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Caixa

Logo: Caixa Econômica Federal, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Brazilian government-owned financial institution

The Caixa Econômica Federal (Portuguese pronunciation: Federal Savings Bank), also referred to as Caixa or CEF, is a state-owned Brazilian financial services company headquartered in Brasília, Brazil. It is the fourth largest banking institution in Brazil, as well as the fourth largest in Latin America, and the eighty-third largest bank in the world. It is also the largest 100% government-owned financial institution in Latin America.2 It was founded by Pedro II of Brazil.1 It employed about 86,000 people in 2021.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

Jan 12, 1861Founded1
  • Industryeconomics of banking, financial sector, financial services1
  • HeadquartersBrasília1
  • Founded inRio de Janeiro1
  • Websitewww.caixa.gov.br
  • Legal formstate-owned enterprise1

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Senado Federal do Brasil Fotos produzidas pelo Senado (16633140182)
Photo: Senado Federal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

The Caixa Econômica Federal (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkajʃɐ ekoˈnõmikɐ fedeˈɾaw], Federal Savings Bank), also referred to as Caixa or CEF, is a state-owned Brazilian financial services company headquartered in Brasília, Brazil. It is the fourth largest banking institution in Brazil, as well as the fourth largest in Latin America, and the eighty-third largest bank in the world. It is also the largest 100% government-owned financial institution in Latin America.2

Corporate structure

Caixa sits at the top of its group. 3 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • Caixa Brasília
    • Elo Subsidiary · Barueri
    • Agência da Caixa Econômica Federal em Araci Subsidiary · Araci, Brazil

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

What it owns

What Caixa reports owning in its annual reports to the SEC: buildings, land and equipment, real estate and locations, investments, intangible assets and inventory, at the end of its latest fiscal year and a year before.

Stakes and holdings (Wikidata)

Things Wikidata records the company as owning, with the share when stated.1

The story

Founded by Pedro II of Brazil on Jan 12, 1861, in Rio de Janeiro.1

The bank was founded by Emperor Pedro II on 12 January 1861, as Caixa Economica e Monte de Socorro in Rio de Janeiro as a financial institution destined to collect national savings, mostly from the poor. Over the years, several similar institutions were created, until most of them were merged into present-day Caixa Econômica in 1967.

The 1970s were particularly lucrative for the bank, mostly due to its near-monopoly on savings for the poor and lower-middle classes, the management of Brazilian state (federal) lotteries and being the only lawful pawn broker in Brazil. In the 1990s, however, the scenario changed and the bank underwent a serious downsizing, in which thousands of employees lost their jobs. Part of the problem was caused by the modernization of the Brazilian banking system in the 1980s, with many other banks introducing savings accounts to their portfolios, Brazilian states being granted rights to hold their own lotteries in addition to the federal government's, a series of corruption scandals regarding lottery fraud, and the opening of the national market to foreign banks. The control of inflation also hampered the CEF's financial performance by making savings accounts less attractive.

Nowadays, Caixa is the second-biggest Brazilian bank, and with locations in thousands of Brazilian towns, ranked the third-largest financial institution in Brazil by number of branches. Caixa has more than 146 million accounts, with liabilities worth more than R$ 237.00 billion in savings or investment. Together with government pension funds and other governmental resources, Caixa controls more than R$1.80 trillion (roughly about US$630 billion). Caixa is seen as a tool for public investment and expansion of access to financial services to the Brazilian public.

The CEF is still the manager of most Brazilian lotteries, especially the most popular ones, such as Mega-Sena, Quina and Loteca (former Loteria Esportiva). The profits of Brazilian state (federal) lotteries revert to amateur sport promotion and elementary education.

From Wikipedia’s article on Caixa Econômica Federal, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Leadership

Who has led Caixa, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Products and brands

  • bank

Listed on Wikidata.1

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

  • Federal Government of Brazil

Subsidiaries

  • Agência da Caixa Econômica Federal em Araci

Also owns

From Wikidata.1

Employees over time

  • 202186,0001

Revenue over time

As stated on Wikidata, in the currency reported.

Net income

  • 202117 BRL1

Timeline

  1. Jan 12, 1861Founded Founded in Rio de Janeiro1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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