Reports IndicesThursday, 4 June 2026·The Hindu - International
Brazil’s HDI rises to 0.805 in 2024, driven by Bolsa Família and public healthcare
A UNDP report says Brazil’s HDI improved from 0.744 in 2012 to 0.805 in 2024 through welfare spending and healthcare expansion.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In 2024, a United Nations Development Programme report said Brazil’s Human Development Index rose from 0.744 in 2012 to 0.805, placing the country in the “very high human development” category.
Key specifics
- Brazil’s HDI increased from 0.744 in 2012 to 0.805 in 2024.
- The UN HDI scale ranges from 0 to 1.
- Bolsa Família, launched in 2003 during Lula da Silva’s first term, has benefited 49 million people.
- Brazil spent around $81 billion on Bolsa Família from 2003 to 2023.
- Brazil spends about 9.7% of its $2.64 trillion GDP on health, with SUS getting 4% of that amount.
Exam lens
Question type: reports and indices, HDI ranking, welfare scheme impact, public health spending; TNPSC may ask which UN report tracks health, education and income, and how Brazil moved to the “very high human development” group.