The National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) shows the improvement of the Brazilian job market in 2008, mainly in the North and Northeast regions of the country. From 2007 to 2008, the number of workers increased 2.8%, amounting to 92.4 million persons aged 10 years and over. This result has been affected by the construction sector (with growth of   14.1%), which has generated about 900 thousand new job posts all over the country. Formalization was another highlight:  the number of workers with a formal contract changed from 33.1% of in 2007 to 34.5% in 2008, meaning increase of 2.1 million persons in this category and resulting in a rise of 5.9% among social security payers. The level of schooling of Brazilian workers is also has also risen: the number of persons employed with at least 11 years of schooling changed from 39.0%, in 2007, to 41.2%, in 2008. 

 As a consequence of the change in the labor market, the income of worker, of other sources and also household income increased from 2007 to 2008 (by 1.7%, 2.0% and 2.8%, respectively). The first two ones increased at lower rates than in previous years.  

 If, in general, there was increase of the number of employed persons aged 10 years and over, the number of working children and teenagers (5 to 17 years of age) has fallen and changed from 10.8% to 10.2% of all the persons in this age group.  Even so, in 2008, there were 4.5 million working children and teenagers, being 993 thousand aged 5 to 13 years of age. Most of these workers were boys employed in agricultural activities without a formal contract.   

From 2007 to 2008, in Brazil as a whole, some education indicators kept a gradual rhythm of increase observed in the last few years: the illiteracy rate among persons aged 15 years of age and over, for example, changed from 10.1% in 2007 to 10.0% in 2008; the average number of years of schooling increased from 6.9 to 7.1 years – but it still did not represent complete elementary education. In this period, the functional illiteracy rate fell 21.8% to 21.0%, and school attendance of children aged 6 – 14 years of age increased from 97.0% to 97.5%.

 

According to PNAD 2008, the country’s population was 189.952 million persons. The average fertility rate, which was 1.95 children per woman in 2007, changed from 1.89 children per woman in 2008, and the average number of workers per household kept the downward trend, from 3.4 in 2007 to 3.3 in 2008. The percentage of households connected to sewage remains on an upward trend: from 51.1% (2007) to 52.5% (2008). Telephony and Internet access were the services with major increased: from  2007 to 2008, 4.4 million households acquired a telephone line; the number of households with Internet access went from 20 to 23.8% of the total, in spite of having maintained regional differences concerning access. 

 

The National Household Sample Survey 2008 covered 391,868 persons in 150.591 households all over the country and investigated seven topics (overall population data, migration, education, labor, family, households and income), having September as its reference month. After this release, PNAD estimates started to be calculated based on IBGE’s latest population projections, which include results of demographic parameters resulting from the 2007 population count. In order to maintain comparisons with previous years, the survey presents the series for the main indicators, recalculated considering the latest population projections, for years 2001 to 2007. 

 

See below the main results of the National Household Sample Survey 2008.

 

Employed population increases above the total number of persons aged 10 years and over

 

Between 2007 and 2008, the active-age population (PIA)¹  increased above 1.7%, amounting to 160.6 million persons. In the same period, the economically-active population in the week of reference (PEA)² , estimated as 99.5 million persons, also increased 1.7%, which caused the activity³  to remain stable from a year to the other, at 62.0%. The number of persons employed (92.4 million) increased 2.8% between 2007 and 2008. So, the level of occupation⁴  in 2008 was 57.5%, versus 57.0%, in 2007, being 68.6% among men and 47.2% among women.  

 

The participation of persons aged 10 to 14 years of age in the total employed population was reduced from 1.8% in 2007 to 1.4%, in 2008. A similar movement occurred in the group aged 15 to 19 years, whose participation fell from 7.5% to 7.1%, in this period. On the other hand, there was increase from 2007 to 2008, of the participation of the group aged 50 to 59 in the employed population (from 12.9% to 13.4%) and of the group aged 60 and over (from 6.6% to 6.9%).

 

The North Region had the most significant percentage of increase (4.2%), between 2007 and 2008, having changed from 6.6 million to 6.9 million persons. On the other hand, the Southeast concentrated the biggest number of persons employed (39.4 million persons).

 

The unemployment rate⁵ decreased from 8.1%, in 2007, to 7.1%, in 2008, having changed from 6.1% to 5.2% among men and from 10.8% to 9.6% among women. Unemployment rate was above the national average in the Northeast (7.5%), Southeast (7.8%) and Central West (7.5%); and below the average in the North (6.5%) and South (4.9%).

