Brazil — Country profile
Latin America
After more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getúlio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. VARGAS governed through various versions of democratic and authoritarian regimes from 1930 to 1945. Democratic rule returned in 1945 -- including a democratically elected VARGAS administration from 1951 to 1954 -- and lasted until 1964, when the military overthrew President João GOULART. The military regime censored journalists and repressed and tortured dissidents in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The dictatorship lasted until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers, and the Brazilian Congress passed its current constitution in 1988.
By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Having successfully weathered a period of global financial difficulty in the late 20th century, Brazil was soon seen as one of the world's strongest emerging markets and a contributor to global growth under President Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (2003-2010). The awarding of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games -- the first ever to be held in South America -- to Brazil was symbolic of the country's rise. However, from about 2013 to 2016, Brazil was plagued by a sagging economy, high unemployment, and high inflation, only emerging from recession in 2017. Congress removed then-President Dilma ROUSSEFF (2011-2016) from office in 2016 for having committed impeachable acts against Brazil's budgetary laws, and her vice president, Michel TEMER, served the remainder of her second term. A money-laundering investigation, Operation Lava Jato, uncovered a vast corruption scheme and prosecutors charged several high-profile Brazilian politicians with crimes. Former President LULA was convicted of accepting bribes and served jail time (2018-19), although his conviction was overturned in 2021. LULA's revival became complete in 2022 when he narrowly defeated incumbent Jair BOLSONARO (2019-2022) in the presidential election. Positioning Brazil as an independent global leader on climate change and promoting sustainable development, LULA took on the 2024 G20 presidency, balancing the fight against deforestation with sustainable energy and other projects designed to alleviate poverty and promote economic growth, such as expanding fossil fuel exploration.
Economy
- Budget
- revenues:$556.303 billion (2023 est.)expenditures:$706.816 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Exports
- Exports 2022:$380.492 billion (2022 est.)Exports 2023:$389.192 billion (2023 est.)Exports 2024:$388.333 billion (2024 est.)note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports
- Imports 2022:$369.861 billion (2022 est.)Imports 2023:$340.195 billion (2023 est.)Imports 2024:$377.05 billion (2024 est.)note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Industries
- textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
- Labor force
- 106.79 million (2024 est.)note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
- Public debt
- Public debt 2023:83% of GDP (2023 est.)note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Remittances
- Remittances 2022:0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)Remittances 2023:0.2% of GDP (2023 est.)Remittances 2024:0.2% of GDP (2024 est.)note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Exchange rates
- Currency:reals (BRL) per US dollar -Exchange rates 2020:5.155 (2020 est.)Exchange rates 2021:5.394 (2021 est.)Exchange rates 2022:5.164 (2022 est.)Exchange rates 2023:4.994 (2023 est.)Exchange rates 2024:5.389 (2024 est.)
- Debt - external
- Debt - external 2023:$198.582 billion (2023 est.)note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Economic overview
upper-middle-income, largest Latin American economy; Mercosur, BRICS, G20 member and OECD accession candidate; growth driven by strong domestic consumption; monetary tightening helping curb inflation rate; high inequality in income and access to health and education
- Unemployment rate
- Unemployment rate 2022:9.3% (2022 est.)Unemployment rate 2023:8% (2023 est.)Unemployment rate 2024:7.7% (2024 est.)note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Exports - partners
- China 30%, USA 10%, Argentina 5%, Netherlands 3%, Chile 2% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
- Imports - partners
- China 23%, USA 16%, Germany 5%, Argentina 5%, Russia 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
- Real GDP per capita
- Real GDP per capita 2022:$18,600 (2022 est.)Real GDP per capita 2023:$19,100 (2023 est.)Real GDP per capita 2024:$19,600 (2024 est.)note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP growth rate
- Real GDP growth rate 2022:3% (2022 est.)Real GDP growth rate 2023:3.2% (2023 est.)Real GDP growth rate 2024:3.4% (2024 est.)note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Agricultural products
- sugarcane, soybeans, maize, milk, cassava, oranges, chicken, beef, rice, wheat (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
- Exports - commodities
- soybeans, crude petroleum, iron ore, raw sugar, corn (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
- Imports - commodities
- refined petroleum, fertilizers, crude petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, gas turbines (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
- Current account balance
- Current account balance 2022:-$42.157 billion (2022 est.)Current account balance 2023:-$27.933 billion (2023 est.)Current account balance 2024:-$61.194 billion (2024 est.)note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Taxes and other revenues
