World Data
ENCYCLOPÆDIA
Britannica
Brazil
Vital statistics
Birth rate per 1,000 population (2008): 16.4 (world avg. 20.3).
Death rate per 1,000 population (2008): 6.4 (world avg. 8.5).
Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (2008): 10.0 (world avg. 11.8).
Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 2008): 1.90.
Life expectancy at birth (2008): male 68.7 years; female 76.0 years.
Marriage/divorce rates per 1,000 population (2008): 5.110/1.010.
Major causes of death per 100,000 population (2005)11: diseases of the circulatory system 180.5, of which cerebrovascular disease 57.2, ischemic heart disease 54.0; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 92.5; external causes 81.1, of which
accidents 37.0, violence 30.2 (excl. suicide 5.4); diseases of the respiratory system 61.9; diseases of the digestive system 31.8; infectious and parasitic diseases 25.8; diabetes mellitus 25.3; causes unknown 66.4.
Adult population (ages 15–49) living with HIV (2009): 0.4% (world avg. 0.8%).
Official name: República Federativa do
Brasil (Federative Republic of Brazil).
Form of government: multiparty
federal republic with 2 legislative
houses (Federal Senate [81]; Chamber
of Deputies [513]).
Head of state and government:
President.
Capital: Brasília.
Official language: Portuguese.
Official religion: none.
Monetary unit: real (R$; plural
reais); valuation (Sept. 1, 2011)
1 U.S.$ = R$1.61; 1 £ = R$2.59.
Social indicators
Area and population
area
States
Capitals
sq mi
Acre
Alagoas
Amapá
Amazonas
Bahia
Ceará
Espírito Santo
Goiás
Maranhão
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso do Sul
Minas Gerais
Pará
Paraíba
Paraná
Pernambuco
Piauí
Rio de Janeiro
Rio Grande do Norte
Rio Grande do Sul
Rondônia
Roraima
Santa Catarina
São Paulo
Sergipe
Tocantins
Federal District
Distrito Federal
Rio Branco
Maceió
Macapá
Manaus
Salvador
Fortaleza
Vitória
Goiânia
São Luís
Cuiabá
Campo Grande
Belo Horizonte
Belém
João Pessoa
Curitiba
Recife
Teresina
Rio de Janeiro
Natal
Porto Alegre
Porto Velho
Boa Vista
Florianópolis
São Paulo
Aracaju
Palmas
58,912
10,721
55,141
606,468
218,029
57,462
17,791
131,308
128,179
348,788
137,887
226,460
481,736
21,792
76,956
37,958
97,116
16,871
20,385
108,784
91,729
86,602
36,813
95,834
8,459
107,190
Brasília
TOTAL
2,240
3,287,6122, 3
population
sq km
2010
census1
152,581
27,768
142,815
1,570,746
564,693
148,826
46,078
340,087
331,983
903,358
357,125
586,528
1,247,690
56,440
199,315
98,312
251,529
43,696
52,797
281,749
237,576
224,299
95,346
248,209
21,910
277,621
732,793
3,120,922
668,689
3,480,937
14,021,432
8,448,055
3,512,672
6,004,045
6,569,683
3,033,991
2,449,341
19,595,309
7,588,078
3,766,834
10,439,601
8,796,032
3,119,015
15,993,583
3,168,133
10,695,532
1,560,501
451,227
6,249,682
41,252,160
2,068,031
1,383,453
5,802
8,514,8772, 3
2,562,963
190,732,694
Demography
Population (2011): 192,813,000.
Density (2011): persons per sq mi 58.6, persons per sq km 22.6.
Urban-rural (2010): urban 84.3%; rural 15.7%.
Sex distribution (2010): male 48.96%; female 51.04%.
Age breakdown (2005): under 15, 27.6%; 15–29, 27.7%; 30–44, 21.7%; 45–59,
14.1%; 60–74, 6.6%; 75–84, 1.8%; 85 and over, 0.5%.
Population projection: (2020) 207,143,000; (2030) 216,410,000.
Doubling time: 70 years.
Racial composition (2008): white 48.4%; mulatto and mestizo 43.8%; black and
black/Amerindian 6.8%; Asian 0.6%; Amerindian 0.3%; other/unknown
0.1%.
