A young child washing a baby in a small plastic bath in one of Rio's many favelas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. © Adam Hinton (Panos)
Brazil is the world’s ninth-largest economy with a growth rate of 5.3% in 2007. Accounting for over 1/3 of Latin America’s GDP. Brazil is a major recipient and increasingly a source of investment in Latin America.
But the poorest 20% of its 191m population accounts for only 2.94% of national income, making Brazil one of the ten most unequal countries in the world. More than 20% of the population are below the national poverty line. And 71% of these are Afro-Brazilian.
Brazil is a powerful regional – and global – force for poverty reduction. DFID’s programme has evolved from bilateral aid to a partnership to support Brazil as an influential player in global processes and policy-making. It has much experience to share, and to shape development paths eg social protection, HIV/AIDS, biofuels, climate change.