There are already approximately 120 million registered users of the Pix instant payment tool, and one record 54.5 million transfers made in a single day, according to data from the Central Bank (BC).
According to surveys, of the 110 million individual users, around 26 million are in the Northeast, and moved an amount close to R$ 44.2 billion in the month of January alone.
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In the South region, a number close to 15.7 million use the tool, reaching a total value of R$ 47.7 billion handled. Thus, the South centralized 17.26% of the country's financial capacity, in contrast to the 16% in the Northeast. In previous months, the situation was no different. This example serves to observe the contrast of the Brazilian reality.
According to the System of Regional Accounts, the last released by the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), the Northeast represents 14.2% of the Brazilian GDP, while the South reaches 17,2%. The North region makes up a portion of 5.7%, while the Midwest adds up to 9.9%, in addition to the 53% of the Southeast region.
Luciano Nakabashi, professor at FEA-RP/USP and researcher at the Center for Research in Regional Economics (Ceper), observed regional differences through surveys that estimate the degree of well-being of individuals. “When we compare the cities, we see that the South, Southeast and Midwest have better income distribution, high levels of education and higher health indicators”, he reports.
Revealed by the IBGE in November last year, the average monthly household income per capita in Brazil in 2020 was R$ 1,349. According to the study, the regions that obtain the lowest resources are the North (R$ 896) and Northeast (R$ 891), centralizing their large amounts of housing with beneficiaries of social programs.
“It is evident that Pix will not solve the situation of social and regional differences we have, but it is a tool that helps and brings integration", says Rodrigo Henriques, leader of financial innovations at Fenasbac (National Federation of Bank Employees Associations Central).
According to the Central Bank, in March last year, 34.9% of the population present at CadÚnico, along with 25.3% of the beneficiaries of the former Bolsa Família, had at least one registered Pix key.
Pix normalization
Due to the large number of people using the tool, Pix gained popularity, becoming accessible for anyone to transfer values, which until recently was restricted only to the consumer of high income.
According to data, in the second quarter of 2021 Pix obtained third place as the country's most used means of payment. However, cash is still the preferred form of payment for Brazilians, even for individuals who prefer to join Pix when receiving values, as revealed by a survey by the Instituto Locomotive.
Despite its success, there are some obstacles for certain citizens, such as insufficient income and low education when using the tool. A survey carried out by the Institute of Social, Political and Economic Research showed that Pix is used by seven out of ten Brazilians. The acceptance rate is 64% among people earning up to two minimum wages. This percentage drops to 53% referring to people who have the fundamental level.
“The evolution of digital finance is conducive to the democratization of financial services, but the digital divide can end up fueling inequality,” says Lauro Gonzalez, coordinator of the Center for Studies in Microfinance and Inclusion Financial.
pix offline
After the debut of Pix Saque and Pix Troco, the Central Bank announced yet another novelty. This is Pix Offline, which will provide the possibility to make payment without internet access. However, the new modality still does not have a defined date for the launch.