Rising output at Brazil's factories and mines in December, following a dismal 2011 performance, should help activity in 2012 as falling interest rates and rising investment help sustain growth in Latin America's largest economy
Brazil's economy expanded at a softer pace in the second quarter as a strong currency fueled a flood of cheap imports and industrial activity had its worst performance since the third quarter of 2009.
Brazil’s industrial output increased a seasonally adjusted 0.5% from February although it fell 2.1% compared with March 2010, the Brazilian Census Bureau, or IBGE, said Tuesday.
Brazil’s population reached 190.7 million according to primary data collected from the 2010 demographic census and released Friday by the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE. The census also showed that almost 10% of the population is illiterate.
Brazil announced Thursday it has become the world’s seventh economy after having expanded 7.5% in 2010, the strongest in 24 years. Brazil’s GDP now stands at 2.1 trillion US dollars with a per capita income of 11.185 USD.
Brazilian officials say inflation in January was the highest monthly jump in almost six years. The government's IBGE statistics bureau said that January inflation was 0.83%, the biggest monthly jump since April 2005, when inflation was 0.87%.
Brazil’s industrial output unexpectedly fell for a second straight month in December. Output in December fell 0.7% from November after a 0.2% decline in the previous month, the national statistics agency IBGE said this week.