About 70% of Brazilian cities have low sustainable development, says report

Less than 1% of Brazilian cities have reached a high level of development in the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030.

Released this Sunday (6), the 2023 Cities Sustainable Development Index (IDSC-BR) pointed out that Brazil is far from ideal sustainable development. The document uses the 17 global goals of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations Organization (UN).

Thus, despite being a country rich in natural, economic and cultural resources, Brazil still has more than 70% of the 5,570 municipalities with low or very low levels of sustainable development, according to the assessment of IDSC.

This national index evaluated 100 indicators related to UN guidelines and presented a scenario of high inequality in the Brazilian territory.

Additionally, the data show that Brazil still has low socioeconomic development in the vast majority of its states.

How is the Cities Sustainable Development Index evaluated?

IDSC 2023 is organized by Sustainable Cities Institute and verifies several factors in Brazilian municipalities, such as: health, income, housing, social assistance, public safety, violence, color and gender equality, among other areas.

Likewise, the factors are organized according to the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and receive scores from 0 to 100, according to the classification below:

• Very high – 80 to 100 points;
• High – 60 to 79.99 points;
• Medium – 50 to 59.99 points;
• Low – 40 to 49.99 points;
• Very Low – 0 to 39.99 points.

Thus, the higher the score for the factor, the higher the level of development of the municipality in that global objective.

(Image: Freepik/Playback)

IDSC 2023 data in Brazil

Based on this assessment, the index identified that, in 2023, the average score of Brazilian municipalities was 46.8 points.

In this scenario, around 3,346 Brazilian cities reached a low level in the ranking, presenting few development actions in relation to the objectives of the 2030 Agenda of the UN.

On the other hand, São Caetano do Sul, in São Paulo, registered 63.4 points and was the city with the highest score in the index. On the other hand, the municipality of Buriticupu, in Maranhão, received only 29.8 points.

The 10 Brazilian cities with the highest score in IDSC 2023

The worrying result demonstrates that only 0.8% of the cities are considered with a high level of development in the global goals. See the ranking order of the first placed in IDSC-BR:

• 1. São Caetano do Sul (SP) – 63.42 points;
• 2. Jumirim (SP) – 63.16 points;
• 3. São Bento do Sapucaí (SP) – 63.12 points;
• 4. Bragança Paulista (SP) – 63.9 points;
• 5. Taguaí (SP) – 63.06 points;
• 6. Santa Rita do Sapucaí (MG) – 63.00 points;
• 7. Pedreira (SP) – 62.51 points;
• 8. Luzern (SC) – 62.20 points;
• 9. Jundiaí (SP) – 62.13 points;
• 10. Vinhedo (SP) – 61.96 points.

10 am cities ranked with the highest score, 8 are from the state of São Paulo. The lowest scores, in turn, are in the North region of the country.

IDSC 2023 organizers hope that the detailed analysis of Brazilian municipalities will help mayors and others public authorities in the organization of actions that encourage the sustainable development of the objectives of the 2030 Agenda in country.