April 16, 2022

13:04

Bruno Pacheco – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – A survey released on Thursday, 14, revealed that the North was the region of Brazil that felt the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic the most. After two years of Covid-19, 41% of the northern population interviewed by the study “Pandemic and Financial Impacts” said their income decreased and 62% said they had more expenses. The survey was conducted by Serasa, in partnership with the Opinion Box Institute.

According to the study, another 35% of the population of the North Region informed the survey that they had no change in income and 24% that they had an increase. For economist Denise Kassama, vice-president of the Federal Council of Economics (Cofecon), the pandemic helped worsen an already bad scenario.

According to Denise, Serasa’s research with Opinion Box corroborates recent data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), which shows that Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas, has the second worst income in the country, among the capital cities, second only to São Luís, capital of Maranhão.

“Undeniably, we have to consider that the average income of Brazilians has fallen, and the pandemic has helped to worsen a scenario that was already not the best. The cost of living in the North Region is indeed high, due to the logistics that make the prices more expensive. With the frequent increases in fuel prices, this cost also rises,” commented the specialist.

The vice-president of Cofecon points out that, considering the low demographic density of Amazonas, as well as the distances and the modals used, the prices tend to rise even more and the cost of living of the population ends up not being accompanied by an increase in income.

“The cost of living increases, but, unfortunately, income does not follow. This is how we see this sad scenario of unemployment and increase in poverty and extreme poverty indicators in our region”, lamented economist Denise Kassama.

Impact of the pandemic in Brazil

According to the survey, there was an increase in the willingness to undertake business for those interviewed from all over the country. Brazilians sought income on their own, reducing the use of cash (in kind), replacing it by the Pix. The survey also reveals that Brazil began to prioritize spending at home, such as cable TV, in addition to reducing investments with external leisure.

The study shows that income decreased for one third of the Brazilian population (34%), but for another 41% there was no change. Among those who registered an increase in income in the country, there was a growth of eight percentage points when comparing 2021 with 2022. Last year they were 17% and, currently, they are 25% with more income. As in the North Region, the number of people in Brazil who saw an increase in pandemic expenses went from 50% in 2021 to 63% in 2022.

Despite the increase in expenses and the drop in income, more Brazilians are paying their bills on time again. In 2021, the percentage of punctuality of this data went from 46% to 51% in 2022, when the country completed two years of pandemic. The North, on the other hand, did not experience the same. According to the survey, only 38% of the interviewed population in the North stated that they pay their bills on time, and 39% on time and others in arrears.

The other data are: 51% of those interviewed in the country said they had cut unnecessary expenses by 2022, while in the North Region the percentage was 46%. In Brazil, 67% said they now give more importance to having money saved, 62% admitted having learned to take better care of their money, and 54% realized they were spending too much on things they didn’t need.

The survey reveals that, in the North Region, the numbers are similar: 71% of northerners said they now give more importance to having money saved, another 70% admitted having learned to take better care of their money, and 61% realized they were spending too much on things they didn’t need. 

To learn more about the survey, go to: https://www.serasa.com.br/blog/pesquisa-2-anos-pandemia/ or download the PDF below: