| 1 $ = | Start | 09/01/2026 | Change | |
| Last 24 hours | 5.1854 R$ | ⇨ | 5.1418 R$ | -0.84% |
| Last week | 5.152 R$ | ⇨ | 5.1418 R$ | -0.2% |
| Last month | 5.0805 R$ | ⇨ | 5.1418 R$ | +1.21% |
| Last year | 5.4458 R$ | ⇨ | 5.1418 R$ | -5.58% |
| Currency | 08/25/2026 | 09/01/2026 | Change | |
| Liberian Dollar (LRD) | 166.55 L$ | ⇨ | 180.5 L$ | +8.37% |
| Russian Ruble (RUB) | 83.7 руб | ⇨ | 86.824 руб | +3.73% |
| Bolivian Boliviano (BOB) | 11.518 Bs | ⇨ | 11.915 Bs | +3.45% |
| Colombian Peso (COP) | 3,101.1 $ | ⇨ | 3,178.7 $ | +2.5% |
| Hungarian Forint (HUF) | 309.58 Ft | ⇨ | 317.21 Ft | +2.47% |
| Nigerian Naira (NGN) | 1,347.1 ₦ | ⇨ | 1,332.7 ₦ | -1.07% |
| Fijian Dollar (FJD) | 2.2313 FJ$ | ⇨ | 2.2013 FJ$ | -1.34% |
| Afghan Afghani (AFN) | 66 Af | ⇨ | 65 Af | -1.52% |
| Paraguayan Guaraní (PYG) | 5,996.2 ₲ | ⇨ | 5,902.8 ₲ | -1.56% |
| Mauritian Rupee (MUR) | 48.45 Rs | ⇨ | 47.09 Rs | -2.81% |
| See also: 24h, monthly and yearly currency moves | ||||
| Currency name | Brazilian Real |
| Symbol | R$ |
| Also known as | BRL, Brazilian Real, R$1 = 100 centavos |
| ISO code | BRL |
| Banknotes | R$2, R$5, R$10, R$20, R$50, R$100, R$200 |
| Coins | 5, 10, 25, 50 centavos; R$1 |
| Central bank | Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) - Website: www.bcb.gov.br |
| Countries | 1 country: Brazil (capital: Brasília, major cities: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador) |
| Population | 215 mil. |
History
Brazil's economic history is characterised by a series of currency changes that reflect the country's struggles with inflation. Brazil has had eight different currencies since independence in 1822, more than almost any other country. The pattern: inflation would erode a currency's value, a reform would introduce a new one with zeros dropped, then inflation would resume.
The sequence: the Brazilian real (1690s), milréis (1833), cruzeiro (1942), cruzeiro novo (1967), cruzeiro (1970), cruzado (1986, at 1,000:1), cruzado novo (1989, at 1,000:1), cruzeiro (1990), cruzeiro real (1993, at 1,000:1), and finally the current real (1994, at 2,750:1 from the cruzeiro real).
The Plano Real of 1994, introduced by Finance Minister Fernando Henrique Cardoso, was the turning point. Unlike previous stabilisation attempts, it succeeded through a combination of fiscal adjustment, monetary anchoring to the US dollar, and the introduction of the URV (Unit of Real Value) as a transitional accounting unit. The plan broke Brazil's hyperinflation — which had reached over 2,000% per year — and ushered in lasting monetary stability.
The real floated freely from January 1999, after a speculative attack. The Banco Central do Brasil manages an inflation-targeting framework. The real remains vulnerable to global commodity price swings (Brazil is a major exporter of iron ore, soybeans, and oil), political risk, and changes in US monetary policy affecting emerging market capital flows.
Sources:
"Brazilian real", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_real
"Plano Real", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plano_Real