Trajetórias de desenvolvimento regional no Brasil: uma avaliação multidimensional

Abstract

This master thesis aims to identify the determining factors in the development trajectory of different regions of the country, starting from a premise of human development based on Amartya Sen's capabilities approach, which conceives development as an expansion of the real freedoms that people enjoy. To this end, various multivariate analysis techniques were used to create a multidimensional human development indicator, incorporating variables of housing, education, employment, inequality, and health, to assess the progress of development in Brazil between 2000 and 2017. In addition to formulating the indicator, were also identified the main drivers and bottlenecks of development to which the different regions of the country are subjected. The results indicate that although Brazil has made significant progress in terms of multidimensional development, these advances do not establish uniform levels of development throughout the country. The heterogeneity of regional development trajectories is perceptible through the differences in the dimensions that drive development in each region. For example, the South and Southeast regions already had high development indicators at the beginning of the period analyzed, mainly in terms of housing and education dimensions, having their evolution marked by overcoming gender inequality and improvements in employment opportunities. On the other hand, it was the growth in these dimensions that deal with more basic needs in the North and Northeast regions that drove development in these areas, despite starting from lower levels in all observed dimensions. In turn, the Midwest finds a more accelerated leap in development than the others, presenting points with trajectories common to both the south and the north of the country. The analysis of these trajectories suggests that different regions of Brazil face distinct development challenges, reflecting their geographical, social, and economic particularities. The study concludes that development policies in Brazil need to be adapted to the specific circumstances of each region, in a way that takes into account the particularities and challenges faced by each of them.