Religious affiliation (2005)4: Roman Catholic 65.1%; Protestant 12.7%, of
which Assemblies of God 9.2%; independent Christian 10.7%, of which
Universal Church of the Kingdom of God 2.2%; Spiritist (Kardecist) 1.3%;
Jehovah’s Witness 0.7%; African and syncretic religions 0.4%; Muslim 0.4%;
nonreligious/other 8.7%.
Major cities5 and metropolitan areas (2010)1: São Paulo 11,125,243 (19,672,582);
Rio de Janeiro 6,323,037 (11,875,063); Belo Horizonte 2,375,444 (5,413,627);
Porto Alegre 1,409,939 (3,895,168); Brasília 2,476,249 (3,710,543); Recife
1,536,934 (3,688,428); Fortaleza 2,447,409 (3,525,564); Salvador 2,675,875
(3,459,377); Curitiba 1,746,896 (3,124,044); Campinas 1,062,453 (2,798,477);
Goiânia 1,296,969 (2,052,794); Belém 1,380,836 (2,040,843); Manaus 1,793,416
(1,802,525); Vitória 325,453 (1,668,356).
Other principal cities5/metropolitan areas (2010)
Santos
São Luís
Natal
Guarulhos
Maceió
Joinville
João Pessoa
Florianópolis
São Gonçalo
Duque de Caxias
Teresina
Campo Grande
Nova Iguaçu
São Bernardo
do Campo
population
419,443/1,663,082
955,600/1,306,029
803,811/1,255,856
1,222,3576
931,984/1,156,278
497,788/1,115,764
720,789/1,068,937
405,243/1,012,831
999,1618
852,1318
767,777/814,439
776,654/787,204
786,5368
Londrina
Santo André
Blumenau
Osasco
Jaboatão
São José dos
Campos
Ipatinga
Ribeirão Preto
Contagem
Uberlândia
Sorocaba
Aracaju
Maringá
population
493,457/733,541
673,9146
294,968/668,715
666,4696
630,6837
615,610/627,544
236,678/615,004
603,401/605,114
601,0099
583,879/600,285
580,340/586,311
570,937/570,937
349,120/567,178
752,4146
Families. Average family size (2005) 3.2; (1996) 1–2 persons 25.2%, 3 persons
20.3%, 4 persons 22.2%, 5–6 persons 23.3%, 7 or more persons 9.0%.
Emigration (2000): Brazilian emigrants living abroad 1,887,895; in the U.S.
42.3%, in Paraguay 23.4%, in Japan 12.0%.
Immigration (2000): foreign-born immigrants living in Brazil 683,830; from
Europe 56.3%, of which Portugal 31.2%; South/Central America 21.0%; Asia
17.8%, of which Japan 10.4%.
Educational attainment (2007). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 13.6%; incomplete primary education 12.9%; complete primary 25.9%; lower secondary 13.9%; upper secondary 24.4%; higher 9.3%.
Distribution of income (2008)
percentage of national income by quintile
1
2
3
4
3.3
7.2
11.6
18.5
5 (highest)
59.4
Quality of working life. Proportion of employed population receiving minimum wage (2002): 53.5%. Number and percentage of children (age 5–17)
working: 5,400,000 (12.6% of age group).
Access to services. Proportion of urban households having access to (2008):
safe public (piped) water supply 92.1%; public (piped) sewage system 68.5%;
garbage collection 89.4%. Rural households have far less access to services.
Social participation. Voter turnout at last (October 2010) national legislative
election: 81.9%. Trade union membership in total workforce (2001):
19,500,000. Practicing Roman Catholic population in total affiliated Roman
Catholic population (2000): large cities 10–15%; towns and rural areas
60–70%.
Social deviance. Annual murder rate per 100,000 population (2005): Brazil 29.6;
Rio de Janeiro only (2002) 56; São Paulo only (2002) 54.
Leisure. Favourite leisure activities include: playing and watching football (soccer), dancing, practicing capoeira, rehearsing all year in neighbourhood
samba groups for celebrations of Carnival, and competing in water sports,
volleyball, and basketball.
Material well-being. Urban households possessing (2006): electricity 99.7%;
colour television receiver 94.8%; refrigerator 93.3%; washing machine 42.2%;
computer 25.5%; Internet access 19.6%; freezer 16.1%.
National economy
Gross national income (GNI; 2010): U.S.$1,830,392,000,000 (U.S.$9,390 per
capita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$10,920 per capita).
