Publication:
Brazil Human Capital Review: Investing in People

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Published
2022-06-30
ISSN
Date
2022-07-05
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
How much talent is lost in Brazil because of unideal education and health conditions The Brazil Human Capital Review is part of the Human Capital Project, a global initiative of the World Bank Group that aims to raise attention on the importance of investing in people. Its focus relies on the conditions hindering children to flourish their potential labor productivity in Brazil. As a first step, this report proposes the Human Capital Index (HCI) to estimate the expected productivity of a child born today by the age of 18 when education and health conditions remain unaltered. Or simply, the HCI estimates the productivity level of the next generation of works. The results are alarming. How can Brazil recover from a decade lost in terms of human capital formation Mitigating the effects of the pandemic should be a priority. In the short-term, recommendations include: (a) adapt and strengthen policies already in place that have proven effects on human capital; (b) use the national conditional cash transfer program to support those more heavily affected by the pandemic; and (c) set as utmost priority a learning recovery and acceleration plan for the coming years.
Link to Data Set
Citation
World Bank. 2022. Brazil Human Capital Review: Investing in People. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/37626 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Report Series
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    Better Jobs in Central America : The Role of Human Capital
    (Washington, DC, 2012-05) World Bank
    The biggest challenge in terms of jobs in Central America is to create better conditions to stimulate more productive job creation in the context of a rapidly growing labor force. Overcoming this challenge will contribute to reducing poverty, inequality and social exclusion which are so entrenched in the Central American countries. To achieve this goal, Central America needs to address a two-pronged policy. First, the region must implement policies that help farmers and workers to move up the value chain, which means in some cases diversify the production structure by increasing the share of industry and services, and in other cases, it should improve the technological content and knowledge of existing activities to make them more productive (for example, agriculture). The paper is organized as follows: Section II describes the origin of the recent growth of the region and its impact on the labor market. Section III discusses the challenges of human capital faced by the region, and Sections IV and V provide governments with policy options for consideration.
  • Publication
    Uganda - Promoting Inclusive Growth : Transforming Farms, Human Capital, and Economic Geography, Synthesis Report
    (Washington, DC, 2012-02) World Bank
    At an average above 6.0 percent per year over the past two decades, Uganda' s growth rate was impressive by all standards. In parallel, poverty declined significantly, not only in urban areas, but also to some extent within the rural areas. This combination was possible because the key drivers of growth were labor-intensive services sectors, some of which are agriculture based. In fact, Uganda's growth process has reduced overall poverty faster than what has been observed in many other developing countries. This report addresses the issue from a double perspective: sectoral and geographical. From a sectoral perspective, it concludes that the agricultural sector needs transformation because it remains the primary employer; it is the country's main comparative advantage and bedrock for industrialization. More broadly, identifying sectors with potential will be important for employment opportunities, which in turn will be largely dependent on productivity levels and thus on the level of education and skills of the labor force. From a geographical perspective, transformation generally yields a concentration of economic activities that leaves some locations lagging in prosperity. This unbalanced growth needs to be supported with appropriate economic integration policies that have been analyzed in the report.
  • Publication
    Economic Freedom, Human Rights, and the Returns to Human Capital : An Evaluation of the Schultz Hypothesis
    (2010-08-01) King, Elizabeth M.; Montenegro, Claudio E.; Orazem, Peter F.
    According to T.W. Schultz, the returns to human capital are highest in economic environments experiencing unexpected price, productivity, and technology shocks that create "disequilibria." In such environments, the ability of firms and individuals to adapt their resource allocations to shocks becomes most valuable. In the case of negative shocks, government policies that mitigate the impact of the shock will also limit the returns to the skills of managing risk or adapting resources to changing market forces. In the case of positive shocks, government policies may restrict access to credit, labor, or financial markets in ways that limit reallocation of resources toward newly emerging profitable sectors. This paper tests the hypothesis that the returns to skills are highest in countries that allow individuals to respond to shocks. Using estimated returns to schooling and work experience from 122 household surveys in 86 developing countries, this paper demonstrates a strong positive correlation between the returns to human capital and economic freedom, an effect that is observed throughout the wage distribution. Economic freedom benefits those workers who have attained the most schooling as well as those who have accumulated the most work experience.
