IPS Brazil 2025 reveals: the planet’s most strategic region is also the most neglected in the country
Gustavo Nascimento*
The Brazilian Amazon is simultaneously Brazil’s greatest asset in the fight against climate change — and its deepest social wound. The data from the 2025 Brazil Social Progress Index (IPS Brazil), which assessed all 5,570 municipalities in the country, lays bare this contradiction: the 20 worst municipalities in Brazil in terms of quality of life are all in the Amazon. And it doesn’t stop there — the region also ranks lowest across all population ranges, from the smallest towns to major urban centers.
Municipalities like Uiramutã (RR), Jacareacanga (PA), Amajari (RR), Bannach (PA), and Santa Maria das Barreiras (PA) occupy the lowest positions in the national ranking published by IPS Brazil. Their scores fall below 45 on a 0 to 100 scale, based on 57 social and environmental indicators measuring access to basic needs, well-being, and opportunities — regardless of income. The lowest-ranked, Uiramutã, scores just 37.59 — more than 35 points below the national average of 61.96. These cities face chronic lack of sanitation, high infant mortality rates, school dropouts, absence of health services, and violence against minorities.
The Legal Amazon holds the worst municipalities in every population category:
- Up to 5,000 inhabitants: Bannach (PA) and Recursolândia (TO);
- Between 5,000 and 20,000: Uiramutã (RR), Amajari (RR);
- Between 20,000 and 100,000: Jacareacanga (PA), Cumaru do Norte (PA);
- Between 100,000 and 500,000: Altamira (PA), Breves (PA);
- Over 500,000: Ananindeua (PA).
The region is also home to Brazilian capitals with the lowest quality of life indicators. Porto Velho (RO) ranks last among all capitals, with a score of 57.25. Also among the bottom five are Macapá (58.72), Maceió (61.48), Rio Branco (62.29), and Belém (62.33) — almost all within the Legal Amazon.
This situation stands in stark contrast to the Amazon’s significance for both the economy and the environment. The region hosts major hubs of energy, agribusiness, and mining. In cities like Canaã dos Carajás (PA) and São Félix do Xingu (PA), per capita GDP is high — yet social progress is low. The IPS shows that per capita income does not guarantee quality of life: even economically significant municipalities perform poorly in health, education, and social inclusion indicators.
Environmental Quality
The survey evaluates whether the environment contributes to residents’ well-being, using indicators such as deforestation, wildfires, CO₂ emissions, climate vulnerability, and urban green areas. Once again, municipalities in the Legal Amazon scored worst, reflecting accelerated deforestation, frequent fires, and high greenhouse gas emissions. Paradoxically, although they sit in the world’s largest tropical forest, many of these towns are among those with the least green space per capita. In the so-called “deforestation arc,” native vegetation loss is severe, with hotspots at alarming levels.
In the “Opportunities” dimension — which measures inclusion, access to higher education, and individual freedoms — the Amazon again shows the poorest results. The “Individual Rights” component, for example, has a national average of 32.41 points, but many Amazonian municipalities score even lower. Gender inequality, underrepresentation of Black populations, and violence against Indigenous peoples emerge as structural barriers to human development.
Climate Justice Begins with Social Justice
With just months until COP30 in Belém, this reality must be at the heart of the national debate. There is no just ecological transition without addressing territorial inequalities. And the Amazon must be seen as a place of people. Sustainable development must integrate both forest and citizenship.
The IPS Brazil 2025 shows that a different path is possible: there are cities with low income and high social performance. This means that prioritizing public policies, local planning, and human rights can transform realities, even in challenging contexts. The index offers a reliable snapshot of where the problems are — and where to start.
Brazil has the opportunity to present itself to the world as a model of balance between conservation and inclusion. But to do so, it must change the game in the planet’s most strategic region. A standing forest can only be sustained with justice on the ground. And that justice must begin now.
*Gustavo Nascimento is Black, a black belt, a journalist, and project coordinator at O Mundo que Queremos.
Foto: Depositphotos
