The feeling of pride in being Brazilian has decreased, and pessimism in relation to the country has increased, shows a survey released on Thursday (12).
According to the institute, 74% of respondents said they were more proud than ashamed to be Brazilian – in 2023, the same rate was 83%. Brazilians who say they are more ashamed than pride in nationality increased from 16% by 2023 to 24% in this week’s survey.
The feeling of pessimism compared to current Brazil went from 47% in September 2023 to 50% in June 2025. The rate was 41% by 2020, which indicates the high curve. Optimists decreased from 35% by 2023 to 31% now.
Datafolha conducted 2,004 interviews in 136 municipalities on Tuesday (10) and Wednesday (11). The margin of error is two percentage points for more or less.
The lowest proud rate of being Brazilian in the historical series, when 50% of respondents were proud, against 47% they said they were ashamed. That period was still hot in the face of recent protests by the country linked to (PT) and scandals linked to Operation Lava Jato.
Already the peak of pride was recorded in November 2010, when 89% declared themselves proud of nationality. It was the final stretch of the second Lula administration, when he left the Planalto with strong approval and promoting the succession to the ally Dilma.
In 2025, the proud rate is higher among the president’s voters (). Among those who declared to have voted in the petista in 2022, 85% claimed to be more proud than ashamed to be Brazilian. This rate is even higher among those who claim that they will vote in Lula in 2026, reaching an 88% pride rate, against only 10% shame.
Among the declared voters of (), 65% declare themselves more proud than embarrassed, and the feeling of shame is 33%. The number remains stable among those who intend to vote for the former president, currently ineligible by decision of the Supreme Court (STF): 64% declare themselves proud, against 35% embarrassed.
The numbers also vary according to the region of the country: the south has the lowest rate of proud, with 68%, followed by the Southeast, with 71%. The other regions (North, Northeast and Midwest) appear tied with 78% feeling of pride.
Datafolha also measured the feeling of pride in relation to President Lula. The numbers point to a negative result for Lula: 56% say they are more ashamed of the agent, and 40% more proud.
In the evaluation of 2025, the shame rate in relation to the president is higher among evangelicals, with 69%. Among Catholics, the sensation is divided, with 50% declaring itself with shame and 47% proudly the petista.
The numbers are far worse for the president than the last time the same question was asked by Datafolha in 2005. That year, despite the proximity to the scandal, which burst just a month before the survey was conducted, 54% of Brazilians said they are proud of the petista as president, while 36% said they were ashamed.
The feeling about Lula is substantially more positive among Brazilians with education until elementary school, with 55% declaring themselves proud, against 34% of those with high school and 36% of those who have higher education.
According to Datafolha, it also rose the pessimism compared to current Brazil. The peak of registered pessimism occurred in October 2018, just before the first round of the presidential, beating at 58%.
In 2025, the data show a polarized country, with the feeling of optimism and pessimism linked to the preference between Lula and Bolsonaro. Among the current president’s declared voters, 47% have optimistic feelings about the country, a rate that drops to 18% among Bolsonaro supporters.
Already 68% of those who declare the intention to vote in Bolsonaro in 2026 said they felt angry when they think of Brazil, against 37% of Lula’s potential voters.
The feelings that predominated among Brazilians’ responses to the country’s current situation are negative. The insecurity was the champion, with 73% declaring this feeling, against only 26% that claim to be safe.
Discouragement also appears at higher rates (64%) than animation (35%), and sadness (63%) about happiness (34%). More divided are the numbers of hope (45%) and fear (54%), and rabies (55%) and tranquility (42%).
The fear of the future, in particular, reached its largest level in the historical series, reaching 63%. The index has been increasing since 2020, when it was 57%. Confident with what is coming decayed, going from 41% five years ago to 35% in the new survey.