- 14% (of GDP) (2023 est.)note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $2.179 trillion (2024 est.)note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
- GDP - composition, by end use
- household consumption:63.8% (2024 est.)government consumption:18.8% (2024 est.)investment in inventories:-0.1% (2024 est.)investment in fixed capital:17% (2024 est.)exports of goods and services:18% (2024 est.)imports of goods and services:-17.5% (2024 est.)note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Population below poverty line
- 4.2% (2016 est.)note: approximately 4% of the population are below the "extreme" poverty line
- Average household expenditures
- on food:16.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)on alcohol and tobacco:1.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022:9.3% (2022 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023:4.6% (2023 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024:4.4% (2024 est.)note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Industrial production growth rate
- 3.3% (2024 est.)note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022:$3.902 trillion (2022 est.)Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023:$4.029 trillion (2023 est.)Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024:$4.165 trillion (2024 est.)note: data in 2021 dollars
- Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
- male:15.7% (2024 est.)total:18% (2024 est.)female:20.9% (2024 est.)note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022:$324.673 billion (2022 est.)Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023:$355.021 billion (2023 est.)Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024:$329.732 billion (2024 est.)note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- industry:21.3% (2024 est.)services:59.3% (2024 est.)agriculture:5.6% (2024 est.)note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Household income or consumption by percentage share
- lowest 10%:1.3% (2023 est.)highest 10%:40.8% (2023 est.)note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
- Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023:51.6 (2023 est.)note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Energy
- Coal
- exports:5,000 metric tons (2023 est.)imports:18.257 million metric tons (2023 est.)production:15.556 million metric tons (2023 est.)consumption:32.223 million metric tons (2023 est.)proven reserves:6.596 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
- Petroleum
- total petroleum production:4.221 million bbl/day (2023 est.)crude oil estimated reserves:12.715 billion barrels (2021 est.)refined petroleum consumption:3.163 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Electricity
- exports:7.186 billion kWh (2023 est.)imports:22.294 billion kWh (2023 est.)consumption:608.451 billion kWh (2023 est.)installed generating capacity:240.251 million kW (2023 est.)transmission/distribution losses:106.916 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Natural gas
- exports:101.203 million cubic meters (2023 est.)imports:6.356 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)production:22.702 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)consumption:29.065 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)proven reserves:363.985 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
- Nuclear energy
- Number of operational nuclear reactors:2 (2025)Percent of total electricity production:2.2% (2023 est.)Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:1.88GW (2025 est.)Number of nuclear reactors under construction:1 (2025)
- Electricity access
- electrification - rural areas:97.3%electrification - urban areas:100%electrification - total population:100% (2022 est.)
- Energy consumption per capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023:48.889 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
- Electricity generation sources
- wind:13.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)solar:6.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)nuclear:2.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)fossil fuels:8.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)hydroelectricity:60.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)biomass and waste:8.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
More about Brazil
People and Society
- Literacy
- male:94.5% (2024 est.)female:95.1% (2024 est.)total population:94.8% (2024 est.)
- Languages
- Languages:Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and many minor Amerindian languagesmajor-language sample(s):
O Livro de Fatos Mundiais, a fonte indispensável para informação básica. (Brazilian Portuguese)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. - Religions
- Roman Catholic 56.8%, Evangelical 26.9%, none 9.3%, other 4%, Spirtism (Espírita) 1.8%, unspecified 1.4%, Umbanda and Candomblé 1.1%, Indigenous religions .06%, undeclared 0.2% (2022)
- Sex ratio
- at birth:1.05 male(s)/female0-14 years:1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years:0.98 male(s)/femaletotal population:0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)65 years and over:0.75 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 13.04 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 7.07 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Median age
- male:34 yearstotal:35.4 years (2025 est.)female:36.1 years
- Population
- male:108,753,532total:221,359,387 (2025 est.)female:112,605,855
- Nationality
- noun:Brazilian(s)adjective:Brazilian
- Tobacco use
- male:14.4% (2025 est.)total:11.2% (2025 est.)female:8.3% (2025 est.)
