3.2% in households with no income, the 114th lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: 13.3%).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyHow unequal are incomes in Porto Alegre?
The mean household income per person in Porto Alegre was R$ 3,203 a month in 2022, 1.9 times the median of R$ 1,700; 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 Porto Alegre lack proper sanitation?
4.7% of Porto Alegre'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 107th lowest of 320 major Brazilian cities; Brazil: 24.2%).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyIs rubbish collected in Porto Alegre?
Rubbish was collected by a cleaning service, at the door or from a skip, for 99.4% of residents of Porto Alegre in 2022 (Brazil: 91.0%).
Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copyMore figures
- 3.2% of Porto Alegre's residents lived in households with no income per person at the 2022 census, the 93rd highest of 320 major Brazilian cities (Brazil: 2.9%). Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) · saved copy
How Porto Alegre compares with other cities in Brazil
People with household income per person up to 1/2 minimum wage (%) (2022)
Porto Alegre ranks 240 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | People with household income per person up to 1/2 minimum wage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 237 | Jaú | 17.4% |
| 238 | Votorantim | 17.4% |
| 239 | Uberlândia | 17.3% |
| 240 | Porto Alegre | 17.2% |
| 241 | Divinópolis | 17.2% |
| 242 | Pouso Alegre | 17.1% |
| 243 | Santana de Parnaíba | 17.0% |
People with household income per person up to 1/4 minimum wage (%) (2022)
Porto Alegre ranks 207 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | People with household income per person up to 1/4 minimum wage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 204 | Anápolis | 7.1% |
| 205 | São Leopoldo | 7.0% |
| 206 | Três Lagoas | 7.0% |
| 207 | Porto Alegre | 7.0% |
| 208 | Colatina | 6.9% |
| 209 | Poá | 6.9% |
| 210 | Goiânia | 6.9% |
Residents without adequate sewage disposal (%) (2022)
Porto Alegre ranks 214 of 320, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents without adequate sewage disposal (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 211 | Joinville | 4.8% |
| 212 | São Leopoldo | 4.8% |
| 213 | Itatiba | 4.7% |
| 214 | Porto Alegre | 4.7% |
| 215 | Londrina | 4.7% |
| 216 | Brusque | 4.5% |
| 217 | Juiz de Fora | 4.4% |
More on Porto Alegre: 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…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.