Facts and Figures
	Economy

Facts and Figures
* Vital statistics may not always include rural population of Acre, Amapa’, Amazonas, Para’, Rondonia and Roraima states.

With a debt exceeding 500bil/USD, major demographic shifts continue to have a dramatic effect on Brazil’s eco nomy. Urban and metro population are increasing rapidly due to high birth rates, high number of young adults seeking work as well, as rural - migrations looking to improve their quality of life. Brazil’s c ities continue to struggle to provide adequate resources to sustain the needs of the growing multitudes settling within. At the same time, Brazil’s profitable mining and agricultural operations remain embroil ed in domestic and international controversies regarding Brazil’ s ecological jewel, the Amazon Rainforest combined with the displacement of indigenous Indian groups.

Despite these issues, Brazil with its vast geography and deep resources is a country making positive strides to realize it’s full potential.Brazil has the fifth largest population in the world with an economy representing nearly half the output of all of Latin America. Despite continuing political conflicts the days of hyperinflation have been brought to an end.  In recent years Brazil has shown solid economic growth, reduced inflation and sizeable additions to the actively employed workforce.

Weighing on Brazil’s economic growth is a foreign debt that exceeds 500/bil USD and a dramatic population shift from rural communities to major city centers.  Population growth in Brazil’s major cities is growing far faster then the infrastructure required to support this migration.  Key faults include job growth, housing, health care, security and public transportation.  This growth, when combined with the weight of government debt, limits the options available for increasing investment required to address these faults.

Brazil is also seeing some reductions in the profits generated by the export of mineral and agricultural products.  In part, this is the result of greater global competition.  Additional pressure is also weighing on these sectors as international attention is focused on the protection of Brazil’s environmentally critical rain forest.  To counter these pressures Brazil has focused attention on growing their services sector with positive results that are close to offsetting loses being felt in traditional industries.