- Urbanization
- urban population:87.8% of total population (2023)rate of urbanization:0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- Age structure
- 0-14 years:19.6% (male 22,025,593/female 21,088,398)15-64 years:69.5% (male 75,889,089/female 77,118,722)65 years and over:10.9% (2024 est.) (male 10,251,809/female 13,677,901)
- Ethnic groups
- mixed 45.3%, White 43.5%, Black 10.2%, Indigenous 0.6%, Asian 0.4% (2022 est.)
- Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio:44.3 (2025 est.)youth dependency ratio:28.1 (2025 est.)potential support ratio:6.2 (2025 est.)elderly dependency ratio:16.2 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 2.36 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
- Health expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP):9.9% of GDP (2021)Health expenditure (as % of national budget):9% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 2.5 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.73 children born/woman (2025 est.)
- Drinking water source
- improved: rural:rural: 98% of population (2022 est.)improved: total:total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)improved: urban:urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: rural:rural: 2% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: total:total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: urban:urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Education expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP):5.6% of GDP (2022 est.)Education expenditure (% national budget):12.9% national budget (2022 est.)
- Infant mortality rate
- male:14.6 deaths/1,000 live birthstotal:12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)female:11.1 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.58% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.84 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- the vast majority of people live along or near the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of São Paolo, Brasília, and Rio de Janeiro
- Life expectancy at birth
- male:72.6 yearsfemale:80.1 yearstotal population:76.3 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 67 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
- Sanitation facility access
- improved: rural:rural: 65% of population (2022 est.)improved: total:total: 91% of population (2022 est.)improved: urban:urban: 94.7% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: rural:rural: 35% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: total:total: 9% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: urban:urban: 5.3% of population (2022 est.)
- Alcohol consumption per capita
- beer:3.84 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)wine:0.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)total:6.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)spirits:2 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)other alcohols:0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas - population
- 22.620 million São Paulo, 13.728 million Rio de Janeiro, 6.248 million Belo Horizonte, 4.873 million BRASÍLIA (capital), 4.264 million Recife, 4.212 million Porto Alegre (2023)
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
- 22.1% (2016)
- Currently married women (ages 15-49)
- 56.9% (2019 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 3.5% (2019 est.)
- School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- male:15 years (2022 est.)total:16 years (2022 est.)female:17 years (2022 est.)
Government
- Flag
- description: green with a large yellow diamond in the center, showing a blue celestial globe with 27 five-pointed white stars; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)
meaning: green stands for the country's forests, and yellow for its mineral wealth, with the diamond representing the country's shape; the blue globe and stars depict the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of 15 November 1889, the day the Republic of Brazil was declared; the number of stars has risen with the creation of new states, from 21 to 27 (one for each state and the Federal District)
history: the flag was inspired by the former Empire of Brazil's flag (1822-1889)note: one of four national flags that reflect the shape of the country in the flag design; the others are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eritrea, and Vanuatu - Capital
- name:Brasíliaetymology:the name is the Latinized form of the country name, bestowed on the new capital of Brazil in 1960; previous Brazilian capitals were Salvador (1549-1763) and Rio de Janeiro (1763 to 1960)time zone note:Brazil has four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islandstime difference:UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)geographic coordinates:15 47 S, 47 55 W
- Suffrage
- voluntary between 16 to 18 years of age, over 70, and if illiterate; compulsory between 18 to 70 years of agenote: military conscripts by law cannot vote
