Brasília is the federal capital in the Constitution’s own words (article 18), and its economy shows it. Public administration produced 45.45 percent of the city’s gross value added in 2021, more than in any other city in our Brazil guides (IBGE). The city had 2,817,381 people in 2022, third in Brazil, and 245,222 more than in 2010 (IBGE). If you want a federal career, start here.
Updated November 8, 2026
By F. Jay Hall, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ExecSearches.com
The short version
Why is Brasília a government city?
It was built to be the capital. Brasília was inaugurated on April 21, 1960, and the festivities included moving the powers of the Republic from Rio de Janeiro (Senado Notícias). Both houses of Congress sit on the Praça dos Três Poderes.
How do you get a federal job in Brasília?
Through a concurso público, the competitive exam the Constitution requires for permanent public posts (article 37). Each exam has an official notice, the edital, with its rules. Appointed senior roles, the cargos em comissão, are the exception. The federal government also runs a national unified exam.
Which international organizations work in Brasília?
The UN system in Brazil has 25 specialized agencies, funds and programs, and its Brazil house, the Casa ONU Brasil, is in Brasília’s embassy sector (UN Brazil).
Who hires
- Câmara dos Deputados, the lower house of Congress, at the Praça dos Três Poderes
- Senado Federal, the Senate, at the same square
- Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), the federal audit court, in the Setor de Administração Federal Sul
- Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU), the federal comptroller, which also supervises how federal bodies apply the Anti-Corruption Law
- Agência Nacional de Proteção de Dados (ANPD), the data protection agency, seated in the Distrito Federal by the LGPD (article 55-A)
- The UN system in Brazil, from the Casa ONU Brasil
The numbers
- 2,817,381 people in the 2022 Census, up 245,222 since 2010 (IBGE, SIDRA 4709)
- Public administration 45.45 percent and industry 3.98 percent of gross value added in 2021 (IBGE, SIDRA 5938)
Compliance and oversight work here sits inside the state: the audit court, the comptroller and the data protection agency. For the same skills in companies, see governance, risk and compliance jobs and data privacy jobs on GRC Careers.
Em português: Brasília é a capital federal (Constituição, art. 18) e vive do setor público: a administração pública gerou 45,45% do valor adicionado da cidade em 2021, segundo o IBGE. Para um cargo público efetivo, o caminho é o concurso público, com as regras no edital. Os cargos em comissão são de livre nomeação. A cidade também abriga a Casa ONU Brasil e a sede da ANPD.
Related guides
- Nonprofit, government and compliance jobs in Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro, the former capital
- São Paulo
- Porto Alegre
- Manaus
- Careers with the United Nations and international NGOs
- How to become a data protection officer on GRC Careers
- GRC jobs in Brasília, on GRC Careers
- Vagas de compliance em Brasília (em português)
Sources
- Constituição Federal, consolidated text, Câmara dos Deputados (arts. 18 and 37)
- IBGE, Censo 2022, SIDRA table 4709
- IBGE, PIB dos Municípios, SIDRA table 5938
- Senado Notícias, Inauguração de Brasília completa 60 anos (April 17, 2020)
- As Nações Unidas no Brasil, Sobre a ONU
- Concurso Público Nacional Unificado, gov.br
- Lei nº 13.709/2018 (LGPD), consolidated text
- CGU, Integridade Privada