Brazil vs Mexico
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Brazil and Mexico are Latin America's two largest economies with fundamentally different growth models. Mexico's economy is deeply integrated with the United States through USMCA (formerly NAFTA), with 80%+ of its exports going north. Brazil's trade is more diversified, with China as its largest partner. Mexico's proximity to the US has made it a nearshoring magnet, while Brazil's growth depends more on commodity cycles and domestic consumption. Mexico has maintained more macroeconomic stability with lower inflation and a floating currency, while Brazil has higher interest rates and more volatile growth.
Brazil has a GDP of $2.64T compared to Mexico's $2.12T, making it 1.2x larger. Brazil's population is 212.8M vs Mexico's 131.9M. Across 12 key indicators, Mexico leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Brazil |  Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2.64T✓ | $2.12T |
| GDP per Capita | $12,313 | $15,779✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 1.9%✓ | 1.6% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $24,428 | $26,643✓ |
| Population | 212.8M✓ | 131.9M |
| Life Expectancy | 76.0 years✓ | 75.3 years |
| Inflation (%) | 4.0% | 3.9%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | 6.8% | 2.7%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 96.5% | 62.7%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.6 | 1.9✓ |
| Gini Index | 50.3 | 42.6✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 2.3✓ | 3.6 |
Summary
Brazil has a GDP of $2.64T compared to Mexico's $2.12T, making the former economy 1.2x larger. In terms of population, Brazil has 212.8M people while Mexico has 131.9M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Brazil leads in 5 and Mexico leads in 7.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Brazil | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $2.64T2026 | $2.12T2026 |
| World Bank | $2.28T2025 | $1.83T2025 |
| United Nations | $2.19T2024 | $1.85T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Brazil spans about 21% across 2 years; Mexico spans about 16% across 1 year.
| Source | Brazil | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $12,3132026 | $15,7792026 |
| World Bank | $10,7132025 | $13,8892025 |
| United Nations | $10,3112024 | $14,1582024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Brazil spans about 19% across 2 years; Mexico spans about 14% across 1 year.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.