Indicators of economy in Brazil

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The consequences of the COVID pandemic in 2020 were considerable in Brazil. Overall, gross domestic product in 2020 fell from 1.873 trillion US dollars to 1.449 trillion US dollars. With a large drop of 22.67 percent, the economy in Brazil has struggled significantly more than other countries. The tourism sector alone slumped by around 49 percent. The unemployment rate rose from 12.1 to 13.9 percent. The country's gross debt fell by 14.9 percent. The inflation rate fell from 3.7 percent previously to 3.2 percent by the end of 2020.

In 2021, there was already a recovery and the gross domestic product increased to 1.609 trillion US dollars (=85.9% of 2019).

Income and purchasing power

The average monthly income in Brazil is 645 US Dollar per capita. In the USA, the figure is 5,911 US Dollar. However, the prices of consumer goods are also around 50.2 percent lower than in the USA. If you compare income and price levels, the result is a more expensive life in Brazil than in the United States. The bottom line is that the costs do not offset the lower income, and you get about 78.1 percent less.

However, it is also important to remember that this is a purely statistical model. Both the labor output and the type and quality of the goods received always correspond to the national average on both sides of the equation - so they do not necessarily have to match. Here you can also find an international comparison of cost of living and purchasing power.

Unemployment rates in percentages 1991 - 2022

Economic performance 2021

In the Global Innovation Index, Brazil ranked 54th in 2022 with 32.5 points. The index is calculated annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and most recently included 132 countries. The top country was Switzerland with 64.6 points. Out of the 2,000 largest listed companies in the world, 23 originate from Brazil. This is determined annually in the Forbes Global 2000 list. The 10 largest companies in the country in 2022 were:

Rank 65: Petrobras (Rio de Janeiro)
Rank 118: Vale (Rio de Janeiro)
Rank 138: Itaú Unibanco Holding (São Paulo)
Rank 182: Banco Bradesco (Osasco)
Rank 268: Banco do Brasil (Brasília)
Rank 401: JBS (Vila Jaguara)
Rank 774: Banco Btg Pactual (Rio de Janeiro)
Rank 953: Braskem (Butanta)
Rank 962: Gerdau (Cosigua) (São Paulo)
Rank 992: Suzano Papel e Celulose (Salvador)

Development of gross domestic product in billions of USD 1960 - 2021

Household debt and deficits 2021

Imports and Exports 2022

Development of imports and exports in billions of USD 1975 - 2022