The one from 18 to 16 years old, whose proposal was approved by the CCJ (Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee) of the Chamber of Deputies in June, is supported by 79% of the population, according to a survey by Datafolha released this Thursday (June 25, 2026).
Datafolha interviewed 2.004 people in 139 municipalities from June 17 to 18, 2026. The margin of error for general data is 2 percentage points, more or less, but varies within population groups. The survey andis registered with the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) under number BR-09956/2026. The study cost R$ 307.641,60. It was paid by the company Folha da Manhã SA
This is the lowest percentage since the beginning of the historical series, in 2003, when 84% of Brazilians agreed with the proposal to reduce the age of criminal responsibility. According to the survey of this Thursday (June 25)79% are in favor of the reduction and 17% against.
The survey data also shows how positioning varies according to gender, age group and vote in the 2022 presidential election.
The research also sought to identify what the criteria and extent of reducing the age of criminal responsibility should be in the population’s view. The results show that 61% of respondents in favor of the measure defend its application for any type of crime, while 39% believe that the change should only apply to heinous crimes.
NEXT STEPS
Approved so CCJ, a PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) on reducing the age of criminal responsibility still needs to go through the Special Committee and, if approved, by the Plenary of the Chamber, where it requires 308 favorable votes in 2 rounds. It then goes to the Senate for analysis.
Presented in 2015 by the deputy (PSB-PE) and other parliamentarians, the proposed civil and criminal majority at 16 years old. After years of being at a standstill and with changes in rapporteurs, it moved forward in 2026 with a favorable opinion from the deputy (PL-MT). The new text maintains the current civil majority, without changing political rights: voting remains optional at 16 and mandatory at 18.
