This great article from the BBC (in English) details some of the recent growth of the Brazilian middle class.

The gist of the article is that stabilization of the Brazilian economy, particularly the currency (the Real) has provided increased lending opportunities and augmented the buying power of the lower classes. I am no economist, so I ought to let the article speak for itself, but I will note a few common pitfalls in examining the Brazilian middle class. One, it is always important to understand exactly how the middle class is being defined; what is described as middle class may not correspond exactly to what a native of another country would expect. Secondly, just as the divide between rich and poor has traditionally been large in Brazil, the economic realities of urban versus rural populations ought to be considered when examining statistics on the national level. Again, I am no expert, but people more knowledgeable than I often bring up these areas, so I might as well pass these points of interest along…

One area mentioned towards the end of the article is very relevant: higher education. Many, though not all of the best schools are state-run universities that do not charge tuition. Understandably the private universities of note are quite expensive. The problem is that to gain acceptance into one of the state schools, a student must score quite well on the vestibular, a rigorous standardized test that well exceeds the difficulty of the American SAT. The vestibular is also domain-specific; if you want to go to college for
Communications, you must pass that particular vestibular exam and apply to that program at the university. So the catch is that without professional tutoring and long hours of free time in which to study, one’s chances of winning a state-school spot are greatly diminished. The end result? Students who could afford college to begin with end up going for free, and those for whom a “full ride” could provide not just an education but could trigger a sea change of social mobility are left in the dust.

Education is the proverbial fishing pole…

Thanks to Uncle Rob for forwarding this great article my way!!