What Percentage Of Brazilians Would Be Considered Middle Class By American Standards ?

Question

So ocean you think 90% of Brazilians would be considered poor by American standards.

Answer 1

By American standars of living, confort, housing, credit, etc, I'd say 10% tops.

Keep in mind there are 200 million Brazilians.

The Brazilian middle class has a lot more people but you are asking about US standards, so it makes more difficult.

What you'll see is people who have lesser conditions of living, but for example, have maids, have several bathrooms per house, etc. It would be hard to find kids from the middle class studying in public school in Brazil. But as far as housing, cars, eletronics and confort, they would be bellow US middle class standards.

That's just an opinion, it's not based in any study.

Answer 2

Around 80-90%.  That country's gov has squished the middle class, now if you're not rich, you're a pay check away from poverty level.  Brazil is a weird country, dude all the natural resources, but the brazilian mindset is all screwed up

Answer 3

Only 2% of Brazilian population earn more than US$ 50,000 / year.

Answer 4

I have a answer to you: How many "americans" can be considered riches by brazilian standards?

For example, we see the guys in the movies saying "Oh! God. You have destructed my  70,000 dollars' Ferrari". This makes me laugh...

A Ferrari canot be sell for less than 1 million dollars, in Brazil.

A Fender guitar (stratocaster, for example) for sale by 400 dollars in the USA, costs more than 1,500 dollars in Brazil.

A digital SLR camera which you can buy for 600 dollars in the USA, brazilans mut to pay, at least 1,200 dollars. All imported products are more expensive here than in the USA, and made in Brazil products cost almost the same of their equivalents made in USA.

Then, dude, it's easy to be considered medium class or rich in the USA. I want to see you can buy the same things with the same amount of money in Brazil. So, brazilian medium class is largest or equivalent to medium class from the USA.

Answer 5

What's the definition of US middle class? Income (USD or BRL), hapiness, income x spend...

This is very difficult to compare, you should focus on Brazilian criteria to be realistic.

Answer 6

I am an American living in Belem, Para, Brasil so I can give you an idea of the difference.  I agree with 10%, for example, one time I bought a bottle of aftershave for 5 reais(at the time about a 1.75$), didn´t like it and was going to throw it away.  When my son´s nanny saw that it was to be thrown out she asked me if she could keep it to give to her dad.  You see, that aftershave was something that unattainable for her, something distant, an unjustifiable expense and she could not beleive that I was going to throw it away.  She was so grateful, for the most part Brazillians are spectacular people.  Things are changing here, the economy is growing, people are making more money and they are moving up from one social class to the next.  But in the end the overwhelming poverty and violence here will prove to be an anchor weighing this country down.  I have been here for four years, have three sons and will be leaving in 2009 for the United States.  My experience here has been a good one but the violence in Belem has grown out of control and I want my kids to live safe, so we are leaving.  I hope this has been helpful to you.

Answer 7

I´m brazilian and lived there for many years, so I can assure you that only 10% of brazilians would be considered middle class by your standards

Our minimum wage is about US 300 dollars a month

Answer 8

not very high considering how brazilians have unfortunatly class issuses they need to deal with since so many live in poverty

Answer 9

ocean.denis and augusto_cardoso are right. It is pretty hard to compare it to the US middle class.

Answer 10

Yes! For sure!

I'm Brazilian and I'm sorry to tell this: 75% of the money of the Brazil is concentrated in 10% of the population and  25% of the money in 90% poor hands! Unfortunately!

It's really horrible, isn't it? What do you think about it?