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Wealth Inequality in Brazil

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  • Davi Bhering

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Fabio Avila de Castro

    (Brazilian Federal Revenue Agency)

Abstract

This note provides novel estimates of wealth distribution in Brazil from 2006 to 2021, combining administrative and survey data. The estimations indicate that the wealthiest 1% of the population held 44.8% of the total wealth in 2006 and 46.8% in 2021. The increase was steeper for the top 0.01%, with the wealth share rising from 12.2% to 18%. Financial wealth is significantly more concentrated than real estate and becomes relatively more important as we move up the distribution. In the top 0.1%, financial wealth accounts for about 80% of reported wealth, while real estate represents no more than 15%. The greater relative importance of financial wealth at the very top, combined with the faster growth of financial wealth observed over the period, potentially explains the concentration trend.

Suggested Citation

  • Davi Bhering & Fabio Avila de Castro, 2023. "Wealth Inequality in Brazil," PSE Working Papers halshs-04166852, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:psewpa:halshs-04166852
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-04166852
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gabriel Zucman, 2019. "Global Wealth Inequality," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 11(1), pages 109-138, August.
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    Keywords

    Wealth Distribution; Brazil;

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