Revista Brasileira de Estudos Regionais e Urbanos

Inequalities in health care in the Northeast region: An analysis considering the different stages of life

Anderson Moreira Aristides dos Santos — 2025-08-19

This paper aims to analyse inequalities in access to health care in the Northeast region compared to Brazil, considering the distinct stages of an individual’s life. The analysis is based on data from the 2013 and 2019 National Health Survey. The major results reveal a pro rich inequality across all the age groups examined in the Northeast region. Although this inequality is less pronounced than the national average, it exhibited an increasing trend across all age groups, except for children, whose inequality index showed a decreasing trend. The older adults group exhibited the lowest rate of inequality. Regarding the associated socioeconomic factors, health insurance emerged as a significant explanatory variable, accounting for a considerable proportion of these inequalities across all cases. The Family Health Strategy reduces pro-rich inequality for all age groups, especially the older adults. Health needs factors have shown to contribute more to older individuals (adults and older adults). Therefore, there is a compelling need to implement or enhance more targeted and effective public policies that can address regional and socioeconomic specificities with greater robustness.

Forecasting electricity consumption in the southeast region: Application of ARIMA and LSTM models

Iago Gomes Gonçalves — 2025-08-19

The objective of this study is to forecast electricity consumption in the Southeast region of Brazil from April 2023 to March 2024 using ARIMA models and LSTM neural networks. Using monthly data from 2002 to 2023, the research compares the models based on the error metrics RMSE, EAM, and MAPE. The ARIMA model captures seasonal and linear patterns in the short term, while the LSTM model excels in predicting nonlinear and long-term trends. The combination of the two approaches has shown promise in improving forecasting accuracy, suggesting that policymakers can have reasonable expectations about future projections. This research contributes methodologically by exploring complementary approaches, and a practical contribution to efficient energy planning, based on more assertive short-term forecasts, which allow for the safe operation of the electricity system, reducing the risk of overloads and interruptions in energy supply.

Effect of a basic income on the Brazilian economy measured by the input-output matrix

Carlos Henrique Candido de Sousa — 2025-08-19

The study assesses the distributive and macroeconomic impacts of a Universal Basic Income of R$ 422,00 per month per person in Brazil, using a microsimulation and input output approach based on the Leontief Miyazawa model. It relies on data from the 2019 Continuous National Household Sample Survey, the 2017/2018 Household Budget Survey, and Brazil’s 2019 input-output matrix. Funded through a flat income tax, the UBI redistributes income from the richest to the poorest, increasing the share of total income held by the bottom 50% and redirecting consumption toward sectors such as food, retail, and domestic services. Compared to the baseline scenario, it results in structural gains of 8% in income, 10% in output, and 11% in employment, with strong effects in labor-intensive sectors. Despite a fiscal cost of 11% of GDP and continued income concentration among the wealthiest, the UBI reduces inequality and stimulates economic activity, offering evidence to support its feasibility in Brazil.

Has the Mais Médicos program reached physician desert areas? A spatial analysis from 2013 to 2023

Rachel Alves da Silva — 2025-08-19

This study examines the spatial distribution of physicians in the Programa Mais Médicos (PMM) across Brazilian municipalities from 2013 to 2023. Through Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), with an emphasis on identifying clustering patterns, the findings indicate a continuous increase in physician density until 2017, followed by a sharp decline after the departure of Cuban doctors in 2018. The Moran’s Index analysis identified high high clusters, representing municipalities with a high concentration of physicians surrounded by others in a similar condition, and low-low clusters, indicating areas with a scarcity of professionals adjacent to similarly underserved regions, highlighting regional disparities in healthcare access. The program’s suspension in 2018 exacerbated the shortage of medical professionals in vulnerable areas, whereas its reinstatement in 2023 suggests an effort to address previous shortcomings and expand healthcare access. Thus, the PMM illustrates how institutional changes impact public health policies.

Agglomeration economies and market size: Determinants of municipal GDP

Adilson Giovanini — 2025-08-19

This article investigates the determinants of economic performance in Brazilian municipalities, with a focus on the impact of market size. Data from 4738 municipalities for the year 2021, along with spatial correlations and regressions, are used to assess how market size, agglomeration economies, and control variables such as natural resource abundance, workforce qualification, and infrastructure affect GDP. The local Moran’s I index reveals distinct spatial patterns: diversification in the Metropolitan Regions of São Paulo and Porto Alegre, in the Santa Catarina coast and Paraná, and in the Rio de Janeiro coastline, as well as primary specialization in the Midwest. Spatial regressions indicate that market size has a significant and positive influence on economic performance, however the proximity of municipalities with larger markets and more diversified production structures can negatively affect economic performance.

Expenditures and investments in Brazilian basic sanitation: Impacts on revenue

Karla Cristina Tyskowski Teodoro Rodrigues — 2025-08-19

The main objective of the article was to analyze the impact of expenditures and investments by basic sanitation companies on total revenues in municipalities in Brazilian macro-regions. The analyses were carried out between 2007 and 2016. Panel data were estimated from the National Health Information System and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. It was found that the increase in revenue is directly linked to a larger scale of production, whose locations with a higher number of services produce greater gains in all Brazilian regions. The effectiveness of gains through the efficiency and effectiveness of equipment and structures was fundamental for the sector. The research showed the fragility of the service systems, generating negative externalities. The collection and treatment of sewage are too far away to achieve universalization. The allocation of resources should be directed to mitigate efficiency losses in the system and increase in scale to meet the goal of universalization of sanitation services.