How much do social benefits reduce poverty in Sao Paulo?

Without government social benefits such as Bolsa Familia and the BPC, 17.1% of people in Sao Paulo would have been below the US$6.85 poverty line in 2024 and 4.4% below the US$2.15 extreme poverty line, against 14.0% and 2.2% with them (IBGE simulation removing benefit income).

Poverty and living standards in Sao Paulo, Brazil: official figures

14.0% of people in Sao Paulo lived on household income below the World Bank poverty line of US$6.85 a day (PPP 2017) in 2024, about 6.41 million people; 5th lowest of the 26 states and the Federal District (Brazil: 23.1%).

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

14.0%

2024

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

2.2%

2024

Gini index of household income per person

0.489

2024

Is poverty falling in Sao Paulo?

The poverty rate in Sao Paulo was 18.8% in 2019 and 18.8% in 2012, so the 2024 figure of 14.0% is down 4.8 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 Sao Paulo?

2.2% of people in Sao Paulo were in extreme poverty in 2024, living on less than US$2.15 a day (PPP 2017), about R$218 a month per person; 11th 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 Sao Paulo live on less than a quarter of the minimum wage?

3.8% of people in Sao Paulo 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 10.3% on between a quarter and half (R$704); the first share is 5th 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 Sao Paulo?

The Gini index of household income per person in Sao Paulo was 0.489 in 2024 (0 means everyone has the same income, 1 that one person has all of it), 13th most unequal of the 26 states and the Federal District; Brazil's was 0.504. In 2019 Sao Paulo's index was 0.527.

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

How much income do the richest 10% get in Sao Paulo?

The richest 10% of people in Sao Paulo received 38.7% of all household income in 2024 and the poorest 40% received 13.0%, a Palma ratio of 2.97 (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 Sao Paulo would have been 0.506 in 2024 instead of 0.489 (Brazil: 0.542 instead of 0.504). Source: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) · saved copy

How Sao Paulo compares with other states

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

Sao Paulo ranks 23 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 (%)
20	Minas Gerais	16.8%
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%

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

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

Sao Paulo ranks 17 of 27, highest first.

Rank	Region	People in extreme poverty, below US$2.15 a day (%)
14	Amapa	3.9%
15	Tocantins	3.8%
16	Rio de Janeiro	3.1%
17	Sao Paulo	2.2%
18	Minas Gerais	2.2%
19	Parana	1.8%
20	Espirito Santo	1.7%

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

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

Sao Paulo ranks 25 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)

Sao Paulo ranks 13 of 27, highest first. 0 = complete equality, 1 = complete inequality.

Rank	Region	Gini index of household income per person
10	Paraiba	0.496
11	Piaui	0.493
12	Para	0.490
13	Sao Paulo	0.489
14	Maranhao	0.487
15	Ceara	0.487
16	Espirito Santo	0.480

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

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

Sao Paulo ranks 23 of 27, highest first.

Rank	Region	People living on up to 1/4 minimum wage per person (%)
20	Distrito Federal	4.7%
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%

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

More on Sao Paulo: 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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