General

Rio de Janeiro will be hosting the Olympic Games in 2016.

Value System, Ethnic Groups and Language

Brazil scores lower on the individualism index, and higher on the power distance index. The concepts of class and status are strong and may determine one’s profession; class is determined in economic terms. Ethnic groups are: white (55%), mixed (38%), black (6%), other (1%). Languages are Portuguese (official), Spanish, English and French.

Tips on Doing Business

Brazilians value the person they do business with more than the company. Thus, avoid any changes in your negotiating team. It’s important to host a a good meal with a Brazilian prospect and a key part of relationship building. Brazilians do not consider themselves as Hispanics and they resent being spoken to in Spanish. Be sure to have all your documentation in both Portuguese and English. The lack of punctuality is a fact of life.

The Pew Global Attitudes Project is an interactive database that allows users to explore public opinion trends in 55 countries on topics ranging from attitudes towards the U.S. to peoples assessments of their own lives to views about globalization, democratization and extremism and other important issues.

Brazil ranks as no. 80 (of 180 countries) on Transparency International’s 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index.