Brazil is one of the most unequal countries in the world, and this inequality manifests not only in the purchasing power of the population, but also in the ethnic composition among its different classes. Data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) for 2016 shows that more than half of the Brazilian population, 54 percent, is Black or mixed race. However, among the poorest 10 percent of the Brazilian population, 78.5 percent are Black (a classification that includes Black and mixed race people), against 20.8% white. Among the 10 percent richest Brazilians, 72.9 percent are white and 24.8 percent are Black.

The situation of Brazil’s nonwhite population has improved over the years, with the increase of Blacks among the upper classes and thanks to the quota policy in universities, the number of Black students enrolled in undergrad courses went from 2.2 percent in 2000 to 9.3 percent in 2017. However, exclusion is still a sad and persistent reality in Brazil. Even for those who manage to enroll in a university, accessing books is difficult — as is paying for transportation and balancing studies with a job.

Full article at The North Star’s website. Date of publication: 25/09/2019.