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:yescitizenship by descent only:yesdual citizenship recognized:yesresidency requirement for naturalization:4 years
- Constitution
- history:several previous; latest ratified 5 October 1988amendment process:proposed by at least one third of either house of the National Congress, by the president of the republic, or by simple majority vote by more than half of the state legislative assemblies; passage requires at least three-fifths majority vote by both houses in each of two readings; constitutional provisions affecting the federal form of government, separation of powers, suffrage, or individual rights and guarantees cannot be amended
- Country name
- etymology:the country name derives from the brazil tree that used to grow plentifully along the coast of Brazil and that was used to produce a deep red dyelocal long form:República Federativa do Brasillocal short form:Brasilconventional long form:Federative Republic of Brazilconventional short form:Brazil
- Independence
- 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
- Legal system
- civil lawnote: a new civil-law code in 2002 replaced the 1916 code
- Government type
- federal presidential republic
- Judicial branch
- highest court(s):Supreme Federal Court or Supremo Tribunal Federal (consists of 11 justices)subordinate courts:Tribunal of the Union, Federal Appeals Court, Superior Court of Justice, Superior Electoral Court, regional federal courts; state court systemjudge selection and term of office:justices appointed by the president and approved by absolute majority by the Federal Senate; justices appointed to serve until mandatory retirement at age 75
- Executive branch
- cabinet:Cabinet appointed by the presidentchief of state:President Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (since 1 January 2023)election results:
2022: Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (PT) 48.4%, Jair BOLSONARO (PSL) 43.2%, Simone Nassar TEBET (MDB) 4.2%, Ciro GOMES (PDT) 3%, other 1.2%; percent of vote in second round - Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (PT) 50.9%, Jair BOLSONARO (PSL) 49.1%
2018: Jair BOLSONARO elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jair BOLSONARO (PSL) 46%, Fernando HADDAD (PT) 29.3%, Ciro GOMEZ (PDT) 12.5%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 4.8%, other 7.4%; percent of vote in second round - Jair BOLSONARO (PSL) 55.1%, Fernando HADDAD (PT) 44.9%head of government:President Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (since 1 January 2023)most recent election date:2 October 2022, with runoff on 30 October 2022election/appointment process:president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (eligible for a single consecutive term and additional terms after at least one term has elapsed)expected date of next election:4 October 2026note: the president is both chief of state and head of government - National holiday
- Independence Day, 7 September (1822)
- National color(s)
- green, yellow, blue
- National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites:24 (15 cultural, 9 natural, 1 mixed)selected World Heritage Site locales:
Brasilia (c); Historic Salvador de Bahia (c); Historic Ouro Preto (c); Historic Center of the Town of Olinda (c); Iguaçu National Park (n); Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis (c); Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes (c); Central Amazon Conservation Complex (n); Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves (n); Historic Center of Salvador de Bahia (c); Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas (c ); Brasilia (c ); Serra da Capivara National Park (c ); Historic Center of Sao Luis( c); Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves (n); Historic Center of the Town of Diamantina (c ); Pantanal Conservation Area (n); Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves (n); Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks (n); Historic Centre of the Town of Goiás (c); São Francisco Square in the Town of São Cristóvão (c ); Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea (c ); Pampulha Modern Ensemble (c ); Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site (c ); Paraty and Ilha Grande – Culture and Biodiversity (m); Sítio Roberto Burle Marx (c ); Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (n);Peruaçu River Canyon (n)
- Political parties
- Act (Agir) (formerly Christian Labor Party or PTC)
Avante (formerly Labor Party of Brazil or PTdoB)
Brazil Union (União Brasil); note - founded from a merger between the Democrats (DEM) and the Social Liberal Party (PSL)
Brazilian Communist Party or PCB
Brazilian Democratic Movement or MDB
Brazilian Labor Party or PTB
Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB
Brazilian Labor Party or PTB
Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB
Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB
Christian Democracy or DC (formerly Christian Social Democratic Party)
Cidadania (formerly Popular Socialist Party or PPS)
Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB
Democratic Labor Party or PDT
Democratic Party or PSDC
Democrats or DEM (formerly Liberal Front Party or PFL); note - dissolved in February 2022
Green Party or PV
Liberal Party or PL [Valdemar Costa Neto] (formerly Party of the Republic or PR)
National Mobilization Party or PMN
New Party or NOVO
Patriota (formerly National Ecologic Party or PEN)
Podemos (formerly National Labor Party or PTN)
Progressive Party (Progressistas) or PP
Republican Social Order Party or PROS
Republicans (Republicanos) (formerly Brazilian Republican Party or PRB)
Social Christian Party or PSC
Social Democratic Party or PSD
Social Liberal Party or PSL
Socialism and Freedom Party or PSOL
Solidarity or SD
Sustainability Network or REDE
United Socialist Workers' Party or PSTU
Workers' Cause Party or PCO
Workers' Party or PT - Legislative branch
- legislature name:National Congress (Congresso nacional)legislative structure:bicameral
- National anthem(s)
- title:"Hino Nacional Brasileiro" (Brazilian National Anthem)history:music adopted 1890, lyrics adopted 1922; the anthem's music, composed in 1822, was used unofficially for many yearslyrics/music:Joaquim Osorio Duque ESTRADA/Francisco Manoel DA SILVA
- National symbol(s)
- Southern Cross constellation
- Administrative divisions
- 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins
- Legislative branch - lower chamber
- chamber name:Chamber of Deputies (Cámara dos Deputados)term in office:4 yearsnumber of seats:513 (all directly elected)electoral system:proportional representationscope of elections:full renewalmost recent election date:10/2/2022expected date of next election:October 2026percentage of women in chamber:18.1%parties elected and seats per party:Liberal Party (PL) (99); Workers' Party (PT) (69); Brazil Union (União) (59); Progressive Party (PP) (47); Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) (42); Social Democratic Party (PSD) (42); Republicans (Republicanos) (40); Other (106)
- Legislative branch - upper chamber
- chamber name:Federal Senate (Senado Federal)term in office:8 yearsnumber of seats:81 (all directly elected)electoral system:plurality/majorityscope of elections:partial renewalmost recent election date:10/2/2022expected date of next election:October 2026percentage of women in chamber:19.8%parties elected and seats per party:Liberal Party (PL) (8); Brazil Union (União) (5); Workers' Party (PT) (4); Progressive Party (PP) (3); Social Democratic Party (PSD) (2); Republicans (Republicanos) (2); Other (3)
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- FAX:[1] (202) 238-2827chancery:3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone:[1] (202) 238-2700chief of mission:Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro VIOTTI (since 30 June 2023)consulate(s) general:Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hartford (CT), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Franciscoemail address and website:
contact.washington@itamaraty.gov.br
https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/embaixada-washington - Diplomatic representation from the US
- FAX:[55] (61) 3225-9136embassy:SES - Avenida das Nações, Quadra 801, Lote 03, 70403-900 - Brasília, DFtelephone:[55] (61) 3312-7000mailing address:7500 Brasilia Place, Washington DC 20521-7500branch office(s):Belo Horizontechief of mission:Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Gabriel ESCOBAR (since 21 January 2025)consulate(s) general:Recife, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, São Pauloemail address and website:
BrasilliaACS@state.gov
https://br.usembassy.gov/ - International organization participation
- AfDB (nonregional member), BIS, BRICS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, CPLP, FAO, FATF, G-15, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPANAL, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Communications
- Internet users
- percent of population:84% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- state-run Radiobras operates a radio and a TV network; more than 1,000 radio stations and more than 100 TV channels operating, mostly privately owned; private media ownership highly concentrated (2022)
- Internet country code
- .br
- Telephones - fixed lines
- total subscriptions:22.5 million (2024 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:11 (2024 est.)
- Telephones - mobile cellular
- total subscriptions:216 million (2024 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:102 (2024 est.)
- Broadband - fixed subscriptions
- total:48.4 million (2023 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:23 (2023 est.)
