Brasília,7/19/2004(Agência Brasil) – A report released by the UN Development Program shows that Brazil's per capita income has risen US$40, to US$7,770 (it was US$7,730 last year). The report goes on to say that Brazil's problem is to transform wealth into well-being for the population.

With regard to the Human Development Index, Brazil is in 72nd place in a list of 177 nations. If only per capita income was considered, Brazil would rise to 63rd place on the list. Brazil's per capita income is the same as the average for the world, and slightly higher than the average for Latin America.

However, when other items are factored in, such as education and life expectancy, Brazil drops in the list. One problem is that 22% of Brazil's population lives on less than US$2 a day. Another 8.2% lives on less than US$1 a day.

In the latest survey, life expectancy in Brazil rose from 67.8 years to 68. There was a significant improvement in education, with 92% of school age children in the classroom, and the illiteracy rate down to 13.6%.

Summing up: in terms of life expectancy and income, Brazil is far from the rich nations. But in terms of income, it is a rich nation.

Repórteres:Nasi Brum e Juliana Andrade
(Translator: Allen Bennett)