• Highlights

• Direct waste collection reached 86.9% of the country's 77.3 million housing units in 2024, showing increase in collection coverage since 2016, when it had reached 82.7%.
• In rural areas, the proportion of housing units with direct waste collection reaches only 33.1% of the 8.9 million housing units in these areas, while it is available in 93.9% of the 68.5 million urban housing units.
• Despite the gradual increase in direct waste collection in recent years, approximately 4.7 million housing units (6.1%) still burned their waste in their homes in 2024. In rural areas, waste burning occurs in more than half (50.5%) of the properties. In urban areas, this proportion is only 0.4%.
• Regarding sewage disposal, only 9.4% of rural housing units had sewage disposal through the general sewer network or septic tank connected to the general sewer network in 2024. This proportion reached 78.1% in urban areas. Across the country, this indicator increased from 68.1% in 2019 to 70.4% in 2024.
• Other types of sewage disposal were estimated at 14.4% of housing units nationwide in 2024, indicating that 11.1 million housing units dispose of their waste in rudimentary septic tanks, ditches, rivers, lakes, or the sea. In rural areas, more than half (53.8%) use other types of sewage disposal, while this figure reaches 9.5% of urban housing units.
• Among rural housing units, 31.7% are served predominantly by the general water network. In urban areas, this proportion reaches 93.4%. In Brazil, housing units with access to the general water supply network accounted for 86.3% of the total in 2024, compared to 85.8% in 2016.
• Access to electricity reached 99.8% of the country's housing units in 2024, either via the general network or an alternative source.
• The number of rented housing units increased from 12.3 million in 2016 to 17.8 million in 2024, a rise of 45.4%. During the same period, there was a continuous reduction in the proportion of already paid-off owned housing units, from 66.8% to 61.6%, indicating a concentration of wealth.
• In 2024, the share of the population under 30 was 41.9%, and that of those over 60 was 16.1%, demonstrating a trend toward population aging.
• The proportion of single-person housing units, that is, those consisting of only one resident, increased, from 12.2% in 2012 to 18.6% in 2024, an increase of 6.4 pp.
• In 2024, 57.2% of men in single-person arrangements were aged 30 to 59, and among women, 55.5% were aged 60 or older.

In 2024, 93.1% of housing units had their waste collected, either directly from the property (86.9%) or in dumpsters (6.2%). Direct waste collection stood out for its increased coverage since 2016, when it had reached 82.7%. The Northeast saw the largest increase in this indicator, rising from 67.5% to 78.4% in the same period, despite having the lowest coverage among the Major Regions. In rural areas, the proportion of housing units with direct waste collection was 33.1%, while in urban areas it reached 93.9% of housing units.

Despite the gradual increase in direct collection in recent years, approximately 4.7 million housing units (6.1%) still burned their own waste in 2024. The North and Northeast regions have 14.4% and 13.1% of housing units burning waste, respectively, the highest proportions among the Major Regions, totaling 3.5 million units. However, waste burning has decreased compared to 2016, when it reached 18.6% of housing units in the North and 17.2% in the Northeast.

In rural areas, waste burning is practiced on more than half (50.5%) of properties, followed by direct collection (33.1%) and dumpster collection (11.7%).

The information is from the General Characteristics of Housing Units and Residents module of the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), released today (22) by the IBGE. This is the first annual release after data reweighting based on the 2022 Census. The data is also available on Sidra.

Survey analyst William Kratochwill highlights the high percentage of housing units burning waste on properties without direct collection by the public service. "This is still a worrying figure, resulting in increased pollution and even insalubrity in rural areas, as waste should be accumulated somehow before it is burned."

Regarding rural areas, the Continuous PNAD (National Household Survey) shows that only 9.4% of housing units had sewage disposal through the general sewage system or a septic tank connected to the general sewage system in 2024, while this proportion reached 78.1% in urban areas. For all housing units in the country, this indicator increased from 68.1% in 2019 to 70.4% in 2024.

