Brazil: New socioeconomic data and study on deforestation

The Instituto Mobilidade e Desenvolvimento Social (IMDS) has launched 'IMDS – Eleições: Panorama Estadual', a platform that compiles 228 socioeconomic indicators across all 27 Brazilian states. The tool covers 12 thematic axes, including economic activity, fiscal status, education, health, and public security, to provide a historical trajectory of state performance.

In the education sector, data shows significant disparities. Ceará reported a rise in reading proficiency among 2nd-grade students from 44.9% in 2021 to 72.1% in 2023. Conversely, Alagoas saw almost no change, remaining at approximately 30%.

Separately, a study titled 'Sinais antiambientais e desmatamento: evidências do Brasil' examines the impact of political rhetoric on the environment. Analyzing 578 municipalities in the Legal Amazon, researchers found that anti-environmental signals from the government correlated with increased deforestation. Specifically, messages from the presidency were estimated to have contributed to a 17.8% increase in monthly deforestation, while signals from ministers resulted in a 4.5% increase.