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Imagine living in a city that produces 11 times more wealth than the average Brazilian, but where the local school and hospital are stuck in time. In 2026, this is not a hypothetical scenario: it is the reality of municipalities like Conceição do Mato Dentro (MG) and Vitória do Xingu (PA).
The exclusive survey by Score de Cidades reveals the "Paradox of Sterile Wealth": cities that are global powerhouses in mining, oil and agribusiness, but that suffer from an HDI (Human Development Index) below the national average of 0.653.
Read more:
500 km from power, an abyss: Why do Brasília and São Gonçalo seem to be situated on different continents?
The Top 10 of the Paradox: Extreme Wealth vs. Low HDI
In these cities, the per capita GDP has broken through the R$ 103 thousand barrier (3x the national average), but the population's well-being has not kept pace with the figures.
| # |
City/State |
GDP/per capita |
Times the average |
HDI |
Score Rank |
| 1 | Conceição do Mato Dentro/MG | R$ 391k | 11.3× | 0.634 | #1.513 |
| 2 | Vitória do Xingu/PA | R$ 271k | 7.9× | 0.596 | #2.142 |
| 3 | Tasso Fragoso/MA | R$ 265k | 7.7× | 0.599 | #3.244 |
| 4 | Godofredo Viana/MA | R$ 261k | 7.6× | 0.604 | #3.059 |
| 5 | Santo Antônio dos Lopes/MA | R$ 214k | 6.2× | 0.566 | #2.277 |
| 6 | Capão Bonito do Sul/RS | R$ 197k | 5.7× | 0.637 | #5.506 |
| 7 | Pedras Altas/RS | R$ 187k | 5.4× | 0.640 | #5.424 |
| 8 | Curionópolis/PA | R$ 184k | 5.3× | 0.636 | #1.714 |
| 9 | Formosa do Rio Preto/BA | R$ 178k | 5.2× | 0.618 | #1.302 |
| 10 | São Desidério/BA | R$ 178k | 5.2× | 0.579 | #1.002 |
| 11 | São Bento do Norte/RN | R$ 166k | 4.8× | 0.555 | #4.924 |
| 12 | Alhandra/PB | R$ 156k | 4.5× | 0.582 | #1.582 |
| 13 | Ipojuca/PE | R$ 151k | 4.4× | 0.619 | #321 |
| 14 | Gaúcha do Norte/MT | R$ 149k | 4.3× |
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0.615 | #3.289 |
| 15 | Jaborandi/BA | R$ 145k | 4.2× | 0.613 | #3.172 |
| 16 | Jari/RS | R$ 140k | 4.1× | 0.631 | #4.909 |
| 17 | Pinhal da Serra/RS | R$ 136k | 3.9× | 0.650 | #5.355 |
| 18 | Guamaré/RN | R$ 134k | 3.9× | 0.626 | #2.171 |
| 19 | Baixa Grande do Ribeiro/PI | R$ 133k | 3.9× | 0.564 | #2.481 |
| 20 | Goiana/PE | R$ 132k | 3.8× | 0.651 | #399 |
| 21 | Parazinho/RN | R$ 126k | 3.7× | 0.549 | #4.323 |
| 22 | Novo São Joaquim/MT | R$ 125k | 3.6× | 0.649 | #3.673 |
| 23 | Santana do Mundaú/AL | R$ 124k | 3.6× | 0.519 | #2.729 |
| 24 | Bodó/RN | R$ 124k | 3.6× | 0.629 | #5.338 |
| 25 | São Martinho da Serra/RS | R$ 118k | 3.4× | 0.652 | #5.130 |
| 26 | Campos Lindos/TO | R$ 116k | 3.4× | 0.544 | #3.288 |
| 27 | Ribeiro Gonçalves/PI | R$ 113k | 3.3× | 0.601 | #3.894 |
| 28 | Ortigueira/PR | R$ 113k | 3.3× | 0.609 | #1.418 |
| 29 | Uruçuí/PI | R$ 112k | 3.2× | 0.631 | #1.342 |
| 30 | Canindé de S. Francisco/SE | R$ 108k | 3.1× | 0.567 | #1.255 |
| 31 | Lagoa do Barro do Piauí/PI | R$ 107k | 3.1× | 0.502 | #4.247 |
*Criteria: GDP/capita above R$ 103k and HDI below 0.653. Data updated in 2026.
The Diagnosis: Why does money "flee" from these cities?
The pattern is evident and harsh. The wealth of these 31 cities (and many others on the list) comes from extraction and commodities sectors: Mining (MG, PA), Frontier Agribusiness (BA, PI, MA, MT, TO), Oil (RN, SE) and Energy/Cellulose.
1. Wealth is "Exported"
The profits from large mining companies or mechanized farms do not circulate in local commerce. It leaves in the form of dividends to shareholders or is reinvested in machinery, not in wages for the base population.
2. The Failure of Royalty Management
Cities like Guamaré (RN) and Canindé de São Francisco (SE) receive fortunes in oil and energy royalties. However, theLow HDI reveals that these resources are often drained by bloated administrative machines, instead of being applied to sanitation, full-time education and preventive health.
3. The Mechanization Island
In agribusiness in Tasso Fragoso (MA) and Uruçuí (PI), production is extremely high, but labor is scarce and highly qualified. The result is a giant GDP divided by a population that, for the most part, does not participate in this wealth cycle.
The Alert: Quality of life cannot be bought with GDP alone
The most dramatic case on the list is Lagoa do Barro do Piauí (PI): despite a GDP of R$ 107 thousand (3.1x the national average), the HDI is only 0.502 — one of the lowest in the country. It is proof that the installation of wind farms or large power plants does not guarantee, by itself, that the local child will have a better school.
“We do not live in a country, but in islands of productivity surrounded by deserts of public services.”
Where to look in 2026?
The list of these 31 cities is an invitation to reflect on the Federal Pact. As long as wealth is measured only by what comes out of the ground and not by what enters the citizen's home, we will continue to see municipalities with “Dubai GDP” and “Sub-Saharan Africa HDI”.
Is your city on the list? Do you feel that the wealth that passes through here stays with the people or goes away in trucks and ships? Leave your comment.
