One week before Brazil's general election, 37% of voters rate the work of the National Congress as bad or terrible. Only 18% consider the performance of federal deputies and senators excellent or good, according to a Datafolha poll released on Saturday (Sept. 26).

Datafolha, one of Brazil's leading polling institutes, interviewed 2,002 voters in 125 municipalities on Sept. 22 and 23. The margin of error is two percentage points, with a 95% confidence level. The survey, commissioned by newspaper Folha de S.Paulo and TV Globo, is registered with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) as BR-00304/2026. Respondents graded Congress on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 means excellent and 5 terrible. Another 40% called the work average, and 6% did not answer.

Stable since May

The assessment has barely moved since the previous survey, in May, when 37% also rated Congress as bad or terrible, 15% as excellent or good and 43% as average, according to news site G1.

Approval shifts with the voter. Among supporters of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party, 22% view Congress positively. Among voters of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party, the share falls to 15%. Men grade Congress worse than women: 43% of men call the work bad or terrible, against 32% of women. Negative ratings reach 51% among respondents earning more than five minimum wages per month and drop to 30% among those earning up to two.

By region, the Southeast is the most critical: 41% rate Congress as bad or terrible. The Central-West and North follow with 38%, the South with 36% and the Northeast with 32%, the mildest score. Brazilians vote on Oct. 4, choosing the president, state governors, federal deputies and senators.