Transportation
- Ports
- large:4small:19medium:7key ports:Belem, DTSE/Gegua Oil Terminal, Itajai, Port de Salvador, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Santos, Tubarao, Vitoriavery small:15total ports:45 (2024)ports with oil terminals:31
- Airports
- 5,297 (2025)
- Railways
- total:29,849.9 km (2014)dual gauge:492 km (2014) 1.600-1.000-m gaugebroad gauge:5,822.3 km (2014) 1.600-m gauge (498.3 km electrified)narrow gauge:23,341.6 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (24 km electrified)standard gauge:194 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
- Heliports
- 1,871 (2025)
- Merchant marine
- total:888 (2023)by type:bulk carrier 13, container ship 20, general cargo 38, oil tanker 27, other 790
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- PP
Geography
- Area
- land:8,358,140 sq kmwater:157,630 sq kmtotal :8,515,770 sq kmnote: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
- Climate
- mostly tropical, but temperate in south
- Terrain
- mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt
- Land use
- other:12.7% (2023 est.)forest:58.9% (2023 est.)agricultural land:28.3% (2023 est.)agricultural land: arable land:arable land: 6.7% (2023 est.)agricultural land: permanent crops:permanent crops: 0.9% (2023 est.)agricultural land: permanent pasture:permanent pasture: 20.7% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
- Coastline
- 7,491 km
- Elevation
- lowest point:Atlantic Ocean 0 mhighest point:Pico da Neblina 2,994 mmean elevation:320 m
- Irrigated land
- 91,833 sq km (2022)
- Major aquifers
- Amazon Basin, Guarani Aquifer System, Maranhao Basin
- Map references
- South America
- Land boundaries
- total:16,145 kmborder countries:Argentina 1,263 km; Bolivia 3,403 km; Colombia 1,790 km; French Guiana 649 km; Guyana 1,308 km; Paraguay 1,371 km; Peru 2,659 km; Suriname 515 km; Uruguay 1,050 km; Venezuela 2,137 km
- Maritime claims
- contiguous zone:24 nmterritorial sea:12 nmcontinental shelf:200 nm or to edge of the continental marginexclusive economic zone:200 nm
- Natural hazards
- recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south
- Geography - note
- note 1: largest country in South America and in the Southern Hemisphere; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador; most of the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, extends through the west central part of the country; shares Iguaçu Falls (Iguazú Falls), the world's largest waterfalls system, with Argentina
note 2: Rocas Atoll, located off the northeast coast of Brazil, is the only atoll in the South Atlantic - Natural resources
- alumina, bauxite, beryllium, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, niobium, phosphates, platinum, tantalum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber
- Area - comparative
- slightly smaller than the US
- Geographic coordinates
- 10 00 S, 55 00 W
- Population distribution
- the vast majority of people live along or near the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of São Paolo, Brasília, and Rio de Janeiro
- Major lakes (area sq km)
- salt water lake(s):Lagoa Mirim (shared with Uruguay) - 2,970 sq kmfresh water lake(s):Lagoa dos Patos - 10,140 sq km
- Major watersheds (area sq km)
- Atlantic Ocean drainage:Amazon (6,145,186 sq km), Orinoco (953,675 sq km), Paraná (2,582,704 sq km), São Francisco (617,814 sq km), Tocantins (764,213 sq km)
- Major rivers (by length in km)
- Amazon river mouth (shared with Peru [s]) - 6,400 km; Río de la Plata/Paraná river source (shared with Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay [m]) - 4,880 km; Tocantins - 3,650 km; São Francisco - 3,180 km; Paraguay river source (shared with Argentina and Paraguay [m]) - 2,549 km; Rio Negro river mouth (shared with Colombia [s] and Venezuela) - 2,250 km; Uruguay river source (shared with Argentina and Uruguay [m]) - 1,610 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Environment
- Climate
- mostly tropical, but temperate in south
- Geoparks
- global geoparks and regional networks:Araripe; Cacapava; Quarta Colonia; Serido; Southern Canyons Pathways; Uberaba (2024)total global geoparks and regional networks:6
- Land use
- other:12.7% (2023 est.)forest:58.9% (2023 est.)agricultural land:28.3% (2023 est.)agricultural land: arable land:arable land: 6.7% (2023 est.)agricultural land: permanent crops:permanent crops: 0.9% (2023 est.)agricultural land: permanent pasture:permanent pasture: 20.7% (2023 est.)
