Brazilian underdevelopment according to Celso Furtado: a “radiograph” of the income distribution structure in the country

Abstract Brazilian underdevelopment, as qualified by Celso Furtado, shows a notably distributive nature derived from the close relationship between external cultural dependence and the internal exploitation of workers. Despite the fact that this diagnosis dates back decades, nuances of the distributive structure in recent times highlight the current relevance of this interpretation, in such a way that the analysis of information mapped in a comprehensive “radiograph” of Brazilian income distribution was the objective of this work. It aimed at answering if what has happened, since Celso Furtado's last study, would have changed the most fundamental conditions described by him. In general, the information analyzed here, according to Furtado, suggested the persistence of Brazilian underdevelopment, as assessed based on the structural socio-economic asymmetries of which it is still composed.