Structure of gross domestic product and labour force
200712
2009
in value
U.S.$’000,000
Agriculture, forestry
Mining
}
Public utilities
Manufacturing
Construction
Transportation and
communications
Trade, hotels
Finance, real estate
Pub. admin., defense
Services
Other
TOTAL
}
% of total
value
82,000
5.2
65,200
4.2
209,500
68,700
13.3
4.4
118,300
277,900
7.5
17.7
529,900
33.7
220,500
1,572,000
14.0
100.0
labour
force
% of labour
force
16,578,900
378,500
362,700
13,105,100
6,107,000
16.8
0.4
0.4
13.3
6.2
4,374,000
19,659,800
6,680,700
4,504,200
18,825,800
8,269,00013
98,845,6003
4.4
19.9
6.8
4.6
19.0
8.413
100.0 3
Budget (2008). Revenue: R$716,647,000,000 (taxes and welfare contributions
67.6%, social security contributions 22.8%, other 9.6%). Expenditures:
R$645,246,000,000 (social security and welfare 33.4%, transfers to state and
local governments 20.6%, personnel 20.3%, other 25.7%).
Public debt (external, outstanding; December 2009): U.S.$86,800,000,000.
Production (’000 metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing
(2009): sugarcane 671,395, soybeans 57,345, corn (maize) 51,232, cow’s milk
29,112, cassava 24,404, oranges 17,619, rice 12,652, chicken meat 9,967, cattle meat 9,508, bananas 6,783, wheat 5,056, tomatoes 4,310, dry beans 3,487,
potatoes 3,444, seed cotton 2,928, pig meat 2,924, coffee 2,440, watermelons
2,056, coconuts 1,973, hen’s eggs 1,922, sorghum 1,854, papayas 1,793, cashew
apples14 1,593, dry onions 1,512, pineapples 1,471, grapes 1,365, apples 1,223,
mangoes and guavas 1,198, tangerines, mandarins, and clementines 1,094,
lemons and limes 972, oil palm fruit 914, tobacco 863, maté 443, peanuts
(groundnuts) 293, cashews 221, cacao beans 218, natural rubber 127, garlic
87, pepper 65, Brazil nuts 28; livestock (number of live animals) 205,292,000
cattle, 38,045,200 pigs, 16,812,100 sheep, 5,496,460 horses; roundwood (2010)
264,149,139 cu m, of which fuelwood 54%; fisheries production 1,241,048
(from aquaculture 33%). Mining and quarrying (metric tons; 2008): columbium (niobium) 82,000 of pyrochlore in concentrates15 (world rank: 1); iron
ore (metal content) 233,514,000 (world rank: 2); tantalum 180 (world rank:
2); bauxite 28,097,500 (world rank: 3); asbestos fibre 287,673 (world rank:
3); graphite 76,200 (world rank: 3); kaolin (marketable product) 2,618,000;
manganese (metal content) 2,091,200; copper (metal content) 245,633; nickel (metal content in ore) 54,060; tin (mine output, metal content) 10,558;
gold 48,373 kg; diamonds 182,000 carats.
© 2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
World Data
ENCYCLOPÆDIA
Britannica
Land use as % of total land area (2009): in temporary crops or left fallow
7.2%, in permanent crops 0.9%, in pasture 23.2%, forest area 61.7%.
Manufacturing enterprises (2007)
number
of
employees
value added16
(in U.S.$’000,000)
1,299,436
34,782
413,148
37,956
33,055
26,508
501,543
19,216
260,190
127,051
18,792
17,407
338,549
99,887
228,604
168,437
319,997
14,774
12,833
12,082
10,387
8,865
314,804
272,915
330,028
111,075
552,508
50,810
404,112
7,758
6,842
5,855
5,777
5,620
5,538
4,832
225,022
92,814
3,872
3,423
Food products
Petroleum products
Motor vehicles and parts
Nonelectrical machinery and
apparatus
Paints, soaps, pharmaceuticals,
and related products
Iron and steel
Electrical machinery and
apparatus17
Industrial chemicals
Beverages
Paper and paper products
Fabricated metal products
Bricks, tiles, cement, and
related products
Plastics
Textiles
Publishing
Clothing
Nonferrous base metals
Footwear, leather processing
Wood and wood products
(excl. furniture)
Rubber products
Foreign trade
Balance of trade (current prices)
U.S.$’000,000
% of total
Population economically active (200712): total 98,845,600; activity rate of total
population 52.2% (participation rates: ages 15–64, 73.5%; female 43.5%;
unemployed [December 2009–November 2010] 6.9%).
