The number of self-declared black persons in Brazil increased by almost 5 million from 2012 to 2018 while the white population continues to decline.
In 2018, Brazil had 19.2 million people who declared themselves Black – 4.7 million more than in 2012, which corresponds to a 32.2% increase in the period. This is revealed by a survey released on Wednesday (22) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
With the exception of 2014, when the number of blacks remained stable in relation to the previous year, the percentage of the declared black population has increased annually. It is therefore a trend.
“The specific reason for the increase of this declaration, in fact, we don’t have. (see note one) What we realize is that in recent years there has been reinforcement of affirmative policies of color or race,” said the IBGE analyst.
The researcher emphasized that the survey, based on the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), is conducted based on the interviewee’s perception of color and race. “It is not the interviewer who determines the color, it is the informant who declares,” said the IBGE rep. (see note one).
On the other hand, the declared white population is declining year to year, which in 2018 totaled 89.7 million Brazilians, against 92.2 million in 2012. The whites were majority in the country until 2014. Since 2015, pardos have accounted for the majority of the population – jumping from 89.6 million in 2012 to 96.7 million in 2018.
“We do not know the specific reason for the increase in declarations. All we can perceive is that in recent years there has been a reinforcement of affirmative policies on color and race,” said Adriana Beringuy, an IBGE analyst
Asked if such a trend – of increasing black and brown populations and decreasing white – will continue, the researcher said it is not possible to state.
“We don’t know if all this growth is based on affirmative color and race policies. If it is, it will depend on the continuity of these policies. A culture is created in people who have been affected by these policies and they pass on their position in relation to their own color to other people, even if they are not directly benefited,” said the researcher.
