The new Social Progress Index Amazônia 2023 reveals insights into 772 municipalities that uncover the lived experience of this vital region. Since 2014, this index has continually evolved, becoming an essential tool for understanding and driving social progress in the Amazon.
The creation of the Social Progress Index Amazônia, in collaboration with Imazon, Amazonia 2030, Índice de Progresso Social (IPS Brasil), the Social Progress Imperative and other organizations, was born from a clear need to research the social realities of the Amazon, a dimension often overshadowed by environmental concerns. IPS Brasil recognized the urgency of not only protecting the environment but also ensuring the wellbeing of the people in the Amazonia. By tracking social progress, the index serves as a powerful data insights tool for implementing social policies at the local level and improving the quality of life across the region.
In 2021, recognizing the growing interest in the "Social" dimension of ESG, IPS Brasil began sharing the index's findings with companies eager to enhance the living conditions in the communities where they operate. In collaboration with the private sector and public authorities, IPS Brasil focused on critical areas such as education, health, and environmental quality. IPS Brasil released an updated version of the index in 2023.
The 2023 Social Progress Index Amazônia highlights the complex interconnection between human wellbeing and the environment. Notably, among the 15 municipalities with the lowest scores, some are correlated with deforestation, forest degradation, and social tensions. One of the key insights is that deforestation does not promote social and economic development.
Additionally, while the Basic Human Needs dimension has an average score of 64.83, there's work to be done in six components like Water and Sanitation, Personal Safety, and Access to Information and Communication, Individual Rights, Individual Freedoms and Access to Higher Education.
Municipalities with lower SPI scores have shown a strong interest in the index. By acknowledging the issues highlighted by the index, these communities are taking proactive steps like using the data insights tool to raise funds to enhance their programs.
The success of the IPS Amazonia has influenced other countries into incorporating the SPI in their efforts:
“IPS Amazonia’s success sparked a wave of innovation to use this tool around the world. The European Commission uses a Social Progress Index for the regions of the EU as a key metric of its Cohesion Policy. The Government of India is using a Social Progress Index for the States and Districts of India to drive national development. Social Progress Imperative has worked with partners from Argentina to Canada, from Iceland to South Africa, from Thailand to Australia to bring the power of this tool to local decisionmaking. And it all started with IPS Amazonia.”
- Michael Green, CEO, Social Progress Imperative
In the state of Maranhão, the municipality of Santo Antônio dos Lopes ranked 606th out of 772 in the Amazon region, despite having a relatively high GDP. This community faces severe social challenges, including poor nutrition, inadequate housing, and limited access to clean water and sanitation.
In 2023, IPS Brasil, in collaboration with key stakeholders, developed a special framework to address these issues. The initiative began by presenting the Social Progress Index to local government officials, civil society, and farmers. This was followed by a discussion on the root causes of health problems within the community, such as diabetes and malnutrition. It was discovered that these health issues were not just healthcare-related but also tied to the high cost of healthy food because of a lack of local production and, consequently, depending on importing ultra-processed food.
This dialogue led to a significant shift in perspective among local farmers and government leaders. They understood that addressing these issues was a shared responsibility, leading to developing local policies to enhance food production and distribution. This collective effort will lead to improved wellbeing for the entire community.
In Maranhão, the Social Progress Index Amazônia became a crucial tool for a government official working to combat violence against women. Before the index was introduced, she struggled to have her efforts recognized within her department. However, when the results were presented, she discovered that the region's violence against women indicator was among the best-performing.
Armed with this powerful insight, the official was able to showcase the effectiveness of her department’s policies and programs. This story shows how the Social Progress Index can empower local officials by providing concrete proof of their success, enabling them to advocate for their initiatives and secure the necessary resources.
In the state of Pará, an area geographically comparable to the combined size of France, Portugal, and Spain, the Health and Wellbeing component of the Social Progress Index emerged as an outlier in the results. IPS Brasil was interested in learning more about the reasons behind this finding.
The team visited the region and discovered that a local government department was achieving remarkable progress in health and wellbeing. This success became a learning opportunity for community members and other stakeholders, who now had a model to replicate in their areas.
The SPI scorecards, a crucial tool for understanding specific areas of social progress, played a key role in identifying opportunities, success stories, and targeted interventions. The case of Pará illustrates how data-driven insights can uncover hidden successes and provide valuable lessons for others to follow.
In the state of Maranhão, some municipalities outperformed others in education despite having similar resources. To explore these disparities, 26 municipalities gathered in workshops to encourage all to exchange experiences and best practices in the social, environmental, health, and education areas.
The Social Progress Index facilitated this collaborative learning process, helping municipalities understand why their neighbors perform better despite similar conditions. This insight has driven local governments to adopt strategies that have proven successful elsewhere.
The ongoing success of the Social Progress Index Amazônia opened the opportunity to create the first-ever Brazil Social Progress Index.
This new index which will be updated annually, will continue to empower communities and leaders with the data they need to drive social progress across 5,570 municipalities.
Read the full report in Portuguese or check out the index results.