Price index (2005 = 100)
Consumer price index
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
+33,842
21.2%
+44,928
23.4%
+46,463
20.3%
+40,028
14.2%
+24,746
6.7%
+25,347
9.0%
Imports (2009): U.S.$127,647,000,000 (machinery and apparatus 28.9%, of
which general industrial machinery 6.0%, power-generating machinery 4.2%,
telecommunications equipment 3.6%, specialized machinery for particular
industries 3.4%; chemicals and chemical products 19.8%, of which organic
chemicals 5.0%, medicines and pharmaceuticals 4.0%, fertilizers 3.0%; mineral fuels 14.8%, of which crude petroleum 7.2%, refined petroleum 3.6%;
road vehicles/parts 8.9%; base and fabricated metals 6.2%; food 4.4%). Major
import sources: United States 15.8%; China 12.5%; Argentina 8.8%;
Germany 7.7%; Japan 4.2%; South Korea 3.8%; Nigeria 3.7%; Italy 2.9%;
France 2.8%; Mexico 2.2%.
Exports (2009): U.S.$152,994,000,000 (food 23.4%, of which meat 7.5%, raw
cane sugar 3.9%, soybean animal foodstuffs 3.0%, coffee 2.5%; machinery
and apparatus 9.0%, of which power-generating machinery 2.2%, general
industrial machinery 2.2%; iron ore and concentrates 8.7%; soybeans 7.5%;
chemicals and chemical products 6.9%, of which organic chemicals 2.5%;
crude petroleum 6.2%; road vehicles/parts 5.3%; iron and steel 4.9%; aircraft/spacecraft 2.7%; wood pulp and waste paper 2.2%; refined petroleum
2.0%; tobacco 2.0%). Major export destinations: China 13.2%; United States
10.3%; Argentina 8.4%; Netherlands 5.3%; Germany 4.0%; Japan 2.8%;
U.K. 2.4%; Venezuela 2.4%; India 2.2%; Belgium 2.1%.
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Transport and communications
93.6
100.0
104.2
108.0
114.1
119.7
125.7
Transport. Railroads (2006): route length 29,605 km; (2005) passenger-km
5,852,000,00019; (2005) metric ton-km cargo 154,870,000,00019. Roads (2004):
total length 1,088,558 mi, 1,751,868 km (paved [2000] 6%). Vehicles (2007):
passenger cars 30,282,855; trucks and buses 7,694,824. Air transport (2008):
passenger-km 66,144,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 1,807,000,000.
Selected balance of payments data. Receipts from (U.S.$’000,000): tourism
(2009) 5,305; remittances (2010) 4,234; foreign direct investment (FDI;
2008–10 avg.) 33,148; official development assistance (2009) 338. Disbursements for (U.S.$’000,000): tourism (2009) 10,898; remittances (2009) 1,003;
FDI (2008–10 avg.) 7,297.
Direction of trade (2009)
imports
exports
U.S.$’000,000
%
U.S.$’000,000
%
8,465
40,596
15,911
5,368
4,818
2,191
33,904
9,866
3,664
3,625
2,408
44,682
20,214
11,281
2,783
2,616
1,601
—
127,647
6.6
31.8
12.5
4.2
3.8
1.7
26.6
7.7
2.9
2.8
1.9
35.0
15.8
8.8
2.2
2.0
1.3
—
100.0
8,688
48,330
20,191
4,270
2,622
3,415
40,200
6,175
3,016
2,949
3,727
53,137
15,745
12,785
2,676
2,657
1,712
2,640
152,995
5.7
31.6
13.2
2.8
1.7
2.2
26.3
4.0
2.0
1.9
2.4
34.7
10.3
8.4
1.7
1.7
1.1
1.7
100.0
Africa
Asia-Pacific
China
Japan
South Korea
India
Europe
Germany
Italy
France
United Kingdom
Western Hemisphere
United States
Argentina
Mexico
Chile
Canada
NOT SPECIFIED
TOTAL
Family income and expenditure. Average household size (2002–03) 3.6; average annual income per family (2008–09) R$31,516 (U.S.$15,093); sources of
income (2008–09): work-related 63.9%, transfers 19.4%, nonmonetary
income 13.4%, rent 1.8%; expenditure (2002–03): housing, energy, and household furnishings 35.9%, food and beverages 20.8%, transportation and communications 18.4%, health care 6.4%, education 4.1%.
