In April 2025, the number of people in debt reached a record high, with 70.29 million Brazilians — equivalent to 43.36% of the country’s adult population — defaulting on their payments, according to the latest data from the CNDL (National Confederation of Shopkeepers) and the SPC Brasil (Credit Protection Service).

Compared to the same month in 2024, the number of debtors increased by 4.59%. From March to April 2025, the increase was 1.09%. According to José César da Costa, president of the CNDL, this record is related to Brazilians’ difficulty in “balancing the budget at the end of the month”.

‘Despite the slight improvement in income indices and the reduction in unemployment, these advances have not been enough to contain the increase in debts. The combination of high prices for essential items, high levels of family indebtedness and the upward trend in the basic interest rate are directly contributing to the worsening of this worrying scenario,” he said.

The age group with the highest number of people in debt is 30 to 39 years old, with 17.38 million people in this category. Those over 85 owe the least, at 416 thousand.

The Southeast, the country’s most populous region, has the highest number of people with a bad credit rating, at 30.25 million. In percentage terms, the largest proportion of the population with a bad credit rating is in the Midwest, at 46.12%.

On average, each delinquent consumer owes R$4,689.54 to 2.18 creditor companies, most of which are banks. Debts in arrears grew by 8.75% in April compared to the same period in 2024.

Original Story: Poder 360
Edition and translation: Prime Yield