Endividamento e desigualdade regional: a geografia da dívida no Brasil a partir de dados históricos do Banco Central do Brasil.

Abstract

This study analyzes the indebtedness of Brazilian families between 2020 and 2024, a period marked by the economic shock caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent recovery of the Brazilian economy. The objective of the study is to investigate the effects of the pandemic on household debt, using a regional, income, and debt-level breakdown of the Brazilian population. The approach involves using descriptive and qualitative research to analyze results and perceptions on the topic, with the support of public data from the Credit Information System (SCR) provided by the Central Bank of Brazil, to assess how the numbers reflect this issue. The results reinforced the hypothesis that debt is characterized by inequalities and that its impact is more severe on the most vulnerable segments of the population, since the North and Northeast regions of the country concentrate the highest levels of indebtedness and have experienced a stable increase in default rates for several years, reflecting the financial inability to meet obligations. By making this result explicit, the present study seeks to contribute to the understanding of indebtedness as a complex and unequal phenomenon, proposing reflections for the formulation of strategies and public policies regarding more inclusive and socially oriented financial education.