Country profile
Brazil
República Federativa do Brasil
South America · Latin America and the Caribbean · Americas
BR · BRA
- Capital
- Brasília
- Population
- 213,421,037
- Area
- 8,515,767 km²
- Democracy index
- 74
- Regime type
- Fragmented Democracy
Events
Ballots from Brazil
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Brazil. Community totals are not official results.
Soon(1)1 published ballot
Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
74/100
Regime type
Fragmented Democracy
Brazil continues to operate as a Fragmented Democracy as it moves toward the 2026 general elections. While institutional resilience was demonstrated through the prosecution of individuals involved in the 2023 capital attacks, the political environment remains characterized by intense polarization and significant friction between the executive and a conservative dominated Congress. The judiciary, particularly the Supreme Federal Court, maintains a highly assertive role in governance and the regulation of digital discourse, which has sparked ongoing debates regarding the boundaries of judicial authority. Although the electoral system is technically sophisticated and widely trusted by international observers, domestic trust is strained by persistent disinformation campaigns and a fragmented party landscape that necessitates complex, often unstable, coalition building. Recent legislative sessions have been marked by deadlock on key fiscal reforms, reflecting the broader difficulty of achieving policy consensus in a deeply divided society. Civil society remains vibrant and media pluralism is protected, yet the recurring threat of political violence and the high degree of institutional mistrust among the electorate prevent the country's transition into a more stable, robust democratic classification.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to Brazil, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
After more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getúlio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. VARGAS governed through various versions of democratic and authoritarian regimes from 1930 to 1945.
Democratic rule returned in 1945 -- including a democratically elected VARGAS administration from 1951 to 1954 -- and lasted until 1964, when the military overthrew President João GOULART. The military regime censored journalists and repressed and tortured dissidents in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The dictatorship lasted until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers, and the Brazilian Congress passed its current constitution in 1988.
By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Having successfully weathered a period of global financial difficulty in the late 20th century, Brazil was soon seen as one of the world's strongest emerging markets and a contributor to global growth under President Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva (2003-2010). The awarding of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games -- the first ever to be held in South America -- to Brazil was symbolic of the country's rise.
However, from about 2013 to 2016, Brazil was plagued by a sagging economy, high unemployment, and high inflation, only emerging from recession in 2017. Congress removed then-President Dilma ROUSSEFF (2011-2016) from office in 2016 for having committed impeachable acts against Brazil's budgetary laws, and her vice president, Michel TEMER, served the remainder of her second term. A money-laundering investigation, Operation Lava Jato, uncovered a vast corruption scheme and prosecutors charged several high-profile Brazilian politicians with crimes.
Former President LULA was convicted of accepting bribes and served jail time (2018-19), although his conviction was overturned in 2021. LULA's revival became complete in 2022 when he narrowly defeated incumbent Jair BOLSONARO (2019-2022) in the presidential election. Positioning Brazil as an independent global leader on climate change and promoting sustainable development, LULA took on the 2024 G20 presidency, balancing the fight against deforestation with sustainable energy and other projects designed to alleviate poverty and promote economic growth, such as expanding fossil fuel exploration.