CEPER index of municipal development

Abstract

In the present paper, we introduce the CEPER Municipal Development Index, a comprehensive tool aimed at measuring the level of development across the 645 municipalities in São Paulo. Our index considers six key components: sanitation; crimes against property; longevity; health; education; and wealth. By employing Principal Component Analysis (PCA), we have computed the index for three years; 2013, 2015, and 2017. Furthermore, we have classified the municipalities and conducted a detailed analysis of the main results of each component and the overall index. The results of our study suggest that, on average, the level of development among São Paulo municipalities experienced positive growth between 2013 and 2017. We have also identified a significant challenge related to the lack of health professionals in these municipalities. This finding underscores the need to address this issue and ensure adequate healthcare services for the population. Additionally, we have observed a substantial improvement in the provision of water and treated sewage services, which has played a pivotal role in enhancing the overall development level of the municipalities in the state.