  • Publication
    Uruguay : Sources of Growth, Policies for the Development of Human Capital, Integration, Competition and Innovation
    (Washington, DC, 2005-06) World Bank
    Uruguay, with a prosperity built on beef and other meat exports, was among the fastest-growing economies in the world at the turn of the twentieth century. In parallel with economic successes driven by exports under a liberal trade regime, early in the 20th century, Uruguay had already initiated a strong and efficient welfare state. By contrast, the slowdown in per capita GDP growth has been more severe in the past 40 years (over 1961-99 per capita GDP growth averaged 1.1 percent, which is two-thirds of the rate achieved by Latin America) - except in the nineties when Uruguay (temporarily) grew at a faster rate than the region. In the 1961-1999 period, the rate of growth was less than half that of industrial countries, and less than one-fourth of that of East Asia. Uruguay must consolidate its incipient economic recovery following a prolonged, and deep recession: the economy shrank 17 percent, and household incomes dropped over 20 percent in real terms over 1999-2003. Notwithstanding, the economy bounced back strongly since mid-2003, and GDP growth in 2004 is estimated at 12.3 percent; the level of unemployment fell from almost 20 percent at the end of 2002, to 12.1 percent at the end of 2004. However, there is a qualitative difference between economic recovery and sustained growth. The country's relatively poor growth performance over the last half century can be traced to several key structural weaknesses, i.e., a pro-cyclical fiscal policy, intrinsically associated with lack of flexibility in social spending; a high and growing dependency ratio (between retirees and the working age population) - worsened by emigration by young people - and increased levels of informal employment; and, lack of effective competition in infrastructure sectors, dominated by the public sector and - in a related manner - the setting of tariffs with a fiscal criterion that limits incentives to increase efficiency, among several other structural factors. The objective of this study is to help develop a "shared" vision of growth with equity in Uruguay, but, unless shared, the policies and reforms discussed are unlikely to be implemented, maintained, or to be credible. The first pillar of this framework involves policies leading to fiscal and financial stability, the efficient operation of factor markets (capital and labor), and, the strengthening of social protection. The second pillar of policies and reforms aims at the creation of an investment climate, favorable to the accumulation of physical and human capital; it includes trade and integration policies, the development of a competitive framework - particularly in infrastructure sectors; and, policies on education and health for the development of human capital. The third pillar is formed by the policies and reforms that promote growth driven through innovation; it will require a thorough transformation of institutional capabilities, entrepreneurial culture, and the system of innovation.
  • Publication
    Sources of China's Economic Growth, 1952-99 : Incorporating Human Capital Accumulation
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2001-07) Wang, Yan; Yao, Yudong
    China's performance in economic growth, and poverty reduction has been remarkable. There is an ongoing debate about whether this growth is mainly driven by productivity, or factor accumulation. But few past studies have incorporated information on China's human capital stock, and thus contained an omission bias. The authors construct a measure of China's human capital stock from 1952 to 1999, and, using a simple growth accounting exercise, incorporate it in their analysis of the sources of growth, during the pre-reform (1952-77), and the reform period (1978-99). They find that the accumulation of human capital in China (as measured by the average years of schooling for the population aged 15 to 64) was quite rapid, and contributed significantly to growth, and welfare. After incorporating human capital, they also find that the growth of total factor productivity, still plays a positive, and significant role during the reform period. In contrast, productivity growth was negative in the pre-reform period. The results are robust to changes in labor shares in GDP. The recent declining rate of human capital accumulation is a cause for concern, if China is to sustain its improvements in growth, and welfare in the coming decade. Funding for basic education is unevenly distributed, and insufficient in some poor regions.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Publication
    Reboot Development: The Economics of a Livable Planet
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-09-01) Damania, Richard; Ebadi, Ebad; Mayr, Kentaro; Russ, Jason; Zaveri, Esha
    “Reboot Development: The Economics of a Livable Planet” explores how the foundational natural endowments of land, air, and water—long taken for granted—are under growing threat, putting at risk the very progress they helped create. For generations, natural resources have powered development, supporting health, food, energy, and economic opportunity. Today, strains on these resources are intensifying. This report argues that failing to maintain a livable planet is not merely a distant environmental concern, but a present economic threat. Drawing on new data, the report shows that over 90 percent of the world is exposed to poor air quality, degraded land, or water stress. Loss of forests cuts rainfall, dries soils, and worsens droughts, costing billions of dollars. The nitrogen paradox emerges—fertilizers boost yields but overuse in some regions harms crops and ecosystems. Meanwhile, air and water pollution silently damage health, productivity, and cognition, sapping human potential. The report warns that these hidden costs are too large to ignore. Yet the message is not one of constraint but of possibility. Nature, when wisely stewarded, can drive growth, create jobs, and build resilience. The report shows that more efficient resource use—like better nitrogen management and forest restoration—yields benefits that far exceed the costs. It also urges a shift to cleaner sectors and producing “better things,” noting that these provide new sources of growth, creating more jobs per dollar invested. The findings are clear: Investing in nature is not only good for the planet, it is smart development.