 

 

Construction is the sector with the biggest increase of persons employed

 

As for the distribution of persons employed by group of activity, the biggest increases in terms of persons employed by group of activity, were those of agriculture, (17.4%), trade and repair (17.4%) and industry (15.1%).

 

Compared to 2007, construction had the biggest increase in terms of persons employed (14.1%), being the highlight the North (19.9%) and Northeast Regions (19.6%). On the other hand, agriculture faced decrease of 2.6% in its number from 2007 to 2008. The North (-7.7%), South (-5.5%) and Central West (-5.1%) faced decreases. The Southeast was the only region to have increase in the number of persons employed in agriculture (2.6%) between 2007 and 2008.

 

Construction is the sector with the biggest increase of persons employed

 

As for the distribution of persons employed by group of activity, the biggest increases in terms of persons employed by group of activity, were those of agriculture, (17.4%), trade and repair (17.4%) and industry (15.1%).

 

Compared to 2007, construction had the biggest increase in terms of persons employed (14.1%), being the highlight the North (19.9%) and Northeast Regions (19.6%). On the other hand, agriculture faced decrease of 2.6% in its number from 2007 to 2008. The North (-7.7%), South (-5.5%) and Central West (-5.1%) faced decreases. The Southeast was the only region to have increase in the number of persons employed in agriculture (2.6%) between 2007 and 2008.

 

Number of workers with a formal contract increases 7.1%

 

Pnad showed that among the 92.4 million persons employed in 2008, 58.6% (54.2 million persons were employees; 7.2% (6.6 million), domestic workers; 20.2% (18.7 million), own-account workers; 4.5% (4.1 million persons), employers; 5.0% (4.6 million), non-paid workers; 4.5% (4.1 million), workers for own-consumption and 0.1% (0.1 million), workers in construction for own use.

 

Between 2007 and 2008, the highlight was the increase of workers with a formal contract, from 33.1% to 34.5% of the persons employed, amounting to 31.9 million registered workers, 2.1 million more than in the previous year (increase of 7.1%). The North Region had increase of 2.1 percentage points  (20.9% to 23.0%) in employment with a formal contract. In the South, there was increase of 1.6 percentage points (37.2% to 38.8%), and, in the Southeast, of 1.4 percentage points. (42.2% to 43.6%). On the other hand, there was reduction of own-account workers from 21.2% in 2007 to 20.2% in 2008, in the country.

 

Percentage of employed persons with at least eleven years of schooling increases

 

The number of persons employed with at least 11 years of schooling (complete high school) had the biggest increase in terms of number of employed persons, which changed from 39.0%, in 2007, to 41.2%, in 2008, amounting to 38.1 million persons. In this group, the North and Northeast presented significant increase above average, whereas the Southeast had the lowest level of increase. However, the region concentrated, in 2008, 48.4% of the persons employed with 11 or more years of schooling (19.1 million persons), whereas in the North this participation was 35.3% (2.4 million persons) and, in the Northeast, 30.5% (7.5 million persons).

 

Among the employed persons, 7.8 million ones (8.4%) had no level or up to one year of schooling; 8.6 million persons (9.3%) had between 1 and 3 years of schooling; 21.8 million persons (23.6%) had between 4 and 7 years of schooling; and 16.0 million persons (17.3%) had between 8 and 10 years of schooling. The participation of the groups with 1 to 3 and 4 to 7 years of schooling decreased by 7.8% and 1.8%, respectively. By area, the Northeast Region had the biggest reduction in the group with 1 to 3 years of schooling (-12.9%), followed by the South (-11.6%), Central West (-9.7%) and Southeast (-2.2%). The opposite happened in the North Region, where there was increase of 4.4% of the number of persons in this group of schooling level.

 

Number of social security payers increases 5.9%

 

Among the 92.4 million persons employed aged ten years and over, 48.1 million (52.1%) were social security payers in 2008. Compared to 2007, this number increased 5.9%, affected by the rise of employment with a formal contract.  

 

Among the areas, the Southeast had the biggest percentage of payers, 62.9% (24.8 million persons), and the Northeast had the lowest percentage, 33.9% (8.3 million persons). The North Region was the one with the biggest increase of contributors from 2007 2008, 2.9 percentage points, having changed from 36.8% (2.4 million persons), in 2007, to 39.7% (2.7 million persons), in 2008.

 

Among the persons employed in 2008, 18.2% were union members (16.8 million persons). The South Region had the biggest percentage of union participating workers (21.7%). By area, there was increase of the number of associated persons, from 2007 to 2008, being the most relevant percent increases the ones registered in the North (increase of 14.8%), Central West (8.7%) and Southeast Region (7.2%).

 

Percentage of non-paid workers in agricultural activities faces decrease

 

Among the persons employed in agricultural activities, 29.3% (16.1 million persons) were employed; 25.1%, own-account workers; and 25.4%, workers for own consumption. In relation to 2007, there was decrease of the number of workers in this activity, from 20.7% to 17.4%.

 

In non-agricultural activities (76.3 million persons employed), there was increase of the number of employees: from 63.7% (46.8 million persons), in 2007, to 64.8% (49.5 million persons), in 2008. Such increase was mainly observed in the South Region (from 66.2% to 68.0%).

 

In terms of own-account workers employed in non-agricultural activities, there was decrease of 1.2 percentage points, especially in the South Regions (from 17.8%, or 2.1 million persons, to 16.0%, or 1.9 million persons).

 

Group of directors increases, especially in the Northeast Region

 

According to Pnad, the group with a bigger concentration of persons, in 2008, was that of the group with a bigger number of persons, in 2008, was the number of workers in the production of goods and services and repair and maintenance, 24.3% (22.4 million persons), and 10.4 million of them were in the Southeast. This group had increase of 7.2% in persons employed, in the period 2007-2008, with increase of 11.8% in the North Region.

 

Compared to 2007, the highlight was the increase of the number of persons employed in the group of directors (8.6%), with increase of 17.6% in the Northeast, and workers in administrative functions (9.3%); in this case the Northeast was also a highlight, with increase of 14.0%. On the other hand, there was decrease of the number of person employed in the groups of high school-level technicians (-0.8%), sales assistants and trade professionals (-2.9%) and agricultural workers (-3.6%).

 

Real income of workers increases from 2007 to 2008, but to a lower extent

The real average income of employed persons aged 10 years and over and receiving income (R$ 1,036 in 2008) increased 1.7% in relation to that of 2007 (R$ 1,019). The rhythm of increase, however, decreased: from 2005 to 2006, it was 7.2%; and from 2006 to 2007, 3.1%. From 2007 to 2008, the Northeast (5.4%) and Central West (3.2%) had the major gains. There were also increases in the South (2.1%) and Southeast (0.5%); there was not any significant change in the North. The Central West had the highest result, R$ 1,261; and the Northeast, the lowest one, R$ 685.

The Gini index¹ (which was 0.571 in 2001) fell from 0.528 to 0.521 in the country, between 2007 and 2008. By area, there were the following changes: North (from 0.494 to 0.479), Southeast (from 0.505 to 0.496), South (from 0.494 to 0.486), Northeast (from 0.547 to 0.546) and Central West (stable at 0.552, the highest index among the areas).

 

The best-paid 10% of workers hold 42.7% of income

 

The 10% of the employed population receiving the lowest salaries held, in 2008, 1.2% of the total income from work (1.1% in 2007) whereas the best-paid 10% concentrated 42.7% of the total income. This percentage, which remains indicating the strong unevenness in income distribution, was slightly lower than that of 2007 (43.3%).

 

In Brazil, between 2007 and 2008, there was increase of the average monthly income from work in all the 10% segments of income, especially in the group with the lowest worst-paid activities (4.3%). For the 10% with the highest income, there was increase of 0.3%.

 

From 2007 to 2008, income of workers without a formal contract has the biggest increase

 

Workers without a formal contract, which received the lowest average income (R$ 604) among workers had the biggest real gain (2.7%) from 2007 to 2008. For military and civil servants (R$ 1,759), there was real increase of 0.4% and, for workers with a formal contract (R$ 1,034), of 1.3%. The income of domestic workers with a formal contract (R$ 523) increased 2.1% from 2007 to 2008, and that of workers without a formal contract (R$ 300), 2.7%. The average real income of own-account workers (R$ 799) decreased 4.8%.

 

Women, on average, had monthly income of R$ 839, which means 71.6% of the average income of men (R$ 1,172) in 2008. This occurred in al the categories of position in the occupation, including domestic workers, where women are still the majority.

 

 

 

 

Income from all sources increases 2.0%, and household income increases 2.8%

 

 

From 2007 to 2008, the average real income from all sources (of persons aged 10 years and over who have some kind of income) increased 2.0%, reaching R$ 1,023. It was the lowest increase n the last four annual comparisons: from 2004 to 2005 (5.1%); from 2005 to 2006 (6.1%) and from 2006 to 2007 (2.7%).

 

 

In the real average monthly household income from all sources, the most significant increases occurred in intermediate classes of income. In 2008, the 10% which had the lowest income did not have real rise in relation to 2007 (in terms of income from work, there was increase of 4.6%) and the 10% with the highest income had rise of 1.1%. 

 

 

In 2008, the average monthly household income of households which received income (R$ 1,968) increased 2.8% in relation to 2007 (R$ 1,915), increase above the change observed from 2006 to 2007 (1.4%), but lower than that of previous years: 4.9% from 2004 to 2005; and 7.6% from 2005 to 2006. There was increase in all the areas: North (1.4%); Northeast (4.2%); Southeast (2.5%); South (2.0%) and Central West (5.5%). The Northeast had the lowest household income in 2008 (R$ 1,299); and the central West, the highest (R$ 2,352).

 

 

North has the youngest persons and South and Southeast, the oldest ones

 

 

The Brazilian population, in 2008, was 189.952 million persons, with 92.4 million men (48.7%) and 97.5 million women (51.3%).

 

 

Pnad 2008 confirmed the process of population aging: the participation of the group aged 40 years and over increased from 33.1% to 34.3%, between 2007 and 2008, whereas the group aged from 0 - 14 years (from 25.5% to 24.7%) and 15 - 39 years of age (41.4% to 41.0%) had reduced proportions.

 

 

The North region remains having the youngest age groups in the country, presenting, in 2008, the most significant participation in the groups aged 0 to 14 (31.4%) and 15 to 39 (43.5%). It was the only are which presented a bigger number of children aged 0 to 4 (1.4 million) than persons aged 60 and over (1.1 million). The South and southeast regions had the oldest age groups. In these areas, the population aged 40 years and over represented, respectively, 38.1% and 37.9%.

 

 

Acre had the biggest percentage of persons aged 0 to 4 years in its population (11.0%), being followed by Roraima (10.2%) and Amazonas (10.1%). The lowest percentage of children in this age group in 2008 was found in Rio de Janeiro (5.6%), where, on the other hand, there was the highest percentage of persons aged 60 and over (14.9%) in the country. Another highlight in terms of the high percentage of persons aged 60 and over was Rio Grande do Sul (13.5%). 

 

 

In 2008, the population was formed by 48.4% of white persons; 43.8% of brown ones; 6.8% of black persons and 0.9% of yellow and Indian ones.

 

 

Between 2007 and 2008, there was increase of 1.3 percentage points of self-declared brown persons (42.5% to 43.8%) and reduction of the proportion of persons declared black (7.5% to 6.8%) and white (from 49.2% to 48.4%). Whereas in the North and Northeast Region persons declared to be brown or black, in the South Region, 78.7% declared to be white. The brown population increased in all the areas, except in the central West, where there was change from 50.9% to 50.2%.

  

 

 

Migrants make up most of the population in Central West municipalities

 

Persons not born in the municipality of residence made up 40.1% (39.8%, in 2007) of the population in the country and those not born in the Federative Units in which they lived made up 15.7% (the same result as in 2007). In the Central West, the population not born in the municipality was above the population born in it, that is, 54.2% of the persons in this region had not been born in the municipality where they lived. In the other regions, the percentages were: North (43.3%); Northeast (31.8%); Southeast (41.3%) and South (44.0%).

 

In the Central West, 35.6% of the residents had not been born in the state of residence. The North (21.9%); Northeast (7.4%); Southeast (18.0%) and South (12.0%) had lower percentages. Rondônia (46.2%) and Roraima (45.9%) were the states with the highest percentages of population not-born in those states, whereas Rio Grande do Sul had the lowest percentage (4.l1%).

 

With the increase of age, it is possible to observe gradual increase of the proportion of migrants. The older age of these persons may be related to the search for better job opportunities. Among persons not born in the Federative Unit of residence, 54.0% were 40 years and over.

Northeast region has significant improvement in illiteracy and functional illiteracy rates

 

In 2008, in Brazil, there were 14.2 million illiterate persons among those aged 15 and over. The estimated illiteracy rate for this age group was 10.0%; in 2007, it was 10.1%. This indicator still indicates regional disparities, since, for example, the rate in the Northeast, 19.4%, is twice as that of the national total. This region had the most significant decrease of rate compared to 2007, when it reached 19.9%.

