Brazil – The shadow of fiscal imbalance looms over a fast-growing economy

Brazil – The shadow of fiscal imbalance looms over a fast-growing economy

In summary

While Brazil's growth performance has been quite remarkable, its success has been overshadowed by persistent fiscal concerns. At a time when the currency is already weakened by an unfavorable international context, fiscal uncertainty is accentuating the depreciation of the Brazilian real (BRL/USD), which in turn is tending to reinforce the inflationary pressures seen since May. 

Brazil – The shadow of fiscal imbalance looms over a fast-growing economy

The combination of high interest rates and rising expenditure is raising concerns about the trajectory of public debt, despite sustained economic growth. Recent developments have been rather disappointing: the trend towards debt reduction observed in 2021-2022 has been reversed; the new fiscal anchor appears to be ineffective, or its credibility has already been tarnished.

Catherine LEBOUGRE, Economist