Nearly 1 million families fell down a social class in Brazil in one year.

247 - A survey by the Brazilian Association of Research Companies (Abep) reveals that from 2015 to 2016, almost one million families in Brazil moved down a social class. According to the organization, this is the first time there has been a reversal of the socioeconomic upward trend that had been occurring since 2008. The class encompassing families with an average income of R$ 4,9 (called B2) lost 533,9 households. The category of those earning R$ 2,7 (C1) shrank by 456,6 families.

The poorest classes, however, gained reinforcement. Within the category of families with an average income of R$ 1,6 (C2), the increase was 653,6 households. Another 260 families became part of classes D and E, with an average income of only R$ 768.

"Percentage-wise, this movement is small. But, in absolute terms, we are talking about an increase of more than 910 families in the poor classes in just one year. It's a significant number," says Luis Pilli, from Abep, in an interview with the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo.

One finding that caught Abep's attention is that Class A, the wealthiest class with financial and asset reserves to protect itself from high inflation and unemployment, grew by 109,5 families during the period. As a result, a total of 1,023 million households, or about 4 million people, moved in some way on the social scale because of the crisis – most, however, losing their previous status.