Mr. Kratochwill explains that coverage of some basic sanitation services is feasible in rural areas when located near urban centers. "In more isolated or sparsely populated areas, it may be necessary to install septic tanks not connected to the sewer network and use artesian wells for water supply," he explains.

Among rural housing units in the country in 2024, 36.8% (3.2 million) had a septic tank not connected to the network, while 53.8% (4.6 million) used another type of sewage system, such as a rudimentary cesspit not connected to the network, ditches, or direct drainage into rivers. In urban areas, these waste disposal methods are used by 12.4% (8.5 million) and 9.5% (6.5 million), respectively, of housing units.

The lowest estimates of access to the general sewage network were in the North, Northeast, and Central-West regions. However, these Major Regions saw the greatest growth between 2019 and 2024, rising from 27.2% to 31.2%, 46.7% to 51.1%, and 59.5% to 63.8%, respectively. The Southeast reached 90.2%, while the South reached 70.2%.

According to Mr. Kratochwill, the lower coverage of access to the general sewage network in regions like the North and Northeast, which have a higher proportion of rural housing units, is due to the cost of implementing the service. "Creating this structure is time-consuming and expensive, so rural areas, being remote and dispersed, make implementation more complex. This is one reason why rural areas lack access to both the general sewage and water networks," he explains.

Another type of sewage system was estimated to account for 14.4% of Brazilian housing units in 2024, indicating that 11.1 million units disposed of their waste in a septic tank, ditch, river, lake, or sea. This proportion was highest in the North (36.4%), with 2.1 million housing units in this situation, exceeding the estimate for those that disposed of their waste in the general sewage system (24.7%). The Northeast also has a high percentage of another type of sewage system (25.1%), corresponding to five million housing units, while the Southeast has the lowest proportion (5.6%), with 1.9 million housing units disposing of their waste in this way.

One out of three rural housing units is supplied by the general water supply network

In 2024, 86.3% of housing units (66.7 million) had access to the general water supply network, compared to 85.8% in 2016. Of those with access, water availability was daily for 88.4%, four to six times a week for 5.0%, and one to three times a week for 4.6%. The use of deep or artesian wells (7.5%), shallow, groundwater, or wells (2.7%), springs (1.8%), and other sources (1.7%) were less frequent sources of water supply.

Among the 8.9 million rural housing units, only 31.7% are supplied predominantly by the general water supply network, equivalent to one out of three housing units. Most rural housing units use other sources of water supply: 30.8% use deep or artesian wells; 12.9% use a shallow well, groundwater well, or well; 13.3% use springs; and 11.2% are supplied primarily by other sources, including rivers, reservoirs, and water trucks.

Among the 68.5 million housing units in urban areas, 93.4% have the main water supply network as their primary source. This proportion is 70.8% in the urban area of ​​the North, the only Major Region with a water supply below 90%. In the Southeast, it reaches 96.6%.

Regionally, for all housing units, water supply via the main water supply network varies from 61.7% in the North to 92.5% in the Southeast. The Northeast Region (72.6%) has the lowest daily water supply coverage, while the South (95.8%) has the highest. The North Region has the highest percentage of housing units whose primary water source is a deep or artesian well (22.0%), or a shallow, groundwater, or well (11.2%). The Northeast, in turn, has the highest percentage of housing units using another source of water (5.2%), with the national average being 1.7% for this type of water supply.

Electricity distribution reaches nearly all housing units

Access to electricity reached 99.8% of the country's 77.3 million housing units in 2024, either via the general network (grid) or alternative sources. This high percentage ranged from 99.4% in the North Region, reaching 99.7% in the Northeast, and 99.9% in the Southeast, South, and Central-West.

Electricity comes from the grid in 99.3% of all housing units, with 98.4% having full-time access. Among the major regions, the proportion of homes with full-time power is 98.6% in the Southeast; 98.5% in the South; 98.4% in the Northeast; 98.1% in the Central-West; and 97.8% in the North.

