São Paulo – Consumption by Brazilians should total 1.8 trillion reals (US$ 824 billion) in 2009, according to the survey IPC-Target do Brasil em Foco 2009, by Target Marketing, a company specialized in market research. According to the survey, the figure is expressed in real terms and implies growth of 1.6% over last year.
Spending by families, according to the survey, will grow more than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Forecasts point to a 1.2% rise in the GDP. The Southeast of the country is going to concentrate 51.4% of national consumption. In 2008, the region accounted for 51.8%. The Northeast comes second, with 18.8%, as against 18.2% last year.
This year, rural consumption should total 96.1 billion reals (US$ 44 billion). According to Target, the lower middle class will have the most potential for increasing consumption, and should attract the attention of companies supplying products and services. The lower middle class is responsible for a share of 532.8 billion reals (US$ 243.9 billion) of national consumption.
Consumption will also be highly concentrated in the large cities. The country’s 15 largest cities answer to 29.4% of consumption, according to the survey. Among them are São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Salvador, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife and Goiânia.
Some cities, however, stand out for the expansion in consumption. Such is the case of Belém, capital of the state of Pará, which has risen to the 11th position in the ranking, with 0.90% of total consumption, whereas in 2008 it occupied the 14th position, with 0.73%. Other highlights are Nova Iguaçu and Caxias do Sul, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and Uberlândia, in the state of Minas Gerais.
The bulk of consumption will go to household maintenance, including rents, taxes and bills, such as electricity, water and gas, with 27.5%. Next comes food and beverages, with 19.8%, followed by transports and vehicles, with 7.5%, hygiene and health items, with 7.3%. Footwear and clothing answer to 5.3%, recreation and trips, 3.7%, furniture and electric household appliances, 4.2%, education, 2.6%, and tobacco, 0.7%.
*Translated by Gabriel Blum
