New Consumer Capital of the World

Ok, I am exagerating a bit, but I dug up this great  NY Times article which highlights the ascent of millions of poor in Brazil into the middle class. It is from 2008, but things have just gone uphill since then...

You can call the Brazilian president Lula a populist, but his assistance programs have changed the lives for millions, indeed. By some estimates, over 30m have moved from the poor classes into the so-called "C-Class", which is the Brazilian middle class, where people have access to FMG, holiday trips, cars and their first own home.

And if I look at the last part, depending on how well policy is maintained, we may be looking at a serious real estate bubble in some parts of Brazil (São Paulo is probably a good bet) in the near future...

Brazil takes off

WHEN, back in 2001, economists at Goldman Sachs bracketed Brazil with Russia, India and China as the economies that would come to dominate the world, there was much sniping about the B in the BRIC acronym. Brazil?

Read more of this excellent and very balanced special, here.

About this Blog

"Brazil is the country of the future", a common saying in Brazil. Critics usual expand the phrase with "... and will always be."

However, much has changed since the lost decade of the 80s. Brazil has gone through a remarkable change - 25 years of democracy and 15 years of economic stability are the basis for the situation in Brazil today.

Is the country over the hill? Not yet, but chances have never been better. This blog highlights and comments the current situation of the powerhouse of Latin America.