A city in the interior of São Paulo has won national recognition by being voted the most developed in Brazil – for the fifth year running. The small town of Águas de São Pedro is 185 kilometers from the capital and once again came first in the Firjan Municipal Development Index (IFDM), which evaluates municipalities across the country.
Why does Águas de São Pedro have a high development index?
To arrive at the results, the index takes into account public data on education, health, employment and income. In the end, each municipality receives a score from 0 to 1, with scores closer to 1 representing better development.
Águas de São Pedro achieved a score of 0.8932, the highest in the whole country. A number that increases with each evaluation, maintaining its prominent place on the state and national podium.
This is due to a number of factors, such as the high proportion of formal jobs. While the national average is 21%, in Águas de São Pedro this figure rises to 54%.
Another important criterion is the high number of doctors. The municipality has 7 professionals for every 1,000 inhabitants, while the average for Brazilian cities is just 1.
The most developed city is also the smallest in São Paulo
Before it excelled in terms of development, Águas de São Pedro already held a curious title: the smallest city in São Paulo. With 3.61 km² of territory, the municipality is slightly smaller than USP’s University City, which occupies 3.7 km².
Despite its small size, the town is attracting more and more visitors because it has hydro-mineral springs with the highest sulphur content in the Americas. More than 750,000 tourists pass through Águas de São Pedro each year to enjoy its spas with massages and medicinal baths. An impressive number for a town of just 2780 inhabitants!
