A survey conducted by Nexus-Pesquisa e Inteligência de Dados using data from the Superior Electoral Court’s Open Data Portal reveals that the so-called Silver Generation - voters aged 60 and older - has grown five times faster than the overall electorate over the past 16 years.

While the number of voters across all age groups grew by 15 percent between 2010 and 2026, the 60+ electorate increased by 74 percent over the same period, rising from 20.8 million in 2010 to 36.2 million in March this year.

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According to Nexus, these figures may increase even further by May 6, the deadline for voter registration with the Superior Electoral Court.

As of the date of the survey, 156.2 million people were eligible to participate in the electoral process this October, compared with 135.8 million in 2010. The survey suggests that, in a scenario of acute polarization such as that seen in the 2022 election, securing the support of the 60+ population is strategic.

According to Nexus CEO Marcelo Tokarski, the Silver Generation could help determine the outcome of this year’s election.

“It is entirely plausible that the so-called Silver Generation (60+) could be decisive in the election, although this group alone cannot be said to determine the outcome,” he stated.

Significant influence

Tokarski noted that in the 2022 presidential election, the margin between the candidates was narrow - less than 2 million votes - making this demographic highly strategic. Numerically, the 60+ generation now carries significant weight, accounting for one in four voters in Brazil and therefore capable of influencing close races.

“Thus, although it does not determine the outcome on its own, it can tip