Economy - overview:
Brazil is the eighth-largest economy in the world, but is recovering from a recession in 2015 and 2016 that ranks as the worst in the country’s history. Falling commodity prices reduced export revenues and investment, which weakened the Brazilian real and cut tax revenues. The weaker real made existing public debt, which was largely denominated in foreign currency, more expensive. Lower tax revenues strained the government budget.Economic reforms, proposed in 2016, aim to slow the growth of government spending and reduce barriers to foreign investment. Government spending growth helped to push public debt to 78% of GDP at the end of 2017, up from 50% in 2012. Policies to strengthen Brazil’s workforce and industrial sector, such as local content requirements, may have boosted employment at the expense of investment.Former President Dilma ROUSSEFF was impeached and convicted in August 2016 for moving funds among government budgets; the economy has also been affected by multiple corruption scandals involving private companies and government officials. Sanctions against the firms involved — some of the largest in Brazil — has limited their business opportunities, producing a ripple effect on associated businesses and contractors. In addition, investment in these companies has declined because of the scandals.Brazil is a member of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), a trade bloc including Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. After the Asian and Russian financial crises, Mercosur adopted a protectionist stance to guard against exposure to the volatility of foreign markets. Brazil and its Mercosur partners have pledged to open the bloc to more trade and investment, but changes require approval of all five members, which makes policy adjustments too difficult to enact.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.219 trillion (2017 est.) $3.195 trillion (2016 est.) $3.314 trillion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 9

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.081 trillion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
0.7% (2017 est.) -3.6% (2016 est.) -3.8% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$15,500 (2017 est.) $15,500 (2016 est.) $16,200 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 107

Gross national saving:
16.2% of GDP (2017 est.) 16.2% of GDP (2016 est.) 15.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 63.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 19.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 16.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 11.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -11.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 6.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 21%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 72.8% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef

Industries:
textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment

Industrial production growth rate:
1% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
111.6 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 39.8%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 50.2% (2016 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
13.1% (2017 est.) 11.3% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
3.7%
note: approximately 4% of the population are below the "extreme" poverty line (2016 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.2%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 41.6% (2014 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
49.7 (2014) 55.3 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $726.6 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $749 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]

Taxes and other revenues:
34.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-1.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
78.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 69.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.7% (2017 est.) 8.7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
13.75% (31 December 2016 est.) 14.25% (31 December 2015)
country comparison to the world: 14
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
48.7% (31 December 2017 est.) 52.1% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$106.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $106.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$761.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $727.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$2.237 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $2.138 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$490.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $843.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $1.02 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$28.99 billion (2017 est.) -$23.53 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$215.4 billion (2017 est.) $184.5 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, automobiles

Exports - partners:
China 19%, US 12.6%, Argentina 7.3%, Netherlands 5.6% (2016)

Imports:
$151.9 billion (2017 est.) $139.4 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics

Imports - partners:
US 17.6%, China 16.9%, Argentina 6.7%, Germany 6.6%, South Korea 4.4% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$377.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $365 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$554.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $551.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$828.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $763.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$327.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $319.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
reals (BRL) per US dollar - 3.214 (2017 est.) 3.4901 (2016 est.) 3.4901 (2015 est.) 3.3315 (2014 est.) 2.3535 (2013 est.)