How much do social benefits reduce poverty in Rio Grande do Sul?

Without government social benefits such as Bolsa Familia and the BPC, 14.7% of people in Rio Grande do Sul would have been below the US$6.85 poverty line in 2024 and 3.7% below the US$2.15 extreme poverty line, against 11.1% and 1.4% with them (IBGE simulation removing benefit income).

Poverty and living standards in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: official figures

11.1% of people in Rio Grande do Sul lived on household income below the World Bank poverty line of US$6.85 a day (PPP 2017) in 2024, about 1.24 million people; 2nd lowest of the 26 states and the Federal District (Brazil: 23.1%).

People below the poverty line (US$6.85 PPP a day)

11.1%

2024

People in extreme poverty (US$2.15 PPP a day)

1.4%

2024

Gini index of household income per person

0.458

2024

Is poverty falling in Rio Grande do Sul?

The poverty rate in Rio Grande do Sul was 16.0% in 2019 and 20.1% in 2012, so the 2024 figure of 11.1% is down 5.0 percentage points on 2019 (Brazil: 32.6% in 2019, 23.1% in 2024).

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

How many people live in extreme poverty in Rio Grande do Sul?

1.4% of people in Rio Grande do Sul were in extreme poverty in 2024, living on less than US$2.15 a day (PPP 2017), about R$218 a month per person; 2nd lowest of the 26 states and the Federal District (Brazil: 3.5%).

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

How many people in Rio Grande do Sul live on less than a quarter of the minimum wage?

2.9% of people in Rio Grande do Sul lived in households with income of up to a quarter of the minimum wage per person (R$353 a month) in 2024, and a further 9.0% on between a quarter and half (R$704); the first share is 2nd lowest of the 26 states and the Federal District (Brazil: 7.9%).

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

How unequal is income in Rio Grande do Sul?

The Gini index of household income per person in Rio Grande do Sul was 0.458 in 2024 (0 means everyone has the same income, 1 that one person has all of it), 6th least unequal of the 26 states and the Federal District; Brazil's was 0.504. In 2019 Rio Grande do Sul's index was 0.481.

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

How much income do the richest 10% get in Rio Grande do Sul?

The richest 10% of people in Rio Grande do Sul received 36.3% of all household income in 2024 and the poorest 40% received 13.9%, a Palma ratio of 2.60 (Brazil: 3.31).

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

More figures

Counting only income from work, pensions and other non-benefit sources, the Gini index in Rio Grande do Sul would have been 0.477 in 2024 instead of 0.458 (Brazil: 0.542 instead of 0.504). Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

How Rio Grande do Sul compares with other states

People below the US$6.85 a day poverty line (%) (2024)

Rio Grande do Sul ranks 26 of 27, highest first. Household income per person below US$6.85 a day at 2017 purchasing power parity; PNAD Continua.

Rank	Region	People below the US$6.85 a day poverty line (%)
21	Goias	15.9%
22	Distrito Federal	15.3%
23	Sao Paulo	14.0%
24	Parana	13.7%
25	Mato Grosso	13.1%
26	Rio Grande do Sul	11.1%
27	Santa Catarina	8.0%

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

People in extreme poverty, below US$2.15 a day (%) (2024)

Rio Grande do Sul ranks 26 of 27, highest first.

Rank	Region	People in extreme poverty, below US$2.15 a day (%)
21	Distrito Federal	1.7%
22	Rondonia	1.7%
23	Mato Grosso	1.6%
24	Goias	1.6%
25	Mato Grosso do Sul	1.6%
26	Rio Grande do Sul	1.4%
27	Santa Catarina	1.2%

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

Poverty rate without government social benefits (%) (2024)

Rio Grande do Sul ranks 26 of 27, highest first. IBGE simulation removing income from social programmes such as Bolsa Familia and BPC.

Rank	Region	Poverty rate without government social benefits (%)
21	Goias	20.7%
22	Distrito Federal	19.6%
23	Parana	17.4%
24	Mato Grosso	17.2%
25	Sao Paulo	17.1%
26	Rio Grande do Sul	14.7%
27	Santa Catarina	9.7%

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

Gini index of household income per person (2024)

Rio Grande do Sul ranks 22 of 27, highest first. 0 = complete equality, 1 = complete inequality.

Rank	Region	Gini index of household income per person
19	Amazonas	0.474
20	Parana	0.473
21	Goias	0.462
22	Rio Grande do Sul	0.458
23	Mato Grosso do Sul	0.454
24	Minas Gerais	0.447
25	Mato Grosso	0.442

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

People living on up to 1/4 minimum wage per person (%) (2024)

Rio Grande do Sul ranks 26 of 27, highest first.

Rank	Region	People living on up to 1/4 minimum wage per person (%)
21	Goias	4.3%
22	Mato Grosso do Sul	4.1%
23	Sao Paulo	3.8%
24	Parana	3.6%
25	Mato Grosso	3.0%
26	Rio Grande do Sul	2.9%
27	Santa Catarina	2.3%

Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

More on Rio Grande do Sul: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Brazil

Sources

Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE): Sintese de Indicadores Sociais 2025, chapter 2 tables (income distribution and poverty): Tables 2.1, 2.11, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15, 2.18, 2.20, 2.22, 2.23 (PNAD Continua 2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e2084f0fca81…)

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