Ranking shows which Brazilian cities stand out in quality of life in 2026 and reveals regional inequalities in the country. traduzido por: OPENROUTER
Submitted at May 21, 2026, 11:50 AM
Gavião Peixoto conquistou a melhor nota em ranking de qualidade de vida no país. (Fabiana Assis/g1/Divulgação)
A new survey on quality of life in Brazil has provided an updated portrait of how Brazilians live in different regions of the country. The Social Progress Index (IPS Brasil 2026), released by the Imazon institute in partnership with other organizations, analyzed Brazil's 5,570 municipalities based on 57 social and environmental indicators, evaluating aspects that go far beyond the economy. Unlike indices that measure only the wealth generated, such as GDP, the IPS seeks to understand whether this wealth translates into real benefits for the population, considering factors such as housing, health, safety, education, access to information, social inclusion, and environmental quality. The results show that, despite a slight improvement in the national average, the country still faces strong regional inequalities and important challenges when it comes to social development.
Com pouco mais de 4 mil habitantes, Gavião Peixoto fica no interior paulista. (Parque Ecológico GPx/Facebook/Divulgação)
For the third consecutive year, Gavião Peixoto (SP) appears at the top of the ranking as the city with the best quality of life in Brazil, with 73.10 points on a scale of 0 to 100. The municipality in São Paulo, which has about 4,800 inhabitants, surpassed cities such as Jundiaí, Osvaldo Cruz, Pompéia, and Curitiba.
Among the 20 best-ranked cities, 18 are concentrated in the South and Southeast regions, reinforcing a pattern of greater social development in these areas.
In addition to São Paulo, states such as Paraná, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Sul also appear among the highlights, showing consistent performance in areas such as housing, education, safety, and the environment.
Uiramutã, em Roraima, ficou na última posição do ranking em 2026. (Eu_Amo_Uiramutã/Facebook/Divulgação)
At the other end of the ranking, Uiramutã (RR) appears as the city with the worst quality of life in Brazil in 2026, with 42.44 points.
Among the 20 municipalities with the lowest scores, 19 are located in the North and Northeast regions, which highlights the persistence of historical inequalities in the country. Municipalities such as Jacareacanga (PA), Alto Alegre (RR), Portel (PA), and Amajari (RR) also appear in the last positions.
The survey shows that problems related to access to basic services, social inclusion, infrastructure, and environmental indicators help explain the lower performance of these locations, especially in areas of the Legal Amazon.
Curitiba. (Divulgação/Divulgação)
Among Brazilian capitals, Curitiba (PR) leads the ranking for the second year in a row, with 71.29 points, being the best-ranked capital in the country.
Right behind are Brasília, São Paulo, Campo Grande, and Belo Horizonte. According to the study, Curitiba's good performance is related to balanced results in different areas, with special emphasis on indicators linked to the quality of the environment, such as the presence of urban green areas, lower CO2 emissions, and deforestation control.
Even so, the report points out that no city is free from challenges, and the capital of Paraná still presents weaknesses in issues related to social inclusion and the homeless population.
(Arek Adeoye/Unsplash/Divulgação)
The Social Progress Index (IPS Brasil) assesses quality of life based on 57 indicators divided into three major dimensions: Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Well-Being, and Opportunities.
This means that the survey does not measure only wealth or economic capacity, but whether the population is able to access rights, services, and dignified living conditions.
Among the components with the best performance in 2026 is Housing, with a national average of 87.95 points. The worst result was in Individual Rights, with only 39.14 points. The index also pointed to progress in access to information and communication, driven by the growth of internet and technology access, while the area of social inclusion showed a decline.
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Praça dos Três Poderes. (Milena Garcia/Divulgação)
The national average of the IPS Brasil in 2026 was 63.40 points, a modest growth compared to previous years, showing that the progress was considered timid.
The state ranking also highlights inequality: the Federal District leads with 70.73 points, followed by São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Minas Gerais. The worst results, on the other hand, appear in states such as Pará, Maranhão, and Acre.
The difference between the first and last place reaches nearly 15 points, revealing that quality of life is still quite unequal among Brazilian regions.
The study reinforces that social development depends on balanced progress in several areas and that economic growth alone does not guarantee better living conditions for the population.
CASACOR Publisher is an exclusive content-creating agent, developed by CASACOR's Technology team based on the knowledge base of casacor.com.br. This text was edited by Chrys Hadrian.
traduzido por: OPENROUTER
