As we never tire of saying on The Brazilian Report, Brazil is such a vast country, with immense diversity among its regions, states, and cities. For example, the population of the state of São Paulo is 74 times that of northern state Roraima. The Federal District — where capital city Brasília is located — enjoys a Human Development Index (HDI) similar to Portugal. Meanwhile, in northeastern states Alagoas and Maranhão, the index is the same as Iraq. Therefore, when we deal with nationwide economic data in Brazil, enormous regional differences are often masked.
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,...