Housing units in urban and rural areas also have high electricity coverage, at 99.9% and 99.2%, respectively. However, the percentage of rural housing units with electricity from the general grid was lower (97.4%), particularly in the North (85.2%). In this region, considering the general grid and alternative sources, 97.1% of rural housing units had access to electricity, demonstrating the importance of alternative sources as the sole source of this service for the population in these areas.

Proportion of housing units with masonry or coated rammed earth walls grows 2% in one year

Of the total number of housing units in the country in 2024, 89.3% (69 million) have masonry/rammed earth exterior walls with cladding. This percentage represents a 2.0% increase compared to 2023 and a 17.4% increase compared to 2016, a higher increase than the overall number of housing units in the country, which was 15.9%. This proportion ranged from 71.2% in the North to 94% in the Southeast. The Southeast region saw a decrease in the proportion of housing units in this category, falling from 95.2% to 94%.

The North is the Major Region with the lowest proportion of housing units with masonry or rammed earth walls with cladding, but it showed the greatest growth. "This upward trend can be explained by the fact that it is a region with more room to expand given its smaller use of the material. Furthermore, it may be related to the increase in per capita household income itself," claims the survey analyst.

The other categories represented: 0.4% (309,000) other materials, such as wood salvaged from siding and packaging; 6.7% (5.2 million) masonry/rammed earth without cladding; and 3.6% (2.8 million) wood suitable for construction.

Eight out of 10 housing units have ceramic, tile, or stone floors

In 2024, ceramic, tile, or stone floors were used in 82.3% (63.6 million) of housing units, predominating in all Major Regions: from 69.3% in the North to 89.4% in the Central-West. In 11.5% (8.9 million) of housing units, the flooring was cement, while in 5.7% (4.4 million), it was wood suitable for construction. Other materials, including wood salvaged from packaging, siding, or scaffolding, were used in 0.5% (395,000) of homes.

Nearly half of the housing units have tile roofs without a concrete slab

Approximately 49.3% (38.1 million) of housing units had tile roofs without a concrete slab in 2024. Meanwhile, 32.8% (25.3 million) had tile roofs with a concrete slab, 15.2% (11.7 million) had only a concrete slab, and 2.7% (2.1 million) used another material. Compared to 2016, the percentage of housing units with tile roofs without a concrete slab decreased (from 52.0% to 49.3%) and the proportion of those with tile roofs with a concrete slab increased (from 31.8% to 32.8%).

Number of rented housing units increased by 5.6 million from 2016 to 2024

In 2024, 23.0% of all housing units in the country were rented. The number of rented housing units increased from 12.3 million in 2016 to 17.8 million in 2024, a 45.4% increase (5.6 million more). Almost half (2.6 million) of this increase in the total number of rented housing units occurred from 2022 to 2024. Compared to 2023, the increase was 5.3% (896,000 housing units), and from 2022 to 2023, it was 11% (1.7 million).

The majority of housing units, 61.6% (47.7 million), were self-owned and already paid off, and 6.0% (4.7 million) were self-owned but still being paid for. From 2016 to 2024, there was a continuous reduction in the number of self-owned housing units, particularly among those already paid off (66.8% in 2016). "This 5.2 percentage point reduction over the years in homeownership, combined with the increase in rented homes, indicates a concentration of wealth during this period. If opportunities for the population to buy their own property are not created, people will have to resort to renting. Meanwhile, the economy is also experiencing a very long period of inflation and reduced wages, which creates more difficulties for people to leverage their assets," claims the analyst.

The North (70.0%) and Northeast (69.6%) Regions recorded the highest estimates of homeownership already paid for in 2024, despite a reduction since 2016, when they were 74.2% and 73.1%, respectively. The Central-West (30.8%), Southeast (25.4%), and South (23.0%) regions had the highest percentages of rented homes. In the Central-West region, rented properties also stood out, representing 10.7% of the region's housing units.

