Florianópolis, in the state of Santa Catarina, has been named Brazil’s most competitive city, as revealed in the 2023 Municipal Competitiveness Ranking by the Public Leadership Center (CLP) in collaboration with Gove and Seall.
This is a notable milestone as it’s the first time a capital city has clinched the top spot since the ranking’s inception in 2020.
The previous leader, Barueri from São Paulo state, slipped to the third position, while São Paulo city climbed to second place.
The ranking defines competitiveness using various metrics such as innovation, service quality in health, education, telecommunications, basic sanitation, public safety, sustainable development, and fiscal sustainability.
A key factor in Florianópolis’s leading position was its strong performance in economic indicators, particularly in economic dynamism, human capital, and economic integration.
Other cities exhibiting robust economic results included Porto Alegre, Barueri, Vitória, and São Paulo.
Regarding human capital, Florianópolis showcased positive outcomes in the qualification of formal employment workers, enrollment rates in technical education, and higher education.
In the health sector, the city was recognized for its efforts in combating child malnutrition and reducing infant mortality.
Other cities that excelled in health-related criteria were Balneário Camboriú, Coronel Fabriciano, Erechim, and Indaiatuba.
The ranking assesses cities on their ability to promote competitiveness and improve public management using 65 indicators spread across 13 key areas.
These areas include fiscal sustainability, operation of public services, access to and quality of health and education, security, sanitation, environmental measures, and economic integration, among others.
The study covered 410 cities with populations exceeding 80,000, based on the 2022 demographic census from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).