Brazil: health and care

How many Brazilians have private health insurance?

53,055,406 people had a private medical plan in Brazil in June 2026, according to the ANS sector data page, which also counts 36,736,226 members of dental-only plans. Coverage by medical plans was 24.9% of the population in August 2026.

Most members, 38.8 million, are on company-sponsored collective plans; 8.4 million have individual or family plans. Everyone in Brazil is entitled to the public SUS system, so private plans are used in addition to it. ANS data come from the beneficiary register that operators must report to, and recent months can be revised.

Official sources: ANS: general data on the private health sector

How much does Brazil spend on health?

Brazil's current health expenditure was 9.73% of GDP in 2023, according to World Bank data based on the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. It was 9.39% in 2022.

The figure includes public spending through the SUS and private spending, such as health plans and out-of-pocket payments, but leaves out capital investment. The national figures behind it come from Brazil's health accounts, and the World Bank series runs about three years behind. Spending per person and the public share are published in the same WHO database.

Official sources: World Bank: current health expenditure, % of GDP, Brazil

How many doctors does Brazil have?

Brazil had 2.36 physicians per 1,000 people in 2023, according to World Bank data from the WHO National Health Workforce Accounts, up from 2.19 in 2021.

The indicator counts generalist and specialist doctors and is based on national registers compiled by the WHO, which is why the latest year is 2023. A national average does not show how doctors are distributed between regions, cities and the countryside, or between the public SUS and private practice.

Official sources: World Bank: physicians per 1,000 people, Brazil

What is the infant mortality rate in Brazil?

Brazil's infant mortality rate was 12.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to World Bank data from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. IBGE's Sustainable Development Goals tables put under-5 mortality at 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023 (SIDRA table 6695).

Infant mortality counts deaths before the first birthday; under-5 mortality covers deaths before age five. The UN estimates are modelled to allow comparison across countries, so they can differ from rates calculated directly from Brazil's birth and death registers.

Official sources: World Bank: infant mortality rate, Brazil · IBGE SIDRA: under-5 mortality (table 6695)

How many dengue cases are there in Brazil?

The Ministry of Health publishes probable dengue cases and deaths on its arbovirus monitoring panel and on its dengue page. The panel is an interactive dashboard and its figures could not be read as text when checked on 14 October 2026, so no figure is given here.

The ministry notes that dengue in Brazil follows a seasonal pattern, with cases rising mainly between October and May. Case counts are notifications of probable cases and are revised for weeks after the event as investigations are closed, so the latest weeks are always incomplete.

Official sources: Ministry of Health: arbovirus monitoring panel · Ministry of Health: dengue

What is life expectancy in Brazil?

The latest figure from the UN Population Division, for 2024, is 76.0 years. No year since 2005 has been higher. Across Latin America & Caribbean the middle value was 74.0 years, and Brazil placed 12th highest of 33. Of 193 countries with 2024 data, 78th highest.

How many babies die in Brazil?

In 2024, the infant mortality rate in Brazil was 12.3 per 1,000, according to the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation. That is the lowest since at least 2005. It is 16th highest of 33 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 12.1 per 1,000. World rank, highest first: 98th of 192.

What is maternal mortality in Brazil?

67.0 per 100,000: that is the maternal mortality ratio in Brazil for 2023, according to the WHO. The peak was 128 per 100,000 in 2021 and the low 60.0 per 100,000 in 2012. Across Latin America & Caribbean the middle value was 55.0 per 100,000, and Brazil placed 11th highest of 33. Of 192 countries with 2023 data, 80th highest.

How much does Brazil spend on health?

The WHO puts current health spending in Brazil at 9.7% of GDP in 2023. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2005. Latin America & Caribbean median: 6.8% of GDP; Brazil is 3rd highest of 33. Worldwide: 29th of 191.

What is out-of-pocket health spending in Brazil?

The latest figure from the WHO, for 2023, is 26.2%. Its high point since 2005 was 2005, at 35.9%; its low point was 2016, at 24.4%. It is 24th highest of 33 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 29.3%. Worldwide: 107th of 191.

What is the doctor to patient ratio in Brazil?

The WHO puts the number of doctors per 1,000 people in Brazil at 2.4 per 1,000 in 2023. That is the highest since at least 2011. It is 5th highest of 9 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 2.4 per 1,000. World rank, highest first: 24th of 58.

How many hospital beds per person does Brazil have?

In 2021, hospital beds per 1,000 people in Brazil was 2.5 per 1,000, according to the WHO. Its high point since 2005 was 2008, at 2.6 per 1,000; its low point was 2019, at 2.3 per 1,000. Across Latin America & Caribbean the middle value was 2.0 per 1,000, and Brazil placed 13th highest of 31. Of 124 countries with 2021 data, 70th highest.

What is measles vaccine coverage in Brazil?

The latest figure from WHO and UNICEF, for 2024, is 93.0%. Its high point since 2005 was 2006, at 99.0%; its low point was 2021, at 73.0%. Latin America & Caribbean median: 89.5%; Brazil is 10th highest of 32. Worldwide: 74th of 191.