Datafolha: 1 in 4 Brazilians say they lack food at home

Even with the slight deceleration of food inflation, the empty fridge continues to haunt Brazilian homes, and 1 in 4 believes that the amount of food available at home was less than what is needed to feed their family.

According to a Datafolha survey carried out last week, for 26% of respondents, the food available in recent months was less than enough, while 62% thought it was enough and only 12% said they believed it was more than enough.

The survey was carried out on the 22nd and 23rd of June. A total of 2,556 interviews were carried out throughout Brazil, distributed in 181 municipalities. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

The percentage of those who don’t have enough to put on their plate has remained at the same level since May, fluctuating within the margin of error.

The persistence of the data contrasts with the deceleration of inflation. The rise in prices measured by the IPCA-15 (National Index of Extended Consumer Prices 15) rose 0.69% in June, with the food and beverage group rising 0.25%, after rising 1.52% in May. In 12 months, the accumulated is 13.84%.

Families, however, still do not feel this movement. In the 12 months through May, basic food basket inflation was 27%, according to a PUCPR study.

In addition to the persistent rise in prices, the return of jobs with more precarious and low-paying jobs and the accumulation of uncertainties regarding the political and economic environment in the coming months have made the cost of food a central issue in the daily lives of Brazilians.

The feeling of food insecurity mainly affects the poorest families. Among those with a family income of up to two minimum wages (R$ 2,424), it is 38%.

For those who earn more than two and up to five salaries (R$ 6,060), the percentage is 14%. For those who receive up to ten minimum wages (R$ 12,120), it drops to 4%.

The insufficient amount of food is also a reality more present among residents of the Northeast (32%) and North (30%), but it does not fail to affect those who live in the Midwest (24%), South (24%) and Southeast ( 22%).

Among the unemployed, 42% said they didn’t have enough (they were 38% in March). This situation also seriously affects those who have given up looking for work (39%), housewives (38%) and the self-employed (27%).

Recently, other research has also helped to detail the severity of this scenario. In a city like São Paulo, the income of the poorest 5% is not enough to buy two prepared dishes or 1 kilo of meat a month.

In addition, 33 million people are hungry in the country, according to the second edition of the National Survey on Food Insecurity in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Brazil – a level similar to what had been recorded three decades ago.

LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYMENT IS A CHALLENGE FOR THE NEXT GOVERNMENT

Although unemployment rates show recovery from the worst moments of the pandemic, the quality of jobs generated and uncertainties regarding the performance of the economy in the coming months weigh on the mood of Brazilians.

Informality is a growing situation on the way out of the worst moment of the pandemic. Of the Brazilians who work and do not have a formal contract, 65% have already worked with a formal contract and 32% have never worked registered.

Of the total number of respondents, 37% have an unemployed person at home (including the interviewee himself) and 49% of those who are in this situation have a family income of up to two minimum wages per month.

There is also concern about the time when many of these workers are out of the job market. Of those interviewed by Datafolha who were unemployed, 39% had been unemployed for more than two years, 29% for a maximum of six months, 18% for more than one year and less than two years and 12% for 6 to 12 months.

In this case, regional differences also matter: unemployment for more than two years is a bigger problem in the North (45%), Northeast (41%) and Southeast (41%) compared to the South (24%) and Central-West. (28%).

Of those who evaluate the government of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) as bad or terrible, 42% said they had been unemployed for more than two years, 29% for up to six months, 18% for one to two years and 10% for between six months and a year. .

Having an unemployed person at home varies according to the intention to vote for president: 29% of Bolsonaro voters have an unemployed person at home (including the interviewee himself). Among those who intend to vote for former President Lula (PT), 42% live with someone who is unemployed.

Among PT voters, who lead voting intentions for the presidency, 63% do not have anyone with a formal contract in their homes (including the interviewee himself) compared to 58% of those who prefer Bolsonaro.

22% ARE BENEFICIARIES OF THE BRAZIL AID

One of the government’s showcases to try to win votes among lower-income families and in the Northeast region, the Auxílio Brasil program (which replaced Bolsa Família last November) reaches just over a fifth of Brazilians.

Of those interviewed by Datafolha, 22% said they had received Auxílio Brasil in June — a level similar to what the institute had received in May (21%) and March (23%).

​31% of respondents with up to elementary education said they were beneficiaries of the program; among those with a family income of up to two minimum wages, 34% were in the program.

Of Lula’s voters, 28% receive Auxílio Brasil and 17% of Bolsonaro’s. The Northeast, the region where President Bolsonaro is fighting to win more voters, is the place in the country where more people benefit from the income transfer mechanism (35%).