Overview
- Serasa reported on Monday that consumer delinquency reached a historic high of 84.2 million people in September 2026, up 6% from a year earlier and 34.17% since 2020.
- Total unpaid consumer debt with the financial system stands at R$597.4 billion, with an average debt of R$7,093.83 per person and banks and credit cards accounting for 27.16% of the total.
- The federal government enacted Desenrola Brasil 3.0 by provisional measure to buy delinquent debt portfolios with up to R$15 billion in allocated funds and up to R$150 billion identified as eligible, targeting as many as 15 million people.
- Academic evaluations of earlier Desenrola phases show initial drops in delinquency that reverted within about 18 months and found smaller benefits for informal workers plus evidence some lenders expanded lending when renegotiation programs were expected.
- Analysts say the record is driven by structural factors—high interest rates, costly credit and tight household budgets—which means the program may ease pressure short term but is unlikely to produce durable declines in defaults without broader changes.