Financial
petroleum (barrels; 2009) 711,900,000 ([2007] 634,000,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 2007) 82,210,000 (76,687,000); natural gas (cu m; 2009)
10,279,000,000 (18,717,000,000); ethanol (litres; 2008/09) 27,200,000,000
(22,050,000,000).
aggregates18
2005
Exchange rate, R$ per:
U.S. dollar
£
SDR
International reserves (U.S.$)
Total (excl. gold; ’000,000)
SDRs (’000,000)
Reserve pos. in IMF
(’000,000)
Foreign exchange (’000,000)
Gold (’000,000 fine troy oz)
% world reserves
Interest and prices
Central bank discount (%)
Govt. bond yield (%)
Industrial share prices
Balance of payments
(U.S.$’000,000)
Balance of visible trade
Imports, f.o.b.
Exports, f.o.b.
Balance of invisibles
Balance of payments,
current account
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2.34
4.03
3.34
2.14
4.19
3.21
1.77
3.55
2.80
2.34
3.41
3.60
1.74
2.71
2.73
1.67
2.61
2.56
53,245
29
85,156
8
179,433
2
192,844
1
237,364
4,527
287,056
4,450
—
53,216
1.08
0.1
—
85,148
1.08
0.1
—
179,431
1.08
0.1
—
192,843
1.08
0.1
950
231,888
1.08
0.1
2,037
280,570
1.08
0.1
25.34
…
…
19.98
…
…
17.85
…
…
20.48
…
…
15.17
…
…
17.30
…
…
+44,703
–73,606
118,308
–30,719
+46,458 +40,031 +24,746 +25,290 +20,221
–91,350 –120,618 –173,197 –127,705 –181,694
137,807
160,649 197,942 152,995 201,915
–32,838
–38,481 –53,046 –49,592 –67,586
+13,984
+13,620
+1,550
–28,300
–24,302
–47,365
Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 2008) 454,830,000,000
(419,960,000,000); hard coal (metric tons; 2009) 6,218,000 (23,010,000); crude
Communications
units
per 1,000
persons
number
in ’000s
Medium
date
Televisions
Telephones
Cellular
Landline
2003
65,949
369
2010
2010
202,94421
42,141
1,04121
216
Medium
date
PCs
Dailies
Internet users
Broadband
2006
2009
2009
2010
number
in ’000s
units
per 1,000
persons
29,340
8,19320
75,944
14,08721
161
5720
392
7221
Education and health
Literacy (2007/2008): total population age 15 and over literate/functionally literate 90.5%/79.0%; males literate/functionally literate 90.1%/78.4%; females
literate/functionally literate 90.9%/79.5%.
Education (2007–08)
teachers
Primary (age 7–10)
Secondary/Voc. (age 11–17)
Tertiary
students
773,624 17,812,436
1,375,114 23,645,669
375,202 5,958,135
student/
teacher ratio
enrollment
rate (%)
23.0
17.2
15.9
94
82
34 (age 18–22)
Health: physicians (2005) 505,841 (1 per 356 persons); hospital beds (2008)
443,210 (1 per 428 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (2008)
23.5; undernourished population (2005–07) 12,100,000 (6% of total population based on the consumption of a minimum daily requirement of 1,850 calories).
Military
Total active duty personnel (November 2010): 318,480 (army 59.7%, navy
18.5%, air force 21.8%); paramilitary (public security forces) 395,000; reserve
1,340,000. Military expenditure as percentage of GDP (2009): 1.7%; per capita expenditure U.S.$155.
1Preliminary
census. 2Total area including inland water per survey of 2002. 3Detail does
not add to total given because of rounding. 4Christian data include nominal Christians.
5Urban populations of municípios. 6Within São Paulo metropolitan area. 7Within Recife
metropolitan area. 8Within Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. 9Within Belo Horizonte
metropolitan area. 10Excludes Amerindian population of interior Brazil. 11Projected
rates based on c. 86% of total deaths. 12September. 13Includes 209,400 not adequately
defined and 8,059,600 unemployed. 14Edible stalks to which cashew nuts are attached.
15Niobium oxide content. 16At factor values. 17Includes televisions, radios, and telecommunications equipment. 18End-of-period figures. 19Includes suburban services.
20Circulation. 21Subscribers.
Internet resources for further information:
• IBGE: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística
• http://www.ibge.gov.br/english
• Central Bank of Brazil: Economic Data
• http://www.bcb.gov.br/?english
© 2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.