Brazilian Population Is Stressed and Losing Sleep Because of Money, Survey Shows

A survey conducted by Anbima (Brazilian Association of Financial and Capital Markets Entities) in partnership with Datafolha shows that 47% of Brazilians have high financial stress and 48% have medium stress caused by personal finances. Money concerns disrupt the sleep of 37% of respondents, are a source of conflict in 29% of households and lead 49% to say they work excessively to pay their bills.

According to Anbima’s education superintendent, Marcelo Billi, the combination of debt and difficulty saving explains the negative effects on Brazilians’ mental health. "Money problems spill over into other areas of life. When someone is in debt, cognitive ability is affected, impacting productivity and the ability to solve problems," he says.

Among those with high financial stress, 53% are women. By age group, 37% of the most stressed are between 45 and 64 years old. Biologist Leonir de Souza, 54, has carried debt for more than ten years — including credit cards and payroll loans that consume almost half of her salary as a university professor. "When I go on vacation, I keep thinking that I will receive my 13th salary and my vacation pay, and I will use it to pay debts," she says.

Billi recommends that the first step is understanding the real size of the problem. Debt renegotiation programs can reduce stress, but they should be accompanied by financial education. "The solution is not just to eliminate emergency problems, but to condition people not to need them anymore," he says.

Read the article in the original language

News from Brazil

Receive in your email inbox a summary of the day