The remainder is temporarily in Portuguese.

Posse de motocicletas supera a de automóveis no Norte e Nordeste

No país, quase a metade (48,8%) dos domicílios possuem automóvel; 25,7%, motocicleta; e 13,4%, ambos. O Sul apresenta o maior percentual de posse de automóvel (69%). Já Nordeste e Norte têm as menores proporções desse bem (28,8% e 29,7%, respectivamente), sendo as únicas regiões onde a posse de motocicleta (37,9% e 33,5%, respectivamente) superou a de automóveis. Já o Sudeste tem a menor proporção de domicílios onde havia motocicleta (19,4%), enquanto o Centro-Oeste tem maior percentual de lares com posse de ambos os bens (18,7%).

A PNAD Contínua revela também que 98,3% dos domicílios possuem geladeira, percentual que variou entre 93,9%, no Norte, e 99,4%, no Sul. Com cobertura bem abaixo, a máquina de lavar roupa está presente em 70,4% dos domicílios, com diferenças regionais acentuadas: Nordeste (40,5%) e Norte (55,4%) apresentam os menores percentuais, enquanto Sul (90,0%), Sudeste (82,3%) e Centro-Oeste (81,5%), os maiores.

Em relação a 2016, Norte e Centro-Oeste têm os maiores crescimentos na proporção de domicílios com máquina de lavar, 14,4 p.p. e 14,6 p.p., respectivamente.

“Quando a família passa a ter maior rendimento, ela busca por mais bem-estar. A máquina de lavar é um item que facilita muito a vida de uma família por motivos óbvios. Os veículos proporcionam também esse aumento de bem-estar, a possibilidade de fazer passeios, de turismo”, avalia William.

Proporção de idosos continua aumentando e chega a 11,2% da população

A distribuição da população por grupos etários mostra uma tendência envelhecimento da população. Em 2012, a população com menos de 30 anos de idade era 49,9% do total, passando para 41,9%, em 2024. Já a população de 30 anos ou mais cresceu no período 2012-2024, passando de 50,1% a 58,1%. Entre os idosos, destaca-se a expansão da participação das pessoas de 65 anos ou mais de idade, que atinge 11,2% da população total em 2024.

“Na população com menos de 30 anos, destaca-se a queda da participação das pessoas de 5 a 13 anos, que passou de 14,6% para 12,3%, e das pessoas de 14 a 17 anos de idade, que passou de 7,1% para 5,6%”, explica William. “Entre 2012 e 2024, a população de menos de 30 anos sofreu não apenas uma redução de sua participação na população total, mas também uma redução de 9,4% no contingente, passando de 98,2 milhões para 89,0 milhões de pessoas”.

Em 2024, as mulheres correspondiam a 51,2% da população do Brasil, enquanto os homens totalizavam 48,8%. Em todas as grandes regiões, há mais mulheres do que homens.

A razão de sexo indica haver 95,2 homens para cada 100 mulheres no Brasil. A concentração de homens mostrou-se mais elevada na Região Norte, com 99,3 homens para 100 mulheres, ao passo que as regiões Nordeste (93,0) e Sudeste (94,9) apresentam as menores razões de sexo. “Entre os fatores que podem influenciar as diferenças regionais desse indicador, podemos citar os fluxos migratórios e os diferenciais de mortalidade entre as grandes regiões”, comenta William.

A população masculina apresenta padrão mais jovem que a feminina. Em 2024, para todos os grupos etários até 24 anos, os homens têm estimativa superior à das mulheres. No grupo etário de 25 a 29 anos, os contingentes de homens e mulheres eram muito próximos, ficando em cerca de 3,9% da população total. A partir dos 30 anos, no entanto, o percentual de mulheres era superior ao dos homens em todas as faixas de idade.

Como a mortalidade dos homens é maior que a das mulheres em cada grupo etário, observa-se maior concentração de mulheres entre a população idosa. A razão de sexo calculada para a população de 60 anos ou mais foi de 78,9 homens para cada 100 mulheres, e para os idosos de 70 anos ou mais de idade foi de 72,3.

