Brazil Tops Supersalary Ranking as Study Flags R$20 Billion Above the Pay Cap

Overview

• Researchers analyzed roughly 50 million payslips from about 4 million active and retired public servants across branches for the period from August 2024 to July 2025.
• The study identified about 53,500 workers earning above the constitutional ceiling of R$46,366.19, totaling roughly R$20 billion in excess payments over 12 months.
• Excess remuneration is concentrated among judges, prosecutors and AGU careers, with nearly 80% of magistrates above the cap and about three‑quarters of judges in Brazil’s top 1% by income.
• In an international comparison using purchasing power parity, Brazil leads on headcount and cost, far ahead of Argentina (about 27,000 cases) and the United States (just over 4,000), with no cases reported in Germany.
• CNJ cites judicial budget autonomy and post‑hoc oversight, while the Management Ministry says many amounts are legal indemnities; civil groups propose tighter definitions, greater transparency and limits on retroactive payouts as Congress debates administrative reform.