Revealing transport poverty: A Brazilian application of the half-median metric

• Applies the half-median metric (M/2) for concealed transport poverty at the household level in Brazil. • Uncovers significant income-based disparities in transport access. • Demonstrates how limited transport access worsens social inequalities. • Advocates for subsidies and infrastructure investments to aid vulnerable groups. Conventional metrics often underestimate transport poverty in developing economies. We adapt the half-median (M/2) metric — originally applied for energy poverty — to detect concealed transport deprivation at the household level in Brazil. Using nationally representative, survey-weighted expenditure data stratified by income deciles, we find that 26% of Brazilian households spend below half the national median on transport, rising to 59% in the lowest income decile and falling to 4.5% in the highest. These results indicate under-consumption driven by binding budget constraints rather than choice, with deprivation concentrated among the poorest families. The M/2 metric captures inequalities that remain invisible to burden-based indicators such as the “10% rule,” and is robust to alternative thresholds in sensitivity analyses. Policy implications include targeted income or fare subsidies, expanded investment in affordable and reliable public transport, and routine monitoring of transport poverty within national social policy frameworks. Beyond Brazil, the approach is readily replicable in other emerging economies, informing equitable and sustainable mobility strategies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).