Agriculture and Rural Economy:

1. Land Ownership:

   • Only 1 farm in 100 owned a tractor.

   • Only 1 in 4 farms had a plough.

   • Half of these ploughs were concentrated in one state: Rio Grande do Sul.

2. Average Wages:

   • The average monthly wage across all sectors in Brazil was $11.80.

3. Illiteracy Rate:

   • In 1920, 69.9% of Brazilians aged 15 and older were illiterate.

   • By 1940, the illiteracy rate had fallen to 56.2%.

Social and Educational Developments:

4. Internal Migration:

   • A large number of rural Brazilians migrated to urban areas during the 1930s, leading to the rise of favelas (shantytowns).

5. Workers and Trade Unions:

   • By 1944, there were 800 government-sponsored unions with 500,000 members.

   • Strikes were illegal, and a union tax of one day's pay was imposed on all workers starting in July 1940.

6. Education:

   • The university population increased by 60% from 13,200 students in 1920 to 21,200 in 1940.

   • By the 1940s, Brazil had only 12 free secondary schools.

7. School Attendance:

   • Attendance at primary schools was compulsory, but the attendance rate was only 21% due to economic conditions.

Economic Growth and Industrialization:

8. Industrial Production vs. Agriculture:

   • By 1938, the value of industrial production was twice that of agriculture, reaching over $1 billion.

9. Brazil’s Industrialization:

   • By 1950, Brazil had become the most industrialized country in Latin America.

10. Industrial Growth:

    • Between 1920 and 1940, Brazil’s industry expanded, significantly reducing its reliance on foreign imports.

11. Brazil’s Participation in WWII:

    • Brazil sent 25,000 troops and an air force to the Italian front in 1944.

Voting and Electoral Changes:

12. Voting Reforms:

    • The 1932 electoral reforms introduced the secret ballot and gave the right to vote to women in paid work.

Demographic and Social Structure:

13. Young Population:

    • Brazil’s annual birth rate was around 3%, indicating a youthful population.

Miscellaneous Economic Data:

14. Trade with Germany:

    • By 1938, Germany had become a significant trading partner, doubling imports from Brazil, especially in cotton, coffee, and tobacco.