In 2024, Brazil reached a historic milestone, officially entering the group of nations with “very high human development.” The country achieved a record score of 0.805 on the Municipal Human Development Index (IDHM), according to the newly released study, “Radar IDHM: Evolution of the Municipal Development Index and its Components.”
The findings were presented this Tuesday at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) headquarters in Brasília, in an event attended by high-ranking government officials, including Guilherme Boulos (Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency) and Wellington Dias (Minister of Development and Social Assistance, Family, and Fight Against Hunger), alongside UNDP representatives.
A Milestone Driven by Public Policy
Government officials attributed the historic leap to a strengthening of the social safety net and targeted developmental programs.
“Achieving this positive result is not by chance; it is the result of strong public policies and an inclusive national project focused on combating inequalities,” stated Minister Guilherme Boulos. He cautioned that while the milestone is worth celebrating, it serves as a reminder of the challenges that remain.
Boulos highlighted several key drivers behind the country’s social advancement:
- Education: Significant improvements in schooling and educational access.
- Healthcare: Expanded coverage of the Unified Health System (SUS).
- Income Distribution: Real increases in the minimum wage and the expansion of cash-transfer programs like Bolsa Família, which he described as an “international model” for social assistance.
The Road to 0.805: Recovery and Regional Growth
The Radar IDHM report analyzes 13 years of data from 2012 to 2024 across all 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District. The IDHM evaluates development at the municipal level based on three core pillars: longevity (life expectancy at birth), education (adult schooling levels), and income (per capita household income).
Despite a notable setback in 2020 and 2021 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic—which severely impacted the longevity metric—Brazil saw an accelerated recovery in subsequent years. The index jumped from 0.788 in 2022 to 0.798 in 2023, finally breaking the “very high development” barrier in 2024.
A major highlight of the report is the reduction of regional inequalities. The highest proportional growth over the 13-year period occurred in the historically less affluent Northeast region, led by the states of Alagoas, Piauí, and Rio Grande do Norte.
Bridging the Racial Divide
While human development increased across the board, the data reveals significant shifts in racial demographics. The Black population experienced HDI growth at nearly double the rate of the white population, narrowing the historical development gap from 14% to 9%.
| Demographic Group | 2012-2024 IDHM Growth | Current IDHM Score |
| Black Population | + 10.3% | 0.774 |
| White Population | + 5.5% | 0.851 |
Betina Barbosa, Chief Economist and Coordinator of the UNDP’s Human Development Unit, explained the mechanics behind this shift. “Basic health capacities are being met for the majority of the population, and education indicators have advanced at a speed three times faster than observed at the beginning of the series,” she noted. “This is largely driven by the advancement of the Black population in the country and is a direct reflection of basic income programs that allow lower-income families to keep their children in school.”
Despite this rapid progress, a substantial gap remains, with the white population still sitting a full tier above the Black population on the UNDP scale.
Looking Ahead to 2030
The data from the Radar IDHM study—developed using figures from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and researchers from the João Pinheiro Foundation—validates Brazil’s trajectory toward its global commitments.
Lavito Bacarissa, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasized that the index aligns perfectly with the United Nations’ Agenda 2030. The positive results will be a focal point of Brazil’s National Voluntary Report, set to be presented at the High-Level Political Forum in July, proving that targeted public policy can successfully translate the Agenda 2030 goals into tangible social progress.
