<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 12/31/96
000 C000000 0000872822
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 THE BRAZILIAN INVESTMENT FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-6248
001 C000000 6175578732
002 A000000 73 TREMONT STREET
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02108
002 D020000 3913
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 MORGAN STANLEY ASSET MANAGEMENT INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-15757
008 D010001 NEW YORK
008 D020001 NY
008 D030001 10020
010 A000001 THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
010 C010001 BOSTON
010 C020001 MA
010 C030001 02108
010 C040001 3913
010 A000002 UNIBANCO-UNAIO DE BANCOS BRASILIEROS SA
010 C010002 SAO PAOLO
010 C050002 BRAZIL
012 A000001 THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
012 B000001 84-0000000
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
<PAGE> PAGE 2
012 C030001 02108
012 C040001 3913
013 A000001 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
013 B010001 NEW YORK
013 B020001 NY
013 B030001 10036
015 A000001 UNIBANCO-UNIAO DE BANCOS BRASILEIROS S.A.
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 SAO PAULO
015 D010001 BRAZIL
015 E040001 X
015 A000002 THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
015 B000002 C
015 C010002 NEW YORK
015 C020002 NY
015 C030002 10003
015 E010002 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 54
019 C000000 MORGANSTAN
020 A000001 BOZANO
020 C000001 74
020 A000002 BANCO PACTUAL
020 C000002 68
020 A000003 BANCO DE INVESTIMENTOS GARANTIA
020 C000003 39
020 A000004 SALOMON BROTHERS, INC.
020 B000004 13-3082694
020 C000004 30
020 A000005 BARING SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000005 04-2455153
020 C000005 28
020 A000006 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000006 13-3224016
020 C000006 27
020 A000007 BANCO ICATU
020 C000007 25
020 A000008 MERRILL LYNCH AND CO, INC.
020 B000008 13-5674085
020 C000008 22
020 A000009 NOMURA
020 B000009 13-2642206
020 C000009 17
020 A000010 MORGAN GRENFELL AUSTRALIA SECURITIES, LTD.
020 C000010 15
021 000000 447
022 A000001 CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
022 B000001 13-2633612
022 C000001 50405
022 D000001 0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 A000002 MERRILL LYNCH AND CO., INC.
022 B000002 13-5674085
022 C000002 2241
022 D000002 1734
022 A000003 KLEINWORT BENSON, INC.
022 B000003 13-2647786
022 C000003 2209
022 D000003 0
022 A000004 LEHMAN BROTHERS, INC.
022 B000004 94-2537674
022 C000004 1288
022 D000004 692
022 A000005 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000005 13-3224016
022 C000005 0
022 D000005 1938
022 A000006 BANCO PACTUAL
022 C000006 1451
022 D000006 0
022 A000007 BROWN (ALEX.) & SONS
022 B000007 52-0256630
022 C000007 1400
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 SALOMON BROTHERS, INC.
022 B000008 13-3082694
022 C000008 393
022 D000008 823
022 A000009 LAZARD FREERS & CO.
022 B000009 13-5545100
022 C000009 857
022 D000009 256
022 A000010 BANCO DE INVESTIMENTOS GARANTIA
022 C000010 1048
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 62415
023 D000000 7907
024 000000 N
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 Y
027 000000 N
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
<PAGE> PAGE 4
048 A010000 50000
048 A020000 0.900
048 B010000 50000
048 B020000 0.700
048 C010000 0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 100000
048 K020000 0.500
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 N
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 Y
054 H000000 Y
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 N
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 N
060 B000000 N
061 000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 Y
066 D000000 N
066 E000000 N
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 Y
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 Y
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 N
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 N
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 N
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 6
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 N
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 82040
071 B000000 86368
071 C000000 45812
071 D000000 179
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 17
072 C000000 1599
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 425
072 G000000 196
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 0
072 J000000 4
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 38
072 M000000 32
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 56
072 S000000 15
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 38
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 60
072 X000000 864
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 752
072AA000000 6790
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 9960
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 21
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 17583
<PAGE> PAGE 7
073 A010000 0.0200
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 30.7500
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 0
074 B000000 386
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 43295
074 F000000 3841
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 1052
074 J000000 6227
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 72
074 M000000 6
074 N000000 54879
074 O000000 5900
074 P000000 41
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 82
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 48856
074 U010000 927
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 52.72
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 100
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 47716
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 C000000 N
077 Q010000 Y
078 000000 N
080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 25000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 54
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 8
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 482
086 A020000 18885
086 B010000 116
086 B020000 5881
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 N
SIGNATURE JAMES R. ROONEY
TITLE TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000872822
<NAME> THE BRAZILIAN INVESTMENT FUND, INC.
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 40,876
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 48,574
<RECEIVABLES> 6,299
<ASSETS-OTHER> 6
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 54,879
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 5,900
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 123
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 6,023
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 33,821
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 927
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 561
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 679
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 6,660
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 7,696
<NET-ASSETS> 48,856
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 1,599
<INTEREST-INCOME> 17
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (864)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 752
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 6,790
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 9,960
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 17,502
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (21)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (17,583)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 35
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (116)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 446
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 12,902
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 17,409
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 425
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 864
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 47,716
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 64.14
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.81
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 18.54
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (0.02)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> (30.75)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 52.72
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.81
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
