Rio de Janeiro – The income generated by only five Brazilian municipalities accounted for 25% of all national income in 2009. The list is topped by São Paulo, with 12% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), followed by Rio de Janeiro (5.4%), Brasília (4.1%), Curitiba and Belo Horizonte, both with 1.4%. These five municipalities have retained the same positions as in 2008.
The income of São Paulo alone is equivalent to nearly the entire GDP generated by the Northeast Region in 2009 (13.5%), according to the survey Gross Domestic Product of Municipalities 2005-2009, issued this Wednesday (14th) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
Not counting the capitals, 12 Brazilian cities stood out in 2009 because their individual GDPs accounted for more than 0.5% of the country’s GDP. Among them are Guarulhos, Campinas and Osasco, in the state of São Paulo, all of which generated incomes equivalent to 1% of the national GDP.
“Guarulhos boasts a diversified industry,” survey manager Sheila Zani told Agência Brasil. The municipality also features a significant services sector, strong wholesale and retail, and transports. “There is a very high degree of integration between industry and services,” she said.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
