Brazil becomes the world's seventh biggest economy - ahead of France and the United Kingdom

In Brazil, per capita income rose 6.5% last year, reaching 19,016 reais (US$ 11,490) compared to 16,634 reais (US$ 10,051) in 2009. In 2010, GDP grew 7.5%, reaching 3.675 trillion reais (US$ 2,221). And the population of Brazil rose to 190.8 million.

According to the Brazilian government statistical bureau (IBGE), in 2010 the investment rate, as a percentage of GDP, rose to 18.4%, the best result since 2008 when it reached 19.1% of GDP.

Passbook savings as a percentage of GDP reached 16.5% in 2010, up from 14.7% in 2009, but down from 18.8% in 2008. Finally, the IBGE reports that the country's financial needs (credit) reached 97.686 billion reais (US$ 59.02 billion), up from 56.916 billion reais (US$ 34,39 billion) in 2009.

The upside to 2010 GDP growth was that Brazil had become the world's seventh biggest economy - ahead of France and the United Kingdom - based on price parity and purchasing power.