Statistical Overview

During the last fifty years, the distribution of the Brazilian population by age groups has shifted. The fraction under 14 years of age has fallen from 43 percent to 31 percent, while the fraction over 60 years of age has risen from four percent to 7.3 percent. Life expectancy at birth has increased rom 46 years in 1950 to 67 years. The literacy rate was 50 percent in 1950. Today it is 84 percent.The Brazilian workforce totaled an estimated 72 million, or 46 percent of the population in 1996.Overall, the workforce expanded at an average annual rate of 3.2 percent during the 1980’s. Currently the workforce is expanding at a rate roughly equal to the population growth rate. Women account for 35 percent of the total Brazilian workforce, up from 28 percent in 1980.

The basic sanitation system in Brazil has improved substantially in the past 25 years. In 1995, 73 percent of households were served by a sewage system of some kind; 96 percent of households had potable water and 88 percent of all households were connected to the electric power grid. There are approximately one installed telephone and one automobile for every ten Brazilians. Production and sales of home appliances and consumer electronics increased significantly between 1994 and 1996, with growth averaging about 20 percent per year. In 1996 sales were up 81 percent compared to 1993. This extraordinary performance is attributed to increased disposable income and to wider consumer credit availability – factors that resulted from the implementation of the Real Plan. For the first time low-income families became consumers of color televisions and electrical appliances. By 1997, however, the cycle of growth in home appliances had run its course and the industry is expected to expand far more slowly in the coming years. Going into the 21st century, Brazil is the eighth largest economy in the world.

Source: Embassy of Brazil (www.brasilemb.org; www.brazilembassyinindia.com)