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Scarce supply and high prices are Brazil's chief problems in the housing sector, according to a study released yesterday by Brazil's Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea).
This situation is aggravated by the fact that a large part of the population lives in informal and precarious conditions, without adequate services of urban infrastructure.
These problems are most visible in the major urban centers, where over 7.3 million people occupy irregular lots.
The Ipea informs that there are more than 2.4 million illegal residents in the state of São Paulo alone. Residential overpopulation is another reflection of Brazil's housing deficit.
Around 17 million individuals (9.9% of the total population) live in homes in which the demographic density exceeds three people per bedroom.
The basic sanitation situation is also critical. Approximately 28.5% of the urban population (41.8 million people) does not have full access to public water, sewage, and garbage collection services.
The segment of the population in the family income bracket of no more than half a minimum wage per capita suffers the most, accounting for about 60% of Brazil's overall deficit of adequate urban sanitation.
The study also indicates that the rate of population growth in Brazil has decreased in recent years, mostly as a result of the drop in fecundity. The mortality rate also declined, leading to an increase in Brazilians' life expectancy (approximately 70 years).
In consequence, the age structure of the population has been transformed, and the number of children and the elderly has risen in proportion to the number of adults.
Agência Brasil
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