Datafolha shows that 38% of Brazilians rate Congress as bad or terrible
Quick Look
- A Datafolha survey carried out in September 2026 with 2,002 voters shows that 38% evaluate the performance of the National Congress as bad or terrible, 18% as excellent or good and 40% as regular.
- Approval is higher among Lula voters (22%) and lower among Flávio Bolsonaro voters (15%).
- Negative evaluations are more common among men, with incomes above five minimum wages and in the Southeast.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Datafolha survey is carried out periodically to measure the evaluation of the National Congress's performance by Brazilian voters. The previous edition took place in May 2026.
➡️Datafolha interviewed 2,002 voters aged 16 or over in 125 municipalities across the country, on September 22nd and 23rd, 2026. The maximum margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points.
According to the survey, 18% rate parliamentarians' performance as excellent or good, while 40% consider their work to be average. The portion that did not know how to answer is 6%.
The results are similar to those recorded in the previous survey, carried out in May. In that survey, 37% rated Congress as bad or terrible, 15% as excellent or good and 43% as average.
Congress' assessment also varied according to voting intentions for the Presidency of the Republic.
Approval is higher among voters who declared their intention to vote for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), among whom 22% consider the performance of deputies and senators to be excellent or good.
Among Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) voters, the percentage is 15%.
The research also evaluated how parliamentarians are evaluated based on gender, income and region of Brazil.
The classification of work as bad or terrible is higher among men (43%) than among women (32%).
The assessment is also worse among those who declared income above five minimum wages per month (51%) – among those who receive up to two minimum wages, it is 30%.
Among the regions, the Southeast is the area in which deputies and senators have the most negative evaluation, with 41% stating that the work is bad or terrible. Next come the Central-West and North (38%), South (36%) and Northeast (32%).
Those who see it as excellent or good are 16% in the Southeast and South, 21% in the Northeast and 17% in the Central-West and North.
Open Questions
- What are the main reasons why voters rate Congress as bad or terrible?
- How could Congress' assessment influence the 2026 presidential elections?
- What measures are parliamentarians taking to improve their image in the public eye?