The new Social Progress Index Amazônia 2023 reveals insights into 772 municipalities that uncover the lived experience of this vital region. Since 2014, this index has continually evolved, becoming an essential tool for understanding and driving social progress in the Amazon.
The creation of the Social Progress Index Amazônia, in collaboration with Imazon, Amazonia 2030, Índice de Progresso Social (IPS Brasil), the Social Progress Imperative and other organizations, was born from a clear need to research the social realities of the Amazon, a dimension often overshadowed by environmental concerns. IPS Brasil recognized the urgency of not only protecting the environment but also ensuring the wellbeing of the people in the Amazonia. By tracking social progress, the index serves as a powerful data insights tool for implementing social policies at the local level and improving the quality of life across the region.
In 2021, recognizing the growing interest in the "Social" dimension of ESG, IPS Brasil began sharing the index's findings with companies eager to enhance the living conditions in the communities where they operate. In collaboration with the private sector and public authorities, IPS Brasil focused on critical areas such as education, health, and environmental quality. IPS Brasil released an updated version of the index in 2023.
The 2023 Social Progress Index Amazônia highlights the complex interconnection between human wellbeing and the environment. Notably, among the 15 municipalities with the lowest scores, some are correlated with deforestation, forest degradation, and social tensions. One of the key insights is that deforestation does not promote social and economic development.
Additionally, while the Basic Human Needs dimension has an average score of 64.83, there's work to be done in six components like Water and Sanitation, Personal Safety, and Access to Information and Communication, Individual Rights, Individual Freedoms and Access to Higher Education.
Municipalities with lower SPI scores have shown a strong interest in the index. By acknowledging the issues highlighted by the index, these communities are taking proactive steps like using the data insights tool to raise funds to enhance their programs.
The success of the IPS Amazonia has influenced other countries into incorporating the SPI in their efforts:
“IPS Amazonia’s success sparked a wave of innovation to use this tool around the world. The European Commission uses a Social Progress Index for the regions of the EU as a key metric of its Cohesion Policy. The Government of India is using a Social Progress Index for the States and Districts of India to drive national development. Social Progress Imperative has worked with partners from Argentina to Canada, from Iceland to South Africa, from Thailand to Australia to bring the power of this tool to local decisionmaking. And it all started with IPS Amazonia.”
- Michael Green, CEO, Social Progress Imperative
In the state of Maranhão, the municipality of Santo Antônio dos Lopes ranked 606th out of 772 in the Amazon region, despite having a relatively high GDP. This community faces severe social challenges, including poor nutrition, inadequate housing, and limited access to clean water and sanitation.
In 2023, IPS Brasil, in collaboration with key stakeholders, developed a special framework to address these issues. The initiative began by presenting the Social Progress Index to local government officials, civil society, and farmers. This was followed by a discussion on the root causes of health problems within the community, such as diabetes and malnutrition. It was discovered that these health issues were not just healthcare-related but also tied to the high cost of healthy food because of a lack of local production and, consequently, depending on importing ultra-processed food.
This dialogue led to a significant shift in perspective among local farmers and government leaders. They understood that addressing these issues was a shared responsibility, leading to developing local policies to enhance food production and distribution. This collective effort will lead to improved wellbeing for the entire community.
In Maranhão, the Social Progress Index Amazônia became a crucial tool for a government official working to combat violence against women. Before the index was introduced, she struggled to have her efforts recognized within her department. However, when the results were presented, she discovered that the region's violence against women indicator was among the best-performing.
Armed with this powerful insight, the official was able to showcase the effectiveness of her department’s policies and programs. This story shows how the Social Progress Index can empower local officials by providing concrete proof of their success, enabling them to advocate for their initiatives and secure the necessary resources.
In the state of Pará, an area geographically comparable to the combined size of France, Portugal, and Spain, the Health and Wellbeing component of the Social Progress Index emerged as an outlier in the results. IPS Brasil was interested in learning more about the reasons behind this finding.
The team visited the region and discovered that a local government department was achieving remarkable progress in health and wellbeing. This success became a learning opportunity for community members and other stakeholders, who now had a model to replicate in their areas.
The SPI scorecards, a crucial tool for understanding specific areas of social progress, played a key role in identifying opportunities, success stories, and targeted interventions. The case of Pará illustrates how data-driven insights can uncover hidden successes and provide valuable lessons for others to follow.
In the state of Maranhão, some municipalities outperformed others in education despite having similar resources. To explore these disparities, 26 municipalities gathered in workshops to encourage all to exchange experiences and best practices in the social, environmental, health, and education areas.
The Social Progress Index facilitated this collaborative learning process, helping municipalities understand why their neighbors perform better despite similar conditions. This insight has driven local governments to adopt strategies that have proven successful elsewhere.
The ongoing success of the Social Progress Index Amazônia opened the opportunity to create the first-ever Brazil Social Progress Index.
This new index which will be updated annually, will continue to empower communities and leaders with the data they need to drive social progress across 5,570 municipalities.
Read the full report in Portuguese or check out the index results.