Brazil Foreign Direct Investment (USD bn)

The economy ended 2022 on a sweet note: Monthly economic activity expanded at a stronger-than-expected pace of 0.3% in December. However, December’s reading was insufficient to offset steep contractions in October–November. Consequently, the Brazilian economy slid 0.2% in sequential terms in Q4 as the cumulative 1,175 basis points in Central Bank hikes by August 2022 succeeded in cooling activity. The quarterly setback came at the hands of a large fixed investment decline. Additionally, private spending growth waned markedly, although a lower unemployment rate and moderating price pressures prevented a sharper deceleration. Lastly, the external sector contributed to overall growth. The economic picture appears downbeat at the outset of 2023. In January–February, consumer and business sentiment and the services PMI averaged lower than in Q4, while the manufacturing PMI remained in contractionary territory despite improving.