Brazil

Federal Presidential RepublicPop213.4MGDP (PPP)$4.2TCI55Beta CP−3.0↓Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

Brazil

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Overview

Background: 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.

Geography

Area

Land: 8,358,140 sq km
Note: note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
Water: 157,630 sq km
Total: 8,515,770 sq km

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 m
Highest point: Pico da Neblina 2,994 m
Mean 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 km
Border 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 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Exclusive 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 km
Fresh 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

People & 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 languages
Major 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)/female
0 14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
Total 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 years
Total: 35.4 years (2025 est.)
Female: 36.1 years

Population

Male: 108,753,532
Total: 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 births
Total: 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 years
Female: 80.1 years
Total 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

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

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)

Capital

Name: Brasília
Etymology: 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 Islands
Time 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 age

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: yes
Citizenship BY descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

Constitution

History: several previous; latest ratified 5 October 1988
Amendment 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 dye
Local long form: República Federativa do Brasil
Local short form: Brasil
Conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
Conventional short form: Brazil

Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
Legal system: civil law
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 system
Judge 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

Note: note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Chief 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 2022
Election/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 2026

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 years
Lyrics/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 years
Number of seats: 513 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 10/2/2022
Expected date of next election: October 2026
Percentage 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 years
Number of seats: 81 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: partial renewal
Most recent election date: 10/2/2022
Expected date of next election: October 2026
Percentage 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) 238-2827
Chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700
Chief 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 Francisco
Email 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) 3225-9136
Embassy: SES - Avenida das Nações, Quadra 801, Lote 03, 70403-900 - Brasília, DF
Telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000
Mailing address: 7500 Brasilia Place, Washington DC  20521-7500
Branch office(s): Belo Horizonte
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Gabriel ESCOBAR (since 21 January 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Recife, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo
Email address and website: BrasilliaACS@state.gov

https://br.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: 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

Legislature

BRAZIL · LOWER HOUSE

Câmara dos Deputados

513 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

513

Majority line

258

Largest party

Democratic Movement Party

Parties

All political parties45 parties · 513 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Upper house

BRAZIL · UPPER HOUSE

Senado Federal

81 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

Democratic Movement Party

Parties

All political parties24 parties · 81 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Next election

2026

Leaders