INVESTING BETTER: Efficiency and Inequalities in Brazilian Education Financing

Abstract

This article critically examines the relationship between public resources invested in Brazilian education and the resulting school performance and teaching quality. The analysis draws on official data from INEP, OECD statistics, PISA 2022 results, and the evolution of IDEB across different regions of the country. Although Brazil allocates a significant share of its budget to education—approximately 5% of GDP—the data reveal low efficiency in the use of these resources. About 80% of spending is devoted to the remuneration of teachers and other education professionals, limiting essential investments in school infrastructure, pedagogical materials, and technological innovation. In annual per-student spending, Brazil invests roughly three times less than the OECD average, a gap that directly corresponds to significantly lower learning outcomes. Additionally, deep regional inequalities persist, with marked disparities in resource access and teaching quality across the country’s regions. The study concludes that the combination of allocative inefficiency and territorial inequality constitutes a structural barrier to improving educational quality in Brazil. Addressing this challenge requires reforms that emphasize equity and the strategic use of resources.