Brazil Economic Snapshot
Going for Growth 2021 - Brazil
The need to rekindle economic activity after the pandemic only intensifies the urgency of tackling long-standing structural policy challenges. To sustain strong growth productivity needs to increase, as well as protection of those in need and economic opportunities for all.
©Shutterstock/Anton Petrus
Read full country note
2021 Structural Reform Priorities
- Social protection: Increase the effectiveness of social benefits
- Education and skills: Enhance equity and outcomes in education and professional training
- Competition and regulation: Reduce barriers to competition and trade
- Tax system: Reduce distortions in the tax system
- Environmental policy: Preserve natural assets and halt deforestation
Economic Survey of Brazil (16 December 2020)
Executive Summary
Presentation
Further reading
- Watch the Press Conference
- Difficult decisions in difficult times - Improving public spending in Brazil, Blog post
- Escolhas difíceis em tempos difíceis - Melhorando os gastos públicos no Brasil, Blog post
- Listen to the authors discuss the survey (Podcast in Portuguese)
- Overview
- Press release
- Read the survey online
- Previous surveys on Brazil
- Latin America: Blog Posts
Economic Forecast Summary (December 2020)
Despite new infections and fatalities remaining high, the economy has started to recover across a wide range of sectors. GDP growth is expected to be 2.6% in 2021 and 2.2% in 2022, but activity will still fall short of pre-pandemic levels by late 2022. Inflation will remain below target and high liquidity provision, including through record-low interest rates, will support investment. Fiscal vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by the necessary policy response and public debt has risen. A failure to continue structural reform progress could hold back investment and future growth.
The strong fiscal and monetary policy response managed to prevent a sharper economic contraction. A temporary emergency benefit has supported over 67 million low-income households, cushioning the impact on household incomes and poverty. As the recovery will take time and some jobs may not return, well-targeted improvements in social protection would be warranted. Reallocating some current expenditures and raising spending efficiency would allow such improvements to be financed, while simultaneously resuming the fiscal adjustment underway before the pandemic. Structural reforms to enhance domestic and external competition and improve the investment climate could raise productivity, while better professional training would allow more people to seize new economic opportunities.