What do we know about wealth inequality in Brazil?

Wealth inequality has gained importance in the international debate following the publication of Capital in the 21st Century, by Thomas Piketty, which contains systematic data on the size and evolution of the phenomenon in advanced economies over the last few centuries. In particular, Piketty's research reveals an important decrease in wealth concentration throughout the 20th century, a decrease that has not been sustained in the first decades of the 21st century. What can be said about the levels and historical trajectory of wealth inequality in Brazil, one of the world’s most unequal countries? We investigated all available estimates since the 17th century. The work is organized based on the different sources and approaches used to construct the estimates, which cannot be directly obtained from national household surveys or censuses. Two conclusions stand out: a) wealth concentration presents extreme levels and notable stability over time, despite profound transformations in the composition of assets; and b) all available estimates have significant limitations. The availability of adequate public data, along with improvements in the procedures employed so far, is essential for the development of a literature on wealth inequality in the country – the first step towards effective public engagement with the issue.