Brazil’s Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) will begin formally tracking household expenditure on betting and gambling platforms through the country’s Family Budget Survey (POF), marking another sign of the sector’s growing economic footprint in Brazil.
The POF is one of Brazil’s most important economic surveys, serving as the basis for consumption weights used in the country’s official inflation index, the IPCA, as well as household consumption data included in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculations.
According to economists cited by national media outlets, the quality and frequency of the survey directly influence inflation measurement, monetary policy decisions and even public spending linked to inflation-adjusted benefits.
“Retail inflation indexes such as the IPCA clearly overestimate inflation,” economist Bráulio Borges said. “The longer it takes to incorporate a new POF, the more inflation is overestimated.”
The updated 2024/2025 edition of the survey will now include specific tracking of betting-related spending for the first time.
IBGE said the move reflects changing consumer habits, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic and the rapid expansion of digital services.
“I like to say that the POF (Family Budget Survey) reflects the daily life of Brazilians down to the last detail. In fact, the survey delves into different dimensions of people's lives,” said Leonardo Santos de Oliveira, manager of the POF survey.
The study already monitors more than 5,000 categories of products and services, requiring participating households to record detailed daily spending habits, including prices, quantities and locations of purchase.
The survey will also expand monitoring of online purchases, streaming services and app-based spending, alongside broader questions linked to quality of life, financial wellbeing and access to healthcare and medication.
Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts recently recommended the creation of a permanent interinstitutional task force to combat illegal operators