 

In the group aged 10-14, the estimated illiteracy rate was 2,8%, showing decrease of 0.3 percentage points in relation to 2007. In the Southeast, South and Central West Regions, this indicator was below 1.5%; whereas in North and Northeast, it was 3.5% and 5.3%, respectively.

 

The estimated illiteracy rate among men aged 15 and over was 10.2%, whereas among women in the same age group it was 9.8%.

 

The estimated functional illiteracy rate was 21.0%, in 2008, 0.8 percentage points below that of 2007, considering the existence of 30 million functionally-illiterate persons aged 15 and over. From 2007 to 2008, all the areas faced decrease of this rate, being a highlight the Northeast, where retraction reached 1.9 percentage points (from 33.5% in 2007 to 31.6% in 2008). The functional illiteracy rate among men (21.6%) was also higher than among women (20.5%).

Brazilian persons aged 18, on average, have not finished elementary school

 

In 2008, the population aged 10 years and over in the country had, on average, 7.1 years of schooling – in 2007, the average was 6.9 years. This figure was lower in the Northeast (5.9 years) and in the Southeast (7.7 years). For the total in the country, women (7.2 years of schooling) studied longer than men (6.9 years). However, at older age groups, the average number of years of schooling of men surpassed that of women.

 

In the group aged 18 and over, which could have already finished high school, that is, with at least 11 years of schooling, the average was 7.4 years of schooling, that is, less than complete elementary school. For persons aged 25 and over, the average fell to 7.0 years of schooling.

 

Considering the population aged 10 years and over, 31.6% had 11 years of schooling and over, a percentage which reached 1/3 among women but not even 30% among men. On the other hand, 22.8% of the population had no schooling or had not even finished the 4th grade of elementary school.

 

97.5% of the children aged 6 to 14 had attended school

 

The schooling rate of the population aged 6 to 14 increased, having changed from 97.0%, in 2007, to 97.5%, in 2008. Regional differences remain, however, with percentages which vary from 96.1%, in the North Region, to 98.1% in the Southeast Region.

 

Public school had, in 2008, 79.2% of the students aged four years and over, in Brazil. This level of participation remained the same in relation to 2007. In elementary school (88.0%) and high school (86.5%), a significant part of the population was enrolled in public schools. In higher education, the opposite happened: 76.3% of the students were in private schools, with increase of 0.4 percentage points in relation to 2007.

 

Child labor decreased, but it is still real for 993 thousand children aged 5 to 13

 

In Brazil, in 2008, there were 92.5 million employed persons aged 5 years and over, among whom 4.5 million were aged 5 to 17, being 993 thousand of the children aged mil 5 to 13. Persons employed accounted for 10.2% of the population aged 5 to 17, 0.7 percentage points less than in 2007, and 3.3% children aged 5 to 13.

 

The proportion of persons aged 5 to 9 years of age was 0.9%, in 2008 (1.0% in 2007), a percentage that was 6.1% among persons aged 10 to 13 years of age (7.5% in 2007).

 

The Northeast Region had the highest percentage of employed persons aged 5 to 17, 12.3% (1.7 million); and the Southeast, the lowest, 7.9% (1.3 million). The proportion of employed men aged 5 to 17 years of age (13.1%, or 2.9 million persons) was higher than among women (7.1%, or 1.5 million), a fact which occurred in all the areas.

 

The schooling rate of persons aged 5 to 17 increased from 92.4%, in 2007, to 93.3%, in 2008 (0.9 percentage points). Among employed persons belonging to this age group, the increase was higher

(1.9 percentage points), considering that the schooling rates reached 81.9% in 2008.  

 

Child labor: agricultural, mostly done by men without formal contracts

 

The table below shows a socio-economic profile of children and teenagers involved in child labor.  

In 2008, 35.5% of the employed persons aged 5 to 17 worked in agricultural activities and 51.6% were employees or domestic workers.

 

Employed persons aged 5 to 17 worked,  on average, 26.8 hours a week, in all kinds of activity, and persons aged 5 to 13 worked , on average, 16.1 hours; the ones aged 14 or 15 worked 24.2 hours and those aged 16 or 17 worked 32.7 hours.  

 

Only 9.7% of the persons employed or domestic workers aged 14 to 17 had a formal employment contract, a percentage which was 13.1% for persons aged 16 or 17 years of age.

 

Among persons aged 5 to 17 years of age in 2008, 32.2% were non-paid workers, and this percentage reached 60.9% among children aged 5 to 13. Among employed persons aged 14 or 15, 34.0% were non-paid workers and, among those aged 16 or 17, this percentage was 19.1%.

 

The average household monthly income of all employed persons aged 5 to 17 increased from R$ 262, in 2007, to R$ 269, in 2008. Persons aged 5 to 13 earned, on average, R$ 100; those aged 14 or 15, R$ 190; and those aged 16 or 17, R$ 319.

 

In Brazil, in 2008, 865 thousand persons employed aged 5 to 17 lived in households with monthly income per capita below ¼ of a minimum wage, which represents 10.8% of the persons in this age group. The average household monthly income of persons employed aged 5 to 9 was R$ 186, whereas of those aged 16 or 17 was R$ 394.

 

Over 60% of the employed children aged 5 to 13 also performed household tasks

 

In 2008, 57.1% of the employed persons aged 5 to 17 also performed household tasks. In the age group

Of 5 to 13 years of age, this percentage was 61.2%; and between 14 and 17 years of age, the figure was 56.0%. Among employed women aged 5 to 17, the percentage was 83.2%; whereas among men, 43.6% of the persons employed in this age group performed household tasks.

 

Among non-employed persons aged 5 to 17, 42.0% performed household tasks, among which 54.6% were women and 29.2% were men.

 

In 2008, 74.4% of the 57.6 million Brazilian households were private ones

 

In 2008, Brazil had 57.6 million permanent private households, 1.8 million more than in 2007. The participation of private households in the total changed from 74.0%, in 2007, to 74.4% in 2008; and the number of paid-off private households, from 69.9% to 70.1%. The percentage of households being acquired  (4.3%) increased 0.2 percentage points, and the number of rented ones was stable (16.6%).

 

The average number of household members changed from 3.4 to 3.3, from 2007 to 2008. The proportion of households with five members fell from 20.5% to 18.9%. The North Region had the biggest number of persons per household (3.8), whereas the lowest one was that of the South Region (2.9), which held, together with the South Region, the lowest average number of persons per household (3.1).

 

The group of households with a single member kept the trend to increase, having changed from 11.5% to12.0%, between 2007 and 2008 and reaching 12.8% in the South and Southeast Regions.  

 

Proportion of households with sewage collection and disposal decreases in the North Region

 

In 2008, Brazil had 30.2 million households with sewage collection and disposal, a figure 1.4 percentage points above that of 2007. The North Region, even had the lowest participation (9.5%) of households with this kind of service, faced reduction of 0.5 percentage points, not keeping the increase which occurred between 2006 and 2007. In this area, the percentage of households with septic tank increased 5.5 percentage points (308 more). The North Region also had 1.6 million households without a sewage collection system or a septic tank.  

 

The percentage of households with septic tank with water supply (83.9%) also remained on an upward trend: 0.7 percentage points more or 1.9 million units compared to 2007. In the Northeast, the increase was 2.3 percentage points, or 770 thousand households.

 

After the increase of 0.6 percentage points in relation to 2007, 87.9% (50.6 million) households began to have garbage collection. There was increase in all the regions.  Electricity remained being the public service with the biggest reach in the country: it reached 98.6% of the households in 2008.

 

 

From 2007 to 2008, over 4.4 million Brazilian households have a telephone now

 

The presence of telephony, mainly of the mobile type in households had, had, once more, significant increase. From 2007 to 2008, a total 4.4 million households more had some type of telephone, among which 3.98 had only a mobile phone. As a result, with increase of 5.3 percentage points, the participation of households with some kind of mobile telephone became 82.1% (or 47.2 million). Households which had only a mobile phone reached 21.7 million (37.6% of the total), an increase of 5.9 percentage points. The proportions of households which had a stove, water filter, a freezer and a radio had very little change.

 

Between 2007 and 2008, the percentage of households with Internet access increased from 20% to 23.8%

 

In 2008, 17.95 million Brazilian households (31.2%) had a personal computer, and 13.7 million (23.8%), Internet access. Over half of the households with a computer (10.2 million) were located in the Southeast, and, among them, 7.98 million had Internet access. Despite the evolution in comparison with the 2007 results, the graph below illustrates the persistent regional inequality in terms of Internet access.