The main declared expenses of Brazilian families are related to housing, food acquisition and commuting, regardless of the number of persons in the family and of the characteristics of the household head.

The main declared expenses of Brazilian families are related to housing, food acquisition and commuting, regardless of the number of persons in the family and of the characteristics of the household head. This is the result obtained by the IBGE study on the profile of expenditure in Brazil through selected indicators, which is based on the Consumer Expenditure Survey  2002-2003 and which presents  a profile of expenses and income considering characteristics of the reference person, such as participation in the job market, education, age, sex, color and race and religion.

The irregular distribution of wealth in the country was confirmed by the study, which shows that 40% of the families with lowest  income (up to R$ 758,25) had, in 2003, expenditure per capita of approximately R$ 180,00, whereas the richest 10% (with income of at least R$ 3,875,78) had expenditure per capita of R$ 1,800,00, that is, the average distance between the richest and the poorest was 10 times. According to the survey, the housing sector, for example, accounted for 35.5% of the total of 48,5 million households included in POF; this sector was followed by food (20.75%), transportation(18,44%), health care (6.49%) and education (4,08%). The average monthly expenditure of households with a white reference person is R$ 2.262,24, 25% above the national average (R$ 1.794,32).

In households headed by black or brown persons, the income figures were  R$ 1,245,09 and R$ 1,232,62, respectively. Concerning religion, the highest monthly income was that of families with a Spiritualist reference person (R$3,796,00), and the lowest income, among Pentecostal Protestants (R$ 1,271,00). According to the level of schooling, families in which the head of the household had 11 or more years of schooling had the highest income (R$ 3,796,00). Considering  those with less than one year of schooling, the income was approximately five times lower (R$ 752,00). Families  of urban areas spent more than the ones living in rural areas, a fact observed in all the characteristics investigated.

Families headed by self-declared white persons have higher income and more expenses

Expenditure figures considering the color of the household head show a direct relationship between expenses and income. The study about POF 2003 showed that families headed by a self-declared white person had average monthly income of R$ 2,282,71, whereas in those headed by self-declared black or brown person, the figures were R$ 1,263,59 and R$ 1,241,80, respectively. The average monthly expenditure of households headed by a white person was equivalent to R$ 2,262,24, that is, 25% above the national average (R$ 1,794,32), whereas the figures for households headed by black and brown persons were, respectively, R$ 1,245,09 and R$ 1,232,62.

Families headed by a white person had an average monthly expenditure of more than twice as those headed by black and brown persons on: education (R$ 83,16, versus R$ 30,17 and R$ 31,13, respectively), acquisition of vehicles (included in the group of transportation, with R$ 149, 56, versus R$ 43,18 and R$ 57,17), health care (R$ 136, 22, versus R$ 64,87 and R$ 64,26), and recreation and culture (R$ 45,49 versus R$ 22,67 and  R$ 22,15). With reference to food, the household expenditure of families headed by a white person was R$ 343, 24, versus R$ 248,76 and R$ 259, 82, of families headed by a black or brown person. In terms of housing, the expenditure figure was R$ 647,21, versus R$ 400,66 and R$ 357,92, respectively.

Protestants are main donors                   

The highest average monthly household income was registered among Spiritualists reference persons (R$ 3.796,00), whereas Pentecostal protestants held the lowest figure (R$ 1.271,00). Among Roman Catholics, income was R$ 1,790,56. The biggest and smallest expenses followed this same pattern, with spiritualists spending R$ 3,617,28 and Pentecostal Protestants, R$ 1,301,35. The expenditure of Catholics was about R$ 1,769,32. The study, based on POF 2002-2003 evidenced that households in which the reference person belongs to Protestant religions had the highest percentages in the group of other current expenses. Expenditure in this group, such as pensions, allowances and donations – which include, among others – a tenth part of one’s income and other contributions to Church – were the highest ones, having changed between 21.4% (R$ 22,79) to 34% (R$ 59,16).

Housing is the main item in the budget of all families

Regardless of the family characteristics, housing was the main expenditure item, accounting for 34.8% of the expenditure of a single-person household, 34.3% in households with a woman with children but without a partner, 30% among couples without children, 27.3% among couples with children and 26.2% among couples who live with their children and other relatives. Featuring as the second biggest participation in income of all the types of household is food; the only exception occurs in families with and without children, in which the second position is occupied by transportation.  By comparing the expenditure of families with and without children, the study showed that in the former the order of expenditure figures was: food (R$ 335,06 versus R$ 257,42), transportation (R$ 314,88 versus R$ 269,37), education (R$ 75,12 versus R$ 22,17), and recreation and culture (R$ 37,86 versus R$ 26,38). The lowest figures were those concerning housing (R$ 525,68 versus R$ 540,66) and health care (R$ 98,27 versus R$ 140,32). In families in which the reference person is a woman with children without a partner, the expenditure figures on housing (R$ 496,20), food (R$ 240,65), transportation (R$ 177,66) and health care (R$ 83,67) are lower than among couples without or with children.

