By 2002, the Economically Active Population was 23.07%. According to the activity, 78.00% of the EAP is engaged in agriculture, the data relate to the percentage of the population living in rural areas corresponding to 86% of the population, meaning that the rural population is engaged in agriculture.
Poverty & Malnutrition
The town of Purulhá has a percentage of 35.67% of extreme poverty (figure that contrasts with 71% in extreme poverty in rural areas) and high chronic malnourishment of 68.7%, with an HDI of 0.512 (Map of the National Institute of Statistics and the World Bank/2013).