A study by NielsenIQ Brazil, to be published at the end of February, reveals a profound shift in the consumption patterns of the country’s households. Weight loss medications are present in up to 30% of households in Brazil, while online gambling has already reached 26% of households. Both phenomena, although different in nature, share a common effect: they are reducing the portion of the family budget allocated to essential products.
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The proportion of family spending directed toward food, beverages, hygiene, and cleaning items fell from 23.5% in 2023 to 21.9% today. The data carries more weight considering that Brazilians’ income grew by an average of only 1.7% annually between 2003 and 2025, according to industry reference information.
Online gambling in Brazil is concentrated in lower-income sectors
Data from the NielsenIQ Household Panel, which periodically analyzes more than 8,000 households in Brazil, shows that online gambling has higher penetration in households of social classes D and E. The official figure of 26% could even underestimate reality.
“That 26% figure is usually higher, as some users do not publicly admit their habit,” noted Fagundes, director of insights at NielsenIQ Brazil. The executive added that consumers themselves recognize that, to sustain a daily level of gambling, they give up buying food and beverages with the expectation of obtaining additional income.
Weight loss medications in Brazil are starting to reach the middle and lower classes
Unlike online gambling, weight loss medications have a greater presence in high-income segments in Brazil, but that trend is changing. Price reductions in the market and the arrival of more accessible versions are expanding access to these products to sectors with lower purchasing power.
Treatment with Mounjaro has an initial cost of approximately 1,400 reais per month, while national options with liraglutide, such as Olire from EMS, are around 300 reais per month. The patent for Ozempic, whose current price is around 1,000 reais per month, expires in March, which would open the door to the launch of cheaper local versions. Last Black Friday, three of the five best-selling products in Brazilian pharmacies were weight loss medications, illustrating the scale of the phenomenon.
“Weight loss pens are products consumed by the upper classes, but their use should become more popular as the price becomes more accessible, which will further impact consumption habits this year and in the coming years,” highlighted Fagundes.
Brazil: a consumer who diversifies purchase points and prioritizes price
The study also records changes in the way Brazilians shop. The traditional model of the large monthly purchase at a wholesaler is giving way to a logic of more frequent purchases, in different store formats, with a greater presence of pharmacies as a daily consumption channel in Brazil.
“There is no longer a linear movement. They diversify their points of sale, buying more in pharmacies; the frequency of purchase can be weekly or several times a week,” explained Fagundes. At the same time, consumers do not completely abandon products they consider a personal treat, although they are very careful with the price.
In Brazil, premium and cheapest brands grow, while middle-segment brands fall
Another phenomenon emerging from the study is a polarization in brand choice within Brazil. Consumers are choosing to buy the cheapest version in certain categories to sustain spending in others where they prefer higher-priced or higher-quality products. The result is simultaneous growth of premium brands and low-price brands, while intermediate-priced products lose market share.
This logic is also reflected in packaging size. Although the consumer knows that a smaller package represents a worse price per unit, they choose it anyway because it is what they can afford at that moment. “Even though they know the purchase is not worth it compared to a larger package, they still buy it because it is what they can afford that day,” concluded Fagundes.
High connectivity and tight budget: the context of consumption change in Brazil
The background of these changes is a highly connected society but with narrow economic margins. In Brazil, 97% of households have a cell phone, 85% have internet access, and 43% are subscribed to streaming services. At the same time, the proportion of people paying rent grew from 12% to 23% between the early 2000s and today, and those investing in higher education went from 7% to 20.5% in the same period.
More services, more fixed commitments, and salaries that barely grow: that is the framework in which online gambling and weight loss medications found space in the budget of millions of households in Brazil, displacing items that were previously considered immovable.
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