The article aims to describe the recent evolution of the level and the nature of poverty and inequality in Brazil, establishing causal relations between those dimensions. Its central diagnosis is that Brazil is not a poor country, in terms of resources, but it is an unfair and unequal country, with high level of poverty. The inequality in income distribution and in the opportunities of economic and social inclusion represent the main determinant of higher levels of poverty that worry Brazilian society. It also aims to demonstrate economic viability to fight against poverty and justify the significance of establishing strategies that doesn't discard economic growth, but that emphasize, mainly, the role of redistributive policies that may decrease inequality levels.
Inequality; Poverty; Distributive justice; Income distribution; Economic growth
