Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre are the capitals with the highest life expectancy in the country; see ranking | Minas Gerais

The Map of Inequalities analyzes and compares 40 indicators relating to sustainable development objectives, established by the United Nations, covering health, education, income, housing and sanitation topics. For those responsible for the study, this index, of average age at deathis a “synthesiser” of the social situation of Brazilian cities.

“The average age at death is the result of a combination of factors. It is generally low because there is a greater problem of young and infant mortality, which are reflections of problems in the areas of health, violence, education, sanitation, of housing”, explained Jorge Abrahão, general coordinator of the Sustainable Cities Institute.

Still according to the researcher, the difference between the highest and lowest average age at death, 15 years, It is a great demonstration of the great inequality that marks the country.

“It’s a very big difference, relevant and very important data about this, which is Brazil’s biggest problem. Our intention is to show this data to direct investments and public policies precisely to reduce this inequality”, he added.

For the researcher, it is also not possible to point out specific factors that place Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre at the top of this ranking or problems that led Boa Vista to last place.

“In order to have this information, the ideal is for each capital to build a map of inequality, within the city itself, because there is an internal difference, many times greater than that of Brazil. There are neighborhoods and districts in Belo Horizonte that have life expectancies that over 80 years of age, while others may be under 60. From there, it is possible to conclude the reasons that lead to these results”, explained Jorge Abrahão.

The survey also highlights inequalities between Brazilian regions — capitals in the South and Southeast dominate the top spots in the ranking.

“This shows that cities in the South and Southeast have better infrastructure and access conditions than other cities. If it is possible for these cities to have higher indicators within the same country, what are they doing to achieve this?” asked the researcher.

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