EFICIÊNCIA SOCIAL NA AMAZÔNIA LEGAL

UMA ANÁLISE POR MEIO DO DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS (DEA)

Abstract

Various studies analyze human development in developing countries. However, there is a scarcity of studies examining human development in the Amazon Region. Moreover, these studies often overlook the financial responsibility of converting wealth and public resources into human development for the local population. For this reason, this article aims to measure the social efficiency of the Amazon Region, which allows for the revelation of the social performance of microregions, considering the strengths of local development. To achieve this, the article analyzed five dimensions represented by 14 social variables, in addition to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and social expenditures on education and culture, housing, and health and sanitation. Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), 87 microregions from nine states in the Brazilian Legal Amazon were analyzed. The results revealed a low correlation (19.07%) between the Social Efficiency Index (SEI) and the Human Development Index (HDI) in the Amazon. Additionally, 63.22% of the Amazonian microregions are in the lowest quartile of the social efficiency ranking. The most efficient region was Alto Paraguai (MT). The regions with the highest HDI and the lowest SEI are in Mato Grosso, an area characterized by agriculture. The least efficient regions are concentrated in Pará, with some being characterized by extractivism, particularly in the mining sector. Through the SEI, policymakers have an objective tool to distribute public resources for local development.