Datafolha: Lula’s Negative Rating Reaches 42%, While 31% View His Government Positively

A new Datafolha poll gives Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government a negative rating among 42% of voters, while 31% describe it as good or excellent. Another 25% say the government is average.

The survey found that 51% disapprove of Lula’s performance and 45% approve. Datafolha interviewed 2,002 people in 125 cities on Tuesday and Wednesday. The poll has a margin of error of two percentage points and was commissioned by TV Globo and Folha. It was registered with Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court under code BR-03669/2026.

The latest figures show little movement from the previous poll two weeks earlier. The bad-or-very-bad rating rose from 41% to 42%, within the margin of error, after standing at 38% in late July. The good-or-excellent rating moved from 32% to 33% before settling at 31%, while the average rating fell from 28% to 25%.

Lula’s personal approval also shifted from a technical tie in the previous survey, when 50% gave negative assessments and 48% positive ones. During the period between the polls, he faced criticism over the “Lulinha” case and allegations concerning his son Fábio Luís. Public debate also intensified over deteriorating government finances, while GDP growth slowed in the second quarter.

The government received more favorable news on a popular labor issue involving the possible end of the six-day work schedule. Lula worked with the presidents of both congressional chambers to advance the proposal, an alliance viewed as looking beyond the election. Government ratings and presidential approval are closely watched as indicators of an incumbent’s campaign position. The article points to Jair Bolsonaro’s 2022 campaign as an example of ratings improving before the election, although he ultimately lost the runoff to Lula by 50.9% to 49.1% of valid votes.