Countries · Americas
Brazil
Brazil is Latin America's largest economy and a major commodity exporter, with direct investment of between $60bn and $80bn in most years since 2015.
At a glance
Net inflows of foreign direct investment were $77.7bn in 2025, against an average of $65.2bn a year in 2015–2024. Investors based in Brazil put a net $30.2bn into direct investment abroad in the same year, less than Brazil received. Foreign investors were net sellers of $4.95bn of shares in Brazil in 2025. Brazil ran a current account deficit in every year shown, which means it relied on money from abroad. Investors in Brazil held $168.4bn of US Treasury securities at the end of August 2026, −$16.2bn on a year earlier, and $27.1bn of US shares.
Brazil's central bank holds large reserves, which have cushioned the currency through periods of stress. Portfolio flows into Brazilian shares and bonds swing with interest rates and politics more than direct investment does. Brazil is a founding member of BRICS.
Brazil's holdings of US securities
Treasuries, shares and bonds issued in the US and held by investors in Brazil.
Holdings of US securities
End of month, Aug 2025 to Aug 2026, $bn.
Net purchases of long-term US securities
Each month, $bn. Positive means net buying.
The US Treasury records holdings by the country where securities are held in custody, which is not always the owner's country. Why this matters.
Direct and equity investment
Annual net flows, $bn. Direct investment means building or buying businesses; portfolio equity means buying listed shares and fund units.
Net flows by year
Direct investment into and out of Brazil, and foreign buying of its shares, $bn.
Current account and reserves
The balance of trade and income with the rest of the world, and the reserves held by the central bank.
Current account balance
Each year, $bn. A surplus means the country lends to the rest of the world.
Foreign exchange reserves, including gold
End of year, $bn.
Remittances
Money sent home by people working abroad, compared with direct investment, $bn.
Remittances and direct investment
Each year, $bn.
The economy
GDP
Current US dollars, $bn. Dollar figures also move with exchange rates.
Growth and inflation
Real GDP growth and consumer price inflation, per cent.
All figures
Annual figures from the World Bank, as published. Download them for every country on the data page.
| Indicator | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (m) | 201.68 | 203.22 | 204.70 | 206.11 | 207.46 | 208.66 | 209.55 | 210.31 | 211.14 | 212.00 | 212.81 |
| GDP ($bn) | 1,802.2 | 1,795.7 | 2,063.5 | 1,916.9 | 1,873.3 | 1,476.1 | 1,670.6 | 1,951.9 | 2,191.1 | 2,185.8 | 2,279.9 |
| GDP per person ($) | 8,936 | 8,836 | 10,081 | 9,301 | 9,030 | 7,074 | 7,973 | 9,281 | 10,378 | 10,311 | 10,713 |
| Real GDP growth (%) | −3.5 | −3.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.2 | −3.3 | 4.8 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.3 |
| Inflation (%) | 9.0 | 8.7 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 8.3 | 9.3 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 5.0 |
| Current account ($bn) | −63.41 | −30.53 | −25.26 | −53.82 | −63.96 | −24.22 | −39.40 | −41.96 | −26.98 | −65.31 | −66.72 |
| Current account (% GDP) | −3.5 | −1.7 | −1.2 | −2.8 | −3.4 | −1.6 | −2.4 | −2.1 | −1.2 | −3.0 | −2.9 |
| Reserves incl. gold ($bn) | 356.5 | 365.0 | 374.0 | 374.7 | 356.9 | 355.6 | 362.2 | 324.7 | 355.0 | 329.7 | 358.5 |
| Direct investment in ($bn) | 64.74 | 74.29 | 68.89 | 78.18 | 69.17 | 38.27 | 46.44 | 75.50 | 62.75 | 74.09 | 77.68 |
| Direct investment out ($bn) | 3.13 | 14.69 | 21.34 | 2.02 | 22.82 | −3.47 | 16.24 | 33.35 | 25.15 | 26.34 | 30.18 |
| Portfolio equity in ($bn) | 9.79 | 11.04 | 5.67 | −2.95 | −1.81 | −5.21 | 7.59 | 11.45 | 0.83 | −17.51 | −4.95 |
| Remittances ($bn) | 2.90 | 2.74 | 2.70 | 2.93 | 3.21 | 3.57 | 4.10 | 4.97 | 4.43 | 4.90 | 4.76 |
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