For the first time in five surveys conducted by the group of companies that the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper is part of, less than half of those surveyed (47 percent) believe that the population will be better off in 2025.
Twenty-five percent expect a worsening, while another 25 percent believe that the scenario will remain the same. Only three percent of those interviewed did not have an opinion.
In addition, the study showed that 67 percent of participants estimate that inflation will increase in 2025.
Another 21 percent think that the increase in prices will remain as they are and nine percent expect a reduction.
Regarding purchasing power, 39 percent think it will decrease, 31 percent think it will remain at the same level, and only 27 percent expect an increase.
When it comes to unemployment, the majority of respondents (41 percent) believe it should rise in 2025, while 33 percent think it will be stable and 24 percent expect a decrease.
The survey also revealed that 61 percent of Brazilians believe that the country’s economy is going in the wrong direction.
On the other hand, 32 percent believe that the trajectory is correct and six percent say they do not know.
Regarding the perception of the economic situation in recent months, 45 percent of those surveyed said it worsened, 31 percent consider it remained the same, and 22 percent ruled out an improvement.
The survey was conducted with two thousand two interviews conducted between December 12 and 13, in 113 municipalities in Brazil.
The margin of error is two percentage points and the confidence level is 95 percent.
Clearly, Brazilian optimism is at its lowest level compared to the survey in recent years.
In 2023, 61 percent believed in an improvement in the population’s life.
At the end of 2022, the percentage was 60 percent, following the election of current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the proportion was even higher: 58 percent of respondents were optimistic about the country’s future the following year in December 2020, and 73 percent in 2021, with the arrival of vaccines against the pathogen.
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