- Urbanization
- urban population:87.8% of total population (2023)rate of urbanization:0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
- Methane emissions
- other:382.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)waste:3,361.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)energy:1,759.1 kt (2022-2024 est.)agriculture:13,761.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually:79.07 million tons (2024 est.)percent of municipal solid waste recycled:2.8% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- deforestation in Amazon Basin; illegal wildlife trade; illegal poaching; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and other large cities; land degradation and water pollution from mining; wetland degradation; oil spills
- Total water withdrawal
- municipal:16.397 billion cubic meters (2022)industrial:10.2 billion cubic meters (2022)agricultural:41.336 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Carbon dioxide emissions
- total emissions:437.769 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)from consumed natural gas:53.026 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)from coal and metallurgical coke:53.664 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)from petroleum and other liquids:331.079 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 10.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 8.647 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- International environmental agreements
- party to:Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified:Marine Dumping-London Protocol
Military and Security
- Military - note
- the Brazilian Armed Forces (BAF) are the second largest military in the Western Hemisphere behind the US; they are responsible for external security and protecting the country's sovereignty but also have an internal security role; the BAF’s missions include patrolling and protecting the country’s long borders and coastline and extensive territorial waters and river network, assisting with internal security, providing domestic disaster response and humanitarian assistance, and participating in multinational peacekeeping missions; it also cooperates with neighboring countries such as Argentina and Paraguay to combat cross-border smuggling and trafficking
Brazil has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation
the origins of Brazil's military stretch back to the 1640s; Brazil provided a 25,000-man expeditionary force with air and ground units to fight with the Allies in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II; the Navy participated in the Battle of the Atlantic (2025) - Military expenditures
- Military Expenditures 2020:1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)Military Expenditures 2021:1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)Military Expenditures 2022:1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)Military Expenditures 2023:1.1% of GDP (2023 est.)Military Expenditures 2024:1.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Brazilian Armed Forces (Forças Armadas Brasileiras): Brazilian Army (Exercito Brasileiro, EB), Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil; includes Naval Aviation (Aviacao Naval Brasileira) and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira) (2025)note: the three national police forces – the Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, and Federal Railway Police – have domestic security responsibilities and report to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Ministry of Justice)
- Military service age and obligation
- 18-45 years of age for compulsory military service for men (only 5-10% of those inducted are required to serve); compulsory service obligation is generally 12 months; 17-45 (18 for women) years of age for voluntary service (2025)note: in 2024, women were reported to comprise approximately 10% of the Brazilian military
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the Brazilian military's inventory consists of a mix of domestically produced and imported weapons, largely from Europe and the US; Brazil's defense industry designs and manufactures equipment for all three military services and for export; it also jointly produces equipment with other countries (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 360,000 active Armed Forces (220,000 Army; 70,000 Navy; 70,000 Air Force) (2025)
Space
- Space launch site(s)
- Alcantara Launch Center (Maranhão state); Barreira do Inferno Launch Center (Rio Grande do Norte state) (2025)
- Space agency/agencies
- Brazilian Space Agency (Agência Espacial Brasileira, AEB; established in 1994 when Brazil’s space program was transferred from the military to civilian control); National Institute for Space Research (INPE, under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations); Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA, under the Aeronautics Command (COMAER) of the Ministry of Defense) (2025)
- Space program overview
- develops, builds, operates, and tracks satellites, including communications, remote sensing (RS), multi-mission, navigational, and scientific/testing/research; satellites are launched by foreign partners, but Brazil has a long-standing sounding (research) rocket and satellite launch vehicle (SLV) program and rocket launch facilities; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of Argentina, Canada, the ESA, individual ESA member states (particularly France and Germany), India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Ukraine, and the US; has a state-controlled communications company that operates Brazil’s communications satellites and a growing commercial space sector (2025)
- Key space-program milestones
- 1960s - established a national space program under the Air Force
1984 - began satellite launch vehicle (SLV) program (Veículo Lançador de Satélites or VLS-1)
1985 - first communications satellite jointly produced with Canada and launched on European SLV
1993 - first domestically built experimental communications satellite (Satélite de Coleta de Dados, SCD-1) launched by US
2004 - launched a sounding rocket into sub-orbital space, but the subsequent catastrophic failure of a VLS-1 during a test launch led to scaling back the program
2006 - first Brazilian astronaut to the International Space Station on a Russian rocket
2008 - began work on a 3-stage microsatellite launch vehicle (Veículo Lançador de Microssatélite or VLM-1) in partnership with Germany
2021 - first independently produced remote sensing (RS) satellite (Amazonia-1) launched by India; signed US-led Artemis Accords on space exploration cooperation and signed cooperation agreements with the space agencies of China, India, Russia, and South Africa for the joint development of an RS satellite constellation
2022 - successfully launched suborbital rocket more than 225 km (140 miles) in height
Transnational Issues
- Illicit drugs
- USG identification:
major precursor-chemical producer (2025) - Trafficking in persons
- tier rating:Tier 2 Watch List — Brazil did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/brazil/
- Refugees and internally displaced persons
- IDPs:19,043 (2024 est.)refugees:331,097 (2024 est.)stateless persons:27 (2024 est.)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain).