Overview
- Instituto Data Favela validated 3,954 in-person interviews in favelas across 23 states between August 15 and September 20, reporting a 1.56-point margin of error at 95% confidence.
- Nationally, 58% said they would exit if offered stable employment or a chance to start a business, with 22% preferring to open their own enterprise and 20% favoring a formal job.
- Low and unstable pay drives persistence in the trade, as 63% report earning up to two minimum wages and the average monthly income is R$3,536, with 18% saying no money remains at month’s end.
- Regional results diverge sharply, with willingness to exit at 70% in Rio de Janeiro and 74% in Rondônia, but only 7% in the Federal District; Ceará and Minas Gerais show more respondents opting to stay than leave.
- Attitudes point to internal pressure to leave, with 68% not proud of their role and 84% unwilling to let a child enter the crime.