Capital of Amazonas is the 9th worst in Brazil in quality of life

By Jadson Lima – From Cenarium

MANAUS (AM) – Data from Brazil’s Social Progress Index (IPS) ranked Manaus, the capital of Amazonas, as the ninth worst in quality of life among the 27 Brazilian capitals in 2024. The study, published on January 22 this year, measures the social and environmental performance of territories across various geographies, such as countries, states, municipalities, and even communities. In Brazil, the survey was conducted using public data from all 5,570 Brazilian municipalities.

The report produced by IPS is structured around three pillars: basic human needs, well-being foundations, and opportunities. According to the study, each of these pillars includes four components. The basic needs pillar includes nutrition and basic medical care, water and sanitation, housing, and personal security.

The second pillar addresses access to basic knowledge, access to information and communication, health and well-being. This pillar also mentions environmental quality. In this specific category, the Amazonian capital ranks 10th worst, with a score of 69.98/100. However, this score is above the overall result that Manaus achieved in the study, which was 64.35/100.

Next, the study covers individual rights, personal freedoms, social inclusion, and access to higher education. In the basic human needs pillar, under the nutrition and basic medical care category, Manaus ranks 11th worst, with a score of 71.22/100.

The data also shows that regarding housing, Manaus ranks as the 6th worst capital (86.65), and in terms of personal security, the city holds the most critical position, ranking as the worst capital in the country, with a score of 36.28.

In the well-being foundations pillar, Manaus ranks as the 14th worst capital. The survey assigns the city a score of 70.18. Regarding access to information and communication, the Amazonian capital ranks 21st (74.43), the same position it holds in the study’s health and well-being category (56.48). In quality of life and environment, Manaus ranks 10th (69.98), according to the study’s data.

In the third pillar of the study, which discusses opportunities, Manaus holds one of its best rankings, placing as the 7th best capital in the country in the individual rights category (51.41). However, in terms of personal freedoms, the capital drops to the 4th worst ranking in the IPS study, with 54.66/100. Regarding access to higher education, Manaus ranks as the 2nd worst capital, with a score of 60.14/100. The city has its best score in social inclusion (61.18).

See the full study:

Sanitation and Complaints

Regarding water and sanitation, Manaus ranks as the 3rd worst capital in the country, despite the index giving the city a score of 78.95/100. This year, the Amazonian capital was hit by heavy rains that caused damage to residents, including floods and landslides. Two days after the Social Progress Index study was published, a storm struck the city.

A resident of Manaus, seamstress Denyce Lopes, one of those affected, was standing in front of her home, located in the Cidade Nova neighborhood, in the North Zone, on January 24 this year. At 5:44 PM, visibly upset, she gave an interview to CENARIUM about what had just happened behind her house: a hillside collapsed, causing a mudslide that hit the wall surrounding her property.

Distressed and wearing a black cap, a pink shirt, and black shorts with white stripes, the 50-year-old seamstress was standing in front of her neighbor’s house, identified as Marcelina Hipólito, 56. She stated that the damage caused by the rain could have been avoided. One of the issues she pointed out was the municipal government’s neglect and its failure to address sanitation issues.

“We have a serious sanitation problem because the storm drains on the upper street are clogged, and the [Manaus] City Hall doesn’t unclog them. Since August [2024], after a rainstorm, I recorded the situation and sent it to them [Manaus City Hall workers], but they never came,” she stated.

In a new statement this Friday, the 7th, after learning about the survey, Denyce reiterated the public authorities’ negligence and said that, so far, the problem in her neighborhood has not been solved. “Nothing has been done yet [to unclog the drains]. Every day we go to the Manaus City Hall, and they say the machines are broken and that the request hasn’t been forwarded to the secretary yet,” she reiterated.

CENARIUM reached out to the Manaus City Hall, through the Municipal Secretariat of Communication, to obtain information about the issues raised by residents, as well as a statement regarding the published study that ranked Manaus as the ninth worst city in terms of quality of life. The outlet also inquired about what the municipal government is doing to change the city’s reality. So far, there has been no response.

Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves