The economic, social and political transformations that took place in the last years of the 20th century in Brazil, stemming from a series of governmental and global measures and actions, attracted foreign investment. Through increased industrialisation, made possible by foreign direct investments (FDIs), it is assumed that the population is consuming more, which may be due to the fact that there is more money and opportunities on the market, and therefore more capital available for investment. Based on these findings, we sought to ascertain whether the industrial segments that most favoured the evolution of the HDI and GDP in Brazil between 1990 and 2010 are similar or different.