Acquisition of foods that make up the new basic food basket by low-income brazilian families in 2017-2018: socioeconomic and demographic distribution

Abstract

In 2024, the Brazilian government promulgated a decree with new guidelines for the basic food basket, based on the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines. This study describes the acquisition of foods that make up the new basic basket by low-income families in Brazil, using data from the latest edition of the Household Budget Survey, conducted in 2017-18. The household food acquisitions of families with a per capita income of up to half a minimum wage were analyzed, both for the country as a whole and according to housing situation, region of the country, and race/skin color of the head of the family (n=13,706 households). The foods that make up the basket, identified according to Ordinance 966 of the Ministry of Social Development, represented 84.1% of the total calories acquired by low-income households. The food groups with the highest contributions to total calories were cereals (33.4%), sugars and oils/fats (21.3%), and meats and eggs (11.5%). Rice, corn and other grains, and beans represented 19.6% and 4.6% of total calories, respectively. Poultry and beef were the most consumed meats, representing 4.9% and 4.0% of the calories. Fruits contributed to 1.9%, and vegetables and greens to 0.7%. The caloric share of foods that make up the new basic basket was higher in rural areas (88.0%) and in the North (88.2%) and Northeast (85.9%) regions. There were no significant differences between race/skin color categories. Our data show that, in 2017-18, the foods that make up the new basic basket were the foundation of the diet of the poorest population, reinforcing the cultural feasibility of its implementation and the need for policies that ensure continuous access to these foods.