Brazil's fiscal balance in August 2025 revealed that the nominal budget deficit widened slightly to R$91.5 billion, up from R$90.4 billion a year earlier, underlining the persistent pressure of debt servicing costs. Yet, on the primary balance side, there was a modest improvement, as the consolidated public sector posted a deficit of R$17.3 billion, smaller than the R$21.4 billion deficit in August 2024, suggesting some fiscal restraint.

Breaking it down, the central government remained the main source of the shortfall (R$15.9 billion), while regional governments and state-owned companies contributed marginally. Encouragingly, the 12-month rolling primary deficit narrowed to R$23.1 billion, just 0.19% of GDP, marking a small but notable improvement from July.

However, the bigger picture remains daunting. The nominal deficit stood at nearly R$970 billion, or 7.81% of GDP, signalling that interest payments continue to anchor Brazil's fiscal challenges. While incremental gains in the primary balance point to improving discipline, the high nominal deficit highlights the structural difficulty of containing debt dynamics. Policymakers face the ongoing task of sustaining fiscal consolidation without stifling growth or fuelling social discontent.