Acquisition of food per head is highest for those who live alone

Single-person families acquired, in 2003, more food per head (560,68 kg) than couples without children (509,04 kg), couples with children (324,53 kg), and women with children but without a partner (309,40kg). The figures indicate that persons who live alone tend to acquire more food than necessary. This probably leads to waste; for example, considering  products with a short expiring period, this situation leads to the acquisition of more new and fresh items than in other types of family. In the remaining types of household, this occurs less frequently, because things are consumed more quickly.

Among the 48,5 million families analyzed by the survey, the household acquisition of food per capita was considered sufficient by 25,4 million of them, insufficient by 15,6 million, and usually insufficient, for 6,6 million.. The most commonly mentioned food products were green vegetables. Among persons who declared to be usually satisfied, the highlight was dairy food, followed by beverages and infusions.

Families in which one member has higher education spend twice as the national average

Families headed by persons with 11 or more years of schooling received higher income (R$ 3.796,00), whereas those headed by persons with less than one year of schooling received five times less (R$ 752,00). In the majority of families (14.164 383), the reference person had reached basic education (elementary school) – with four to seven years of schooling (average of R$ 1.324,85). In over half of the families in which the average income figures were up to R$ 400,00, the reference person had up to three years of schooling. In only 4.2% of them, the household heads had 11 or more years of schooling. When income surpassed R4 3 thousand, approximately 60% of families had reference persons with at least 11 years of schooling and only 7% with persons with up to three years of schooling.

Consumption expenses, which made up about 82.1% of the total of expenses, had very different figures from those in which the number of years of schooling were considered. In the households in which the reference person had less than one year of schooling, the expenditures figure, in reais (R$), was R$ 700,23. In the group with schooling between one and three years, it was R$ 883, 34; in the group between four and seven years, R$ 1.150,05, and between eight and ten years, R$ 1.400,96. Only the group of families whose reference person had 11 or more years of schooling had a figure above the Brazilian average, R$ 1.473,29, presenting a monthly consumption expenditure of R$ 2.834,34. Among these families, the five most important items were housing (29.0%), food (16.9%), transportation (15.1%), other current expenses (11.2%) and health care (5.7%). Families in which none of the members had higher education had a total average monthly expenditure of R$ 1.240,70. Families in which one member had a university degree, expenditure was R$ 3, 644,48 and in those with more than one, R$ 6,591,94.

Families headed by men receive higher income and have more expense

Families with a male reference person had monthly income 21% higher than those with women as head of the household. In terms of expenses with food, transportation, recreation, culture and tobacco, households with a male reference person surpassed the ones with a female reference person  in all the areas. In relation to the total average monthly income, families with a male reference person also surpassed those with a female reference person. Concerning transportation and food, for example, the Southeast Region had the highest changes, with differences of 65,65% and 26,83%, respectively. Considering recreation and culture, the most despairingly results between the sexes were those of the North Region (19.09%) and, in relation to tobacco, this difference reached 20.02%. The opposite occurred to “hygiene and personal care”, an item in which the expenditure of male and female heads of household was the same.

Poorest families spend 76% of their health budget on medicines

The expenditure on health assistance remained between 4% and 6% in the total of household expenditure, showing that the decisions concerning this group did not have a specific position. Medicines accounted for 76% of the expenses with health in the poorest families (with income of up to R$ 400,00). In the richest families (with income above R$ 3 thousand), this percentage was approximately 23.7%. On the other hand, the expenditure with health insurance or health care plan among the poorest  families represented 7%. This percentage increased with household income until it reached 37.19%, in families with income above R$ 6,00,00. In all the areas of the country, medicines acquired were mainly paid cash. In the Northeast Region, the highlight was the almost 13% of free acquisition of medicines through the public system and the 4.6% of donated medicines.

In the North and Northeast Regions, the overall expenses with medical assistance has not reached R$ 100,00. In the Southeast Region, the equivalent figure was R$ 180,87 and, in the South, R$ 129,13. Health insurance plans in the Northeast accounted for 13% of the total spent on health assistance in the country. In the South, Southeast and Central West Regions, the expenditure on health care plans reached 20% of the total, whereas in the North Region it reached 18%. According to the study, 24.5% of the Brazilian population declared to have some kind of health insurance or health care plan.  

Domestic and subsistence workers have lower expenditure

The study of POF 2002-2003 reveals that families in which the reference person belongs to the category employer (R$ 4,291,00) and civil servants (R$ 3,005,00) presented the highest figures for monthly average expenditure, whereas domestic workers (R$ 832,00) and subsistence workers (R$ 673,00) had the lowest expenditure figures. At an intermediate position were private workers (R$ 1.693,00) and own-account workers (R$1.517,00).

The South Region had the highest figures for average monthly expenditure in four of the six positions in the activity: employers (R$ 4,902,00); private workers (R$ 2,041,00); own-account workers (R$ 1,927,00); and subsistence workers (R$ 920,00). Households in which the reference person was part of the group of civil servants (R$ 3,514,00) or domestic workers (R$ 1,024,00) registered the highest monthly expenses in the Central West and Southeast Regions, respectively. The lowest average monthly rates, in all the categories of occupation, were those in the North and Northeast Regions. In Brazil, the average monthly income of families whose reference person is mainly employed in non-agricultural activities (R$ 2,045,23) was twice as that of those employed in agricultural activities (R$1,013,50).