Brazil Central Bank — Free Brazilian Economic Data API (No Key)

TL;DR

The Brazilian Central Bank (BACEN) provides a free API for economic time series data through its SGS (Sistema Gerenciador de Séries) system. Access thousands of economic indicators including the SELIC interest rate, IPCA inflation, exchange rates, GDP data, and industrial production. Each series has a unique ID number — for example, series 20716 is the IGP-M inflation index. Data is available in JSON and XML formats, dating back decades. No API key is required.

Quick start: https://api.bcb.gov.br/dados/serie/bcdata.sgs.20716/dados/ultimos/10?formato=json

No API key needed — just make a request!

How to Use This API

1. Latest 10 Values of IGP-M Inflation Index

https://api.bcb.gov.br/dados/serie/bcdata.sgs.20716/dados/ultimos/10?formato=json

2. SELIC Interest Rate (Series 11)

https://api.bcb.gov.br/dados/serie/bcdata.sgs.11/dados/ultimos/30?formato=json

3. USD Exchange Rate (Series 1)

https://api.bcb.gov.br/dados/serie/bcdata.sgs.1/dados/ultimos/5?formato=json

4. JavaScript — Plot SELIC History

fetch('https://api.bcb.gov.br/dados/serie/bcdata.sgs.11/dados/ultimos/60?formato=json')
  .then(r => r.json())
  .then(data => {
    data.forEach(d => {
      console.log(`${d.data}: ${d.valor}%`);
    });
  });

5. Python — Date Range Query

import requests
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

end = datetime.now()
start = end - timedelta(days=365)
params = {
    'dataInicial': start.strftime('%d/%m/%Y'),
    'dataFinal': end.strftime('%d/%m/%Y'),
    'formato': 'json'
}
data = requests.get(
    'https://api.bcb.gov.br/dados/serie/bcdata.sgs.433/dados',
    params=params
).json()

print(f"IPCA inflation from {start.date()} to {end.date()}:")
for entry in data:
    print(f"{entry['data']}: {entry['valor']}%")

Last 10 IGP-M values: https://api.bcb.gov.br/dados/serie/bcdata.sgs.20716/dados/ultimos/10?formato=json

Try This URL Now

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find the series ID for a specific indicator?: Search the SGS system at https://www3.bcb.gov.br/sgspub to find series. Common IDs: 1 (USD), 11 (SELIC), 433 (IPCA), 20716 (IGP-M), 243 (Industrial Production).
What date formats does the API accept?: Dates use the Brazilian format DD/MM/YYYY. For the date range endpoint, use dataInicial and dataFinal parameters.
What output formats are available?: Use ?formato=json for JSON or ?formato=xml for XML. JSON is recommended for modern applications.
How far back does the data go?: Some series go back decades. The SELIC rate series starts in the 1990s, while other indicators may have data starting in the 1980s or earlier.
Is there a rate limit?: BCB's API is public Brazilian government data with no documented rate limits. Reasonable usage is expected.
Can I use this commercially?: Yes. All data from the Brazilian Central Bank is public and freely available for any purpose, including commercial applications.

API Details

API URL: https://api.bcb.gov.br/dados/serie/bcdata.sgs.{id}/dados
Documentation: dadosabertos.bcb.gov.br
Category: Finance
Authentication: Not Required
Geographic Coverage: Brazil (BR) — Brazilian economic indicators

What You Can Build

Brazilian economic dashboard tracking SELIC, IPCA, and exchange rates
Inflation calculator using official IPCA historical data
Investment return comparator — SELIC vs CDI vs inflation
Currency converter using official BCB exchange rates
Economic calendar that highlights BCB monetary policy meetings