App-based work has grown among motorcyclists in Brazil, but Social Security contributions have not kept pace with this growth. In 2025, only 19.4% of motorcycle riders working through digital platforms contributed to Social Security, while among motorcyclists who did not use apps, the proportion was 37.1%, almost double.
The data comes from a survey on work through digital platforms, released by IBGE in partnership with Unicamp and the Ministry of Labor. The survey provides a portrait of who uses apps to earn a living in the country, covering a total of 1.2 million motorcycle riders.
Overall, less than one third (31%) of all motorcyclists in the country contributed to Social Security. However, the situation among platform workers is even more serious: their contribution rate fell 2.2 percentage points compared to 2024, while among non-platform workers there was an increase of 0.8 points in the same period.
