Facts and Figures
- Rocinha is the largest shanty-town in Latin America, the latest census showed over 250,000 inhabitants.
- Rocinha was founded in one of the hillsides of Rio de Janeiro- the in the 1940's by a group of squatters and had its major population growth in the 1970's, with the constructions boom in Barra de Tijuca.
- While Rocinha is considered the "first world" of favelas with over 2000 stores and businesses, 40% of the houses and apartments do not have access to the public sewage system.
- Over 12% of the children and adults in Rocinha are illiterate and the average level of education is fifth grade.
- Rocinha lies between two of the most affluent neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Conrado and Gavea.
- Roupa Suja, one of the more than 15 distinct neighborhoods within Rocinha, was founded in the 60's and named after the women who carried their dirty clothes in baskets to the common wash basin below.
- Roupa Suja is one of the poorest neighborhoods within the slum- many of the residents continue to live without running water or electricity, living in the "zona da risco" (high-risk area).
- The average salary in Rocinha (2005) is just over R$200 a month and unemployment is about 20%.