Brazil

Economy & industry overview

Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and the ninth largest globally by nominal GDP, with output of approximately $2.3 trillion in 2025. The economy is diversified across services (roughly 63% of GDP), industry (18%), and agriculture (about 5%), with key export pillars including soybeans, iron ore, crude oil, beef, and poultry. The financial sector is well-developed, hosting large private banks and a fintech ecosystem that includes Nubank, one of the world's largest digital banks by customer count. Brazil is a leading global producer and exporter of commodities including iron ore (Vale), petroleum (Petrobras), and agricultural products, while also hosting significant industrial manufacturers such as WEG in electrical equipment and JBS in protein processing. The country recorded real GDP growth of approximately 2.5% in 2025 after 3.4% growth in 2024, with inflation of 4.26% finishing within the official target band.

Key sectors

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Macro

GDP nominal, USD	$2.30T
GDP growth real, annual	2.5%
Inflation annual	4.3%
Population people	213.4M
GDP per capita USD	$10,800
Market cap total listed, USD	$956.00B
Market cap / GDP	41.5%
Listed companies	463
Exchange	B3 – Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão (BVMF)

Data year: 2025. Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook April 2026 (GDP figures), IBGE – Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (population, GDP growth, inflation IPCA 2025), Agência Brasil / EBC (GDP growth 2.5% 2025, inflation 4.26% 2025), companiesmarketcap.com – Largest Brazilian companies by market cap (USD figures, June 2026), CNN Brasil / InfoMoney / TimesBrasil (Itaú vs Petrobras market cap ranking end-2025), B3 official website b3.com.br (listed companies count, non-resident investor rules), CEIC Data (B3 market capitalization USD), iShares/BlackRock EWZ product page (expense ratio 0.59%), Franklin Templeton FLBR product page (expense ratio 0.19%), iShares ILF fact sheet March 2026 (expense ratio 0.47%), Vanguard VWO fund documentation March 2026 (Brazil allocation 5.1%), iShares EEM NPORT-P SEC filing 2025 (Brazil allocation ~3.2%), Interactive Brokers press release December 2025 (B3 access announcement), citizenremote.com / globalcitizensolutions.com / goldenvisas.com (VIPER program details 2025), oliveiralawyers.com / brazilbeachhouse.com (VIPER real estate minimums), B3 non-resident investor page (CVM Joint Resolution 13/2025 framework), brasiltax.com / riotimesonline.com (foreign investor account opening guide), stockanalysis.com (Nu Holdings ROXO34, BTG Pactual BPAC11 data), est. GDP per capita calculated from IMF GDP / IBGE population.

Local exchange & access

Exchange	B3 – Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão
Code	BVMF
Website	www.b3.com.br/en_us/
Currency	BRL

Local broker access

Interactive Brokers added direct access to B3 for eligible non-Brazil-resident clients in December 2025, allowing trading of Brazilian equities from international accounts on its standard platform alongside 160+ other markets. Saxo Bank lists B3 equities among its tradeable markets for international clients. XP Investimentos, BTG Pactual Digital, and Modalmais are leading local Brazilian brokers that accept non-resident individuals, though the account-opening process requires a CPF, proof of address, and relevant identity documents. Foreign individuals living in Brazil can open local brokerage accounts with any CVM-regulated broker; non-residents abroad typically use a foreign investor registration through a local custodian bank or broker acting as their legal representative under CVM Resolution 13/2022. Withholding tax of 15% (or 25% for residents in low-tax jurisdictions) applies to capital gains and dividends for non-residents.

Global brokers with foreign-market access

• Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
• Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
• Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.

Listed for convenience only — not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.

Relocation & residency

Foreign-investor access

Brazil has no general statutory prohibition on foreign ownership of listed equities on B3. Non-resident investors (individuals and institutions) may invest in Brazilian listed securities under the framework established by Banco Central do Brasil and CVM Joint Resolution No. 13 (effective January 1, 2025), which replaced the older Annex IV regime. Foreign investors must register with B3 as a non-resident investor and will require a Brazilian CPF (taxpayer identification number); as of 2025, B3 facilitates CPF issuance through an integration with the CVM registration system (SINCAD). Investors must use a locally licensed broker or custodian as their local representative. Currency conversions and remittances are handled through the FX market with registration at the Banco Central do Brasil. Certain sectors (rural land, media, coastal property) have foreign ownership restrictions at the company level, but these do not generally apply to exchange-traded securities.