A number of reasons can explain the high debt service, including the high level of interest rates, short maturities, and stringent rules on paying back credit-card debt. House price indices for major metropolitan regions indicate annual increases of around 12%. Interest rates are for household credit from non-earmarked funds. Average labour incomes are 4.4 times higher in Brazil’s capital region Distrito Federal than in the state of Piaui, while GDP per capita is more than 8 times higher. Inequality within states tends to be higher in regions with lower average incomes per capita, with particular progress made in Piaui and Maranhao in the Northeast.