The fund Lula wants to set up with oil revenues could, as he says, help Brazil to overcome poverty, low standards in education and limited investment in science and technology.

ECONOMIST: Brazil's presidential election

More work remains to address persistent causes of undercounting, such as poverty, mobility, language isolation, low levels of education, and general awareness of the survey, in addition to duplicate counts among the elderly and college students living away from home.

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The main explanation you offer is the low quality of education, but you overlook the relationship between child poverty and poor literacy.

ECONOMIST: Letters