Country profile · South America
Brazil
Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area. It has about 213 million people and the largest economy in Latin America. It has not fought a war with a neighbor since 1870. China has been its largest trading partner since 2009. Brazil votes in a general election on October 4, 2026.
Where Brazil ranks
All rankings →Who runs Brazil?
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been president since January 2023. He also served from 2003 to 2010. He lost a finger as a teenage factory worker. The first round of the next election is on October 4, 2026, with a runoff on October 25 if needed. Lula's main opponent is Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Polls show a close runoff. In 2025 the Supreme Court sentenced Jair Bolsonaro to more than 27 years in prison for plotting a coup. No party holds more than a fifth of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies, so presidents govern through coalitions.
- Workers' Party and allies 82
- Bolsonaro's Liberal Party 98
- Other parties 333
Portrait: Ricardo Stuckert, Presidency of Brazil, CC BY 2.0
Who are Brazil's allies and rivals?
Brazil has no military rivals. Its borders were settled by treaty and arbitration by 1912. It is a founding member of Mercosur. The bloc includes Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia. Brazil is also a founding member of BRICS. Argentina's President Milei endorsed Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in July 2026 and called President Lula a convict. Brazil recalled its ambassador and downgraded relations in August 2026. The United States imposed a 25% tariff on many Brazilian goods in July 2026.
Allies and partners
ChinaLargest trading partner since 2009
ArgentinaMercosur partner, ties downgraded August 2026
ParaguayMercosur founding member
UruguayMercosur founding member
IndiaFellow BRICS member
South AfricaFellow BRICS member
Tensions
United States25% tariff on many goods, July 2026
- Essequibo Held by Guyana, claimed by Venezuela. Brazil reinforced its northern border in 2023.
- Brazil
- Partner
Who does Brazil trade with?
Brazil exported a record $348.7 billion of goods in 2025. It imported $280.4 billion. China took 28.7% of exports. The United States took 10.8%. Crude oil was the top export at $44.6 billion, followed by soybeans at $43.5 billion and iron ore at $28.9 billion. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of soybeans, coffee, sugar, beef, chicken and orange juice. In the first half of 2026 the United States took 9.4% of Brazil's exports, its lowest share since 1997.
Sells to
Share of Brazil's exports
- China28.7%
- United States10.8%
- Argentina5.2%
Netherlands3.4%
Spain2.5%
Buys from
Share of Brazil's imports
- China25.3%
- United States16.1%
Germany5.1%- Argentina4.6%
Russia3.6%
Goods trade, 2025. Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), compiled by the China-Brazil Business Council.
How strong is Brazil's military?
Brazil spent $23.9 billion on its military in 2025, the 21st most in the world and the most in Latin America. About 74% of the defense budget goes to pay and pensions. Brazil ordered 36 Saab Gripen fighters from Sweden in 2014. Eleven had been delivered by June 2026. The navy has three French-designed submarines in service and a fourth in sea trials. Brazil is building a nuclear-powered submarine, but the defense ministry moved its launch to 2038.
Military spending, 2025
Full ranking →- Brazil$23.9bn
Colombia$14.5bn
Mexico$13.6bn
Chile$5.3bn- Argentina$3.9bn
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, 2026 edition
Does Brazil have nuclear weapons?
No. The 1988 constitution allows nuclear activity only for peaceful purposes. Under military rule the navy ran a secret nuclear program. In 1990 President Fernando Collor sealed a shaft in the Amazon thought to be for a nuclear test. In 1991 Brazil and Argentina set up a joint agency to inspect each other's nuclear sites. Brazil fully joined the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which bans nuclear weapons in Latin America, in 1994. It joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1998. Brazil enriches uranium but has not signed the IAEA's Additional Protocol.