Special Report: What is driving Brazil?

As Brazil overtakes the UK as the world's sixth largest economy, Maria Merricks looks at the key drivers behind its investment potential.

After a year of internal and external macro challenges for the UK, the country dropped to seventh place in the list of the world’s largest economies in 2011, with an increase in GDP from $0.23trn to $2.48trn Brazil took the sixth spot – its economy grew by $0.42trn to $2.52trn, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). But while traditionally viewed as a commodity play, Brazil’s booming domestic consumption story is making the most noise. “The main drivers of the economy are clear: household consumption represents around 60% of GDP while government consumpti...