State of Sao Paulo

São Paulo State operates as Brazil's economic engine—the "locomotive of Brazil" generating R$3.5 trillion in GDP (2024), 31.5% of the national economy. This single state surpassed Argentina's entire GDP in 2024, ranking 21st among world economies ahead of Belgium, Chile, and Singapore. The state's GDP per capita reached R$73,294 in 2024, an all-time high.

Industry defines São Paulo's competitive advantage. The state concentrates 36% of Brazilian industrial production and 28.6% of manufactured products. The automotive sector is particularly dominant: São Paulo birthed Brazil's car industry and remains the 15th largest vehicle producer globally, hosting over 41% of national automotive factories. Industry accounts for 22.9% of state GDP—Latin America's most modern, varied, and technologically advanced industrial base.

The state's transformation from "forgotten province" to trillion-dollar powerhouse demonstrates path-dependent development at continental scale. Modern diversification includes sustainable aviation fuel production from biomass residues and a startup ecosystem ranked 26th globally (2023). FIESP upgraded 2025 industrial growth forecasts to 2.4% (up from 2%) following 3.4% national GDP growth in 2024. São Paulo's economic output exceeds ten Brazilian state capitals combined—a concentration of production that creates national dependency on continued state prosperity.