This article investigates the evolution of income distribution and poverty in Brazil during the period 1995-1999 taking into account all the characteristics of the complex sampling design of National Household Sample Survey (weight, strata and primary sampling unit). Moreover, the income distribution of the high income stratum that composes the richer 1% in Brazil is also analyzed. From this description, the effects of the variations of the average income and measures of income concentration are estimated starting from the selection of two models: a first one that relates the variations in the poverty indicators and the main components that respond for this variation - decomposition model; and a second model that simulates the effects of the variation of the income and the concentration indicators on the poverty level – elasticity model. The results showed a reduction in average family real income per capita of 3,97%, a reduction that cannot be considered significant of the Gini Index of 0,76% and a widespread increasing of the class of poverty measures FGT (0, 1 e 2) of 11,56%; 9,04% and 9,70%, respectively. In addition, the richer 1% in Brazil presented reduction: in average family real income per capita of 7,34%, of the Gini index and Pareto index of 6,53% and 5,52%, respectively. The decomposition models and elasticity showed that the component of redistribution of the income is the main responsible by the flotation of the poverty level (increasing) and also the component to be sought in the future for the establishment of public policies.