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- Top left: Manuel Alves Branco was the first de jure prime minister of the Empire of Brazil.
- Top right: Pedro de Araújo Lima was the longest-serving prime minister in Brazilian history.
- Bottom left: José Paranhos was the longest uninterrupted serving prime minister, holding office from 1871 to 1875.
- Bottom right: Hermes Lima was the last person to hold the office of prime minister of Brazil during the Fourth Brazilian Republic.
The prime ministers of Brazil, officially called President of the Council of Ministers, were the parliamentarians who, during two periods in the political history of the country, directed the government in a parliamentary system. The first parliamentary experience began with emperor Pedro II in 1847, and was maintained during the last 42 years of the Empire of Brazil. The first de jure officeholder was Manuel Alves Branco, Viscount of Caravelas, who was sworn in on 20 July 1847 after the office was formally created by Decree No. 523. The prime ministers were appointed by the emperor of Brazil. Once chosen, it was up to them to form a cabinet.
The second occasion on which a parliamentary system was put into practice occurred during the government of president João Goulart, in 1961, due to a constitutional amendment approved by his opponents before the beginning of his term. This second parliamentary experience was short-lived, with the presidential system of government restored in a national plebiscite in 1963.