Nationality:
noun: Brazilian(s)
adjective: Brazilian

Ethnic groups:
white 47.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 43.1%, black 7.6%, Asian 1.1%, indigenous 0.4% (2010 est.)

Languages:
Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language)
note: less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages

Religions:
Roman Catholic 64.6%, other Catholic 0.4%, Protestant 22.2% (includes Adventist 6.5%, Assembly of God 2.0%, Christian Congregation of Brazil 1.2%, Universal Kingdom of God 1.0%, other Protestant 11.5%), other Christian 0.7%, Spiritist 2.2%, other 1.4%, none 8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile:
Brazil's rapid fertility decline since the 1960s is the main factor behind the country's slowing population growth rate, aging population, and fast-paced demographic transition. Brasilia has not taken full advantage of its large working-age population to develop its human capital and strengthen its social and economic institutions but is funding a study abroad program to bring advanced skills back to the country. The current favorable age structure will begin to shift around 2025, with the labor force shrinking and the elderly starting to compose an increasing share of the total population. Well-funded public pensions have nearly wiped out poverty among the elderly, and Bolsa Familia and other social programs have lifted tens of millions out of poverty. More than half of Brazil's population is considered middle class, but poverty and income inequality levels remain high; the Northeast, North, and Center-West, women, and black, mixed race, and indigenous populations are disproportionately affected. Disparities in opportunities foster social exclusion and contribute to Brazil's high crime rate, particularly violent crime in cities and favelas. Brazil has traditionally been a net recipient of immigrants, with its southeast being the prime destination. After the importation of African slaves was outlawed in the mid-19th century, Brazil sought Europeans (Italians, Portuguese, Spaniards, and Germans) and later Asians (Japanese) to work in agriculture, especially coffee cultivation. Recent immigrants come mainly from Argentina, Chile, and Andean countries (many are unskilled illegal migrants) or are returning Brazilian nationals. Since Brazil's economic downturn in the 1980s, emigration to the United States, Europe, and Japan has been rising but is negligible relative to Brazil's total population. The majority of these emigrants are well-educated and middle-class. Fewer Brazilian peasants are emigrating to neighboring countries to take up agricultural work.

Population:
204,259,812 (July 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.27% (male 24,223,817/female 23,304,372)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 16.47% (male 17,058,031/female 16,579,678)
[see also: Age structure 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 43.8% (male 44,358,524/female 45,111,178)
[see also: Age structure 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 8.66% (male 8,348,783/female 9,343,347)
[see also: Age structure 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 6,776,742/female 9,155,340) (2015 est.)
[see also: Age structure 65 years and over country ranks ]
population pyramid:
A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.

For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 44.7%
[see also: Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio country ranks ]
youth dependency ratio: 33.3%
[see also: Dependency ratios - youth dependency ratio country ranks ]
elderly dependency ratio: 11.3%
[see also: Dependency ratios - elderly dependency ratio country ranks ]
potential support ratio: 8.8% (2015 est.)
[see also: Dependency ratios - potential support ratio country ranks ]

Median age:
total: 31.1 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 30.3 years
[see also: Median age - male country ranks ]
female: 31.9 years (2015 est.)
[see also: Median age - female country ranks ]

Population growth rate:
0.77% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
14.46 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
6.58 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Urbanization:
urban population: 85.7% of total population (2015)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 1.17% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
[see also: Urbanization - rate of urbanization country ranks ]

Major urban areas - population:
Sao Paulo 21.066 million; Rio de Janeiro 12.902 million; Belo Horizonte 5.716 million; BRASILIA (capital) 4.155 million; Fortaleza 3.88 million; Recife 3.739 million (2015)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - 65 years and over country ranks ]
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Maternal mortality rate:
44 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.6 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - total country ranks ]
male: 21.8 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - male country ranks ]
female: 15.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
[see also: Infant mortality rate - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 95

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.53 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - total country ranks ]
male: 69.99 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - male country ranks ]
female: 77.25 years (2015 est.)
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 129

Total fertility rate:
1.77 children born/woman (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
80.3% (2006)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]

Health expenditures:
9.7% of GDP (2013)
country comparison to the world: 31
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]

Physicians density:
1.89 physicians/1,000 population (2013)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Hospital bed density:
2.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 87% of population total: 98.1% of population
[see also: Drinking water source - Improved - total country ranks ]
unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 13% of population total: 1.9% of population (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access:
improved: urban: 88% of population rural: 51.5% of population total: 82.8% of population
[see also: Sanitation facility access - Total Improved country ranks ]
unimproved: urban: 12% of population rural: 48.5% of population total: 17.2% of population (2015 est.)
[see also: Sanitation facility access - Total UnImproved country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.55% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA 726,000 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
[see also: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
15,800 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
[see also: HIV/AIDS - deaths country ranks ]

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
20.1% (2014)
country comparison to the world: 102
[see also: Obesity - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
2.2% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 121
[see also: Children under the age of 5 years underweight country ranks ]

Education expenditures:
5.8% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 49
[see also: Education expenditures - percent of GDP country ranks ]

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6%
[see also: Literacy - total country ranks ]
male: 92.2%
[see also: Literacy - male country ranks ]
female: 92.9% (2015 est.)
[see also: Literacy - female country ranks ]

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
[see also: School life expectancy - total country ranks ]
male: 14 years
[see also: School life expectancy - male country ranks ]
female: 15 years (2005)
[see also: School life expectancy - female country ranks ]

Child labor - children ages 5-14:
total number: 959,942
[see also: Child labor - children ages 5-14 - total number country ranks ]
percentage: 3%
[see also: Child labor - children ages 5-14 - percentage country ranks ]
note: data represents children ages 5-13 (2009 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 15%
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - total country ranks ]
male: 12.3%
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - male country ranks ]
female: 18.7% (2013 est.)
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 76