Estudos empíricos sobre endividamento dos consumidores da cidade de Fortaleza durante a pandemia de covid-19

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic, which occurred between 2020 and 2022, affected the health and well-being of the population of Fortaleza-CE. In addition, other socioeconomic aspects were affected, such as education, employment, and income. Furthermore, indebtedness and default played a significant role in the budgets of families in Fortaleza during this period. Therefore, the general goal of this study was to analyze the indebtedness and default of consumers in the municipality of Fortaleza during the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare them to the years prior to the pandemic. To achieve this, the specific objectives were: To analyze the evolution of indebtedness and default from 2020 to 2022 in comparison to the years from 2017 to 2019; To identify the segments of Fortaleza's population most affected by the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus; and To identify the characteristics of indebtedness and default among Fortaleza consumers during the pandemic period. The research is descriptive and exploratory in nature. Secondary data obtained from the Fecomércio-CE database were used. The results showed an aggravation of indebtedness and default in the population of Fortaleza during the pandemic. Moreover, a large portion of this indebtedness was due to expenses on food and other essential needs, with credit cards being the primary means of incurring these debts. Furthermore, the study showed that the groups most affected by the economic crisis were women and the lower-income population. In conclusion, the study observed that the local economy did not possess, nor was it able to implement, sufficient mechanisms to safeguard jobs and income. Additionally, state actions were not effective in mitigating these economic and social effects. Finally, it was evident that those who were in vulnerable situations before the pandemic were the most affected by the COVID-19 crisis.