Brazil has the largest economy in South America and has experienced high rates of economic growth since 2000. However, Brazil also has a high debt level, accounting for over 60% of GDP in the early 2000s. While Brazil has a well-developed industrial and services sector, it also has widespread income inequality and infrastructure deficiencies outside of major cities. Going forward, Brazil needs reforms and increased social spending to promote more inclusive growth and reduce its vulnerabilities to financial crises.

1. Doing Business in Brazil

8. Comparison with Source: World Bank database 2002 26 30.2 90.7 Total Debt Service (% of exports) $34.9B $157B $223.8B PV of External Debt 3.4 22.4 18.6 High Tech Exports in Billions of USD 30.8 30.0 14.4 Imports of Goods & Services/GDP 31.8 27.6 13.4 Exports of Goods & Services/GDP $16.1B $171.2B $61.7B Exports 3.8% 5.5% 7.4% Annual Inflation 2.9% 3.5% 11.8% Real Interest Rate 3.2 4.4 1.5 GDP % Growth 63.5 617.8 502.5 GDP in US$ Billion Chile Mexico Brazil

27. Culture and Business