Inequality, Democracy, and Growth in Brazil

Introduction

With 3.09 million square miles, Brazil has the largest geographical area in Latin America and the 5th largest in the world. In 2014, its GDP should remain in the 7th position in world, ranking at about 2.2 trillion dollars. However, its per capita income puts the country in the middle-income range, positioning it at number 60 among the almost 200 countries in the world. It is even behind many Latin America countries, such as Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay and Argentina.¹

The country is certainly a political and economic leader in Latin America, but has never attained a prominent position on the world scene, be it as an economic power or as a country with a high level of human development. It went through a period of intense growth ...