Brazil’s official currency, introduced in 1994 to end hyperinflation, is the Brazilian real.
The real was launched on 1 July 1994 as part of the Plano Real, an economic stabilization plan. Before its introduction, Brazil had replaced and redenominated several currencies, including the cruzeiro and cruzado, during periods of severe inflation. The real helped stabilize prices and restore confidence in the monetary system.
The currency’s plural is reais, its symbol is R$, and its ISO code is BRL. The Central Bank of Brazil issues real banknotes and coins, while the Casa da Moeda do Brasil produces them.
The real is divided into 100 centavos. Its name recalls an earlier Brazilian currency and the Portuguese word for “royal.” The 1994 currency reform is often discussed alongside Brazil’s broader fiscal and monetary changes, rather than as an isolated change of banknotes.