A Queda Recente da Desigualdade de Renda no Brasil

In this study we document the recent evolution of the income inequality in Brazil, which since 2001 has been declining sharply and continuously. The Gini coefficient, one of the most used inequality measure, declined 4,6%, from 0,594 in 2001 to 0,566 in 2005. But, in spite of this important decline in inequality, the country still clearly occupies a negative position on the international scenario as one of the countries with the highest income inequality in the world. Even in the fast rhythm that the inequality is being reduced, the country passed only 5% of the countries in the inequality ranking. Besides, it would still be necessary more then 20 years so that Brazil would achieve a similar level of the countries with the same development. Therefore, we need to persist. The bad news is that evidences, based on the Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego (PME)/Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), prove that the inequality?s decline may has been significantly attenuated in 2006. We show that the estimates on the recent inequality decline are independent on the inequality measure, on the scale economies? existence or even on the different necessities of children, adults or elders, and they are statistically significant.