Overview
- The CNC’s consumer debt survey, published Thursday, reported 80.9% of families indebted in April, the fourth straight record and up from 80.4% in March.
- Overdue bills reached 29.7% with 12.3% unable to pay, a level flat to March but higher than April 2025.
- Debt rose across all income groups, topping 83.6% for families earning up to three minimum wages versus 70.8% for those above ten.
- Credit cards remain the main source of household debt with the highest interest, and the CNC projects another rise in May as energy and fuel costs climb.
- The record landed just before President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed Desenrola 2.0, a renewed debt‑renegotiation program aimed at easing household cash strain.