De 2012 a 2024, percentual de brancos tem queda em todas as regiões

Entre 2012 e 2024, o percentual da população que se declarava de cor ou raça branca caiu 4,3 pontos percentuais (p.p.), passando de 46,4%, em 2012, para 42,1%, em 2024, o menor percentual da série. Já a proporção de pessoas declaradas pretas subiu de 7,4% em 2012 para 10,7% em 2024, uma diferença de 0,1 p.p. em relação a 2023. Já para a cor ou raça parda, houve pouca variação em relação a 2012, de 45,5% para 46,1%.

A participação da população declarada de cor ou raça branca se reduziu em todas as grandes regiões de 2012 para 2024, com destaque para a Região Sul (-7,4 p.p.). No Nordeste, houve a principal expansão da participação das pessoas de cor ou raça preta (4,7 p.p.).

Sudeste tem a maior proporção de domicílios unipessoais

Em 2024, o arranjo domiciliar mais frequente foi o nuclear, que correspondia a 65,7% do total de domicílios, mas que apresentou queda em relação a 2012 (68,4%). O arranjo nuclear consiste em um único núcleo formado pelo casal, com ou sem filhos (inclusive adotivos e de criação) ou enteados. São também nucleares as unidades domésticas compostas por mãe com filhos ou pai com filhos, as chamadas monoparentais.

A unidade estendida, constituída pela pessoa responsável com pelo menos um parente, formando uma família que não se enquadra em um dos tipos descritos como nuclear, correspondia a 14,5% em 2024, com redução de 3,4 p.p. em relação a 2012.

Já as unidades domésticas unipessoais, ou seja, compostas apenas por um morador, tiveram crescimento no período, passando de 12,2% para 18,6%, um crescimento de 6,4 p.p. As regiões Sudeste e Centro-Oeste apresentam os percentuais mais elevados de domicílios com apenas um morador (19,6% e 19,0%, respectivamente), ao passo que a Região Norte registrou a menor proporção (15,2%).

“Nos grandes centros, é mais comum as pessoas migrarem por razões profissionais. Primeiro vão e moram sozinhas, para se estabelecer em um novo emprego, e só depois trazer a família. Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Minas Gerais são estados atrativos para mão de obra, por serem centros maiores”, explica William.

Ao analisar o padrão etário das pessoas em arranjos unipessoais, 12,5% tinham de 15 a 29 anos; 47,0% situavam-se na faixa de 30 a 59 anos; e 40,5% eram pessoas de 60 anos ou mais de idade.

As mulheres eram 44,9% das pessoas que moravam sozinhas em 2024, enquanto os homens eram 55,1%. Há marcantes diferenças entre homens e mulheres que moravam sozinhos quanto ao perfil etário: 57,2% dos homens em arranjos unipessoais tinham 30 a 59 anos, seguidos por aqueles de 60 anos ou mais (28,2%); e, entre as mulheres, a maioria situava-se na faixa de 60 anos ou mais de idade (55,5%).

“O perfil de domicílios unipessoais também é formado por pessoas que estão no final do ciclo da vida, em sua maioria mulheres, cujos filhos saíram de casa para formar suas famílias, ou com o parceiro já falecido”, diz William.

Mais sobre a pesquisa

A PNAD Contínua: Características Gerais dos Domicílios e Moradores reúne informações sobre tipo e condição de ocupação, material predominante das paredes, piso e telhado, serviços de saneamento básico e energia elétrica e posse de bens, dados referentes à caracterização dos domicílios.

Já a caracterização dos moradores apresenta informações sobre distribuição da população, sexo e grupos de idade, cor ou raça e unidades domésticas (arranjos domiciliares). Os dados estão desagregados para Brasil, grandes regiões, unidades da federação, regiões metropolitanas e municípios de capitais.