Overview
- Serasa reported on Monday that consumer delinquency reached 84.2 million people in September, equal to 51.1% of Brazil’s adult population and marking the highest level since the series began in 2016.
- Total outstanding consumer debt stood at R$597.4 billion with an average burden of R$7,093.83 per person, roughly 4.4 times the monthly minimum wage, highlighting acute pressure on household budgets.
- In response, Serasa launched the 36th Feirão Limpa Nome on November 3, offering more than 750 million negotiation offers from over 3,300 partner companies with discounts up to 99% and multiple channels for agreements, including instant CPF removal for eligible Pix payments.
- The federal government’s Desenrola Brasil 3.0 uses a provisional measure to buy delinquent portfolios with up to R$15 billion earmarked for purchases and up to R$150 billion of debts eligible, but prior academic studies show similar programs cut delinquency only temporarily and can change lender behavior.
- Debt composition has shifted toward formal credit: banks and credit cards account for 27.16% of arrears, finance companies 20.66%, and utility bills 20.32%, a mix that concentrates stress among middle-aged adults and varies by state, such as Rio Grande do Norte where 1.4 million people are delinquent and local offers total 11.8 million.