Public sector primary balance in Brazil
- Data for: Aug 2026
- Aug 2025: -0.19% (−0.43 pp)
- Source: Central Bank of Brazil (SGS series 5793)
The consolidated public sector ran a primary deficit of 0.62% of GDP over the 12 months to Aug 2026. A year earlier (Aug 2025), it ran a primary deficit of 0.19% of GDP.
Series used: consolidated public sector primary balance, 12-month total, % of GDP (SGS 5793, sign inverted). Data updated on .
Value at the end of each year
| Year | Public sector primary balance, 12-month total, % of GDP |
|---|---|
| 2026 (through Aug 2026) | -0.62% |
| 2025 | -0.43% |
| 2024 | -0.40% |
| 2023 | -2.28% |
| 2022 | 1.25% |
| 2021 | 0.72% |
| 2020 | -9.24% |
| 2019 | -0.84% |
| 2018 | -1.55% |
| 2017 | -1.68% |
| 2016 | -2.48% |
| 2015 | -1.86% |
Analysis on this topic
What the primary balance is
It is the difference between public sector revenue and spending, not counting interest on the debt. A positive result is a primary surplus (money was left over before paying interest); a negative one is a primary deficit. The page shows the 12-month total as a share of GDP.
A note on the sign
The Central Bank publishes this series as the public sector borrowing requirement, in which a positive value means a deficit. Here the sign is inverted to read as a balance: positive values are surpluses and negative values are deficits. The CSV and JSON for this page follow the same convention.
Frequently asked questions
What is the latest value of "Primary balance (% of GDP)"?
Public sector primary balance, 12-month total, % of GDP: -0.62%, for Aug 2026. A year earlier (Aug 2025): -0.19%.
Is a positive primary balance good or bad?
Positive means a primary surplus: revenue exceeded spending excluding interest. Negative means a primary deficit. Whether the result is enough to stabilize the debt also depends on interest rates and economic growth.
Where does the "Primary balance (% of GDP)" data come from and when is it updated?
The data come from Central Bank of Brazil (SGS series 5793). This page shows the figure for Aug 2026 and the base was updated on Oct 26, 2026. The source may revise numbers already published.
Download the data and cite it
Full series in open format: CSV. Unit: % of GDP, 12-month total (positive = surplus, negative = deficit).
Updated . How to cite: dadobruto.com. Public sector primary balance, 12-month total, % of GDP. Data: Central Bank of Brazil (SGS series 5793). Updated Oct 26, 2026. https://dadobruto.com/en/brazil-in-numbers/primary-balance
License: You may copy and republish the data and charts, including commercially, under the CC BY 4.0 license. The condition is to credit "dadobruto.com" and, when published online, to link to dadobruto.com or to the page the data came from. The original numbers follow the rules of Central Bank of Brazil (SGS series 5793).
Also searched as: primary surplus, primary deficit, government primary balance.