  • Publication
    Business Ready 2024
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-03) World Bank
    Business Ready (B-READY) is a new World Bank Group corporate flagship report that evaluates the business and investment climate worldwide. It replaces and improves upon the Doing Business project. B-READY provides a comprehensive data set and description of the factors that strengthen the private sector, not only by advancing the interests of individual firms but also by elevating the interests of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. This 2024 report introduces a new analytical framework that benchmarks economies based on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis centers on 10 topics essential for private sector development that correspond to various stages of the life cycle of a firm. The report also offers insights into three cross-cutting themes that are relevant for modern economies: digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender. B-READY draws on a robust data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2024 report, which covers 50 economies, serves as the first in a series that will expand in geographical coverage and refine its methodology over time, supporting reform advocacy, policy guidance, and further analysis and research.
  • Publication
    Global Economic Prospects, January 2025
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-16) World Bank
    Global growth is expected to hold steady at 2.7 percent in 2025-26. However, the global economy appears to be settling at a low growth rate that will be insufficient to foster sustained economic development—with the possibility of further headwinds from heightened policy uncertainty and adverse trade policy shifts, geopolitical tensions, persistent inflation, and climate-related natural disasters. Against this backdrop, emerging market and developing economies are set to enter the second quarter of the twenty-first century with per capita incomes on a trajectory that implies substantially slower catch-up toward advanced-economy living standards than they previously experienced. Without course corrections, most low-income countries are unlikely to graduate to middle-income status by the middle of the century. Policy action at both global and national levels is needed to foster a more favorable external environment, enhance macroeconomic stability, reduce structural constraints, address the effects of climate change, and thus accelerate long-term growth and development.
  • Publication
    World Bank Annual Report 2024
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-25) World Bank
    This annual report, which covers the period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, has been prepared by the Executive Directors of both the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA)—collectively known as the World Bank—in accordance with the respective bylaws of the two institutions. Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, has submitted this report, together with the accompanying administrative budgets and audited financial statements, to the Board of Governors.
  • Publication
    Global Economic Prospects, June 2025
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-06-10) World Bank
    The global economy is facing another substantial headwind, emanating largely from an increase in trade tensions and heightened global policy uncertainty. For emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), the ability to boost job creation and reduce extreme poverty has declined. Key downside risks include a further escalation of trade barriers and continued policy uncertainty. These challenges are exacerbated by subdued foreign direct investment into EMDEs. Global cooperation is needed to restore a more stable international trade environment and scale up support for vulnerable countries grappling with conflict, debt burdens, and climate change. Domestic policy action is also critical to contain inflation risks and strengthen fiscal resilience. To accelerate job creation and long-term growth, structural reforms must focus on raising institutional quality, attracting private investment, and strengthening human capital and labor markets. Countries in fragile and conflict situations face daunting development challenges that will require tailored domestic policy reforms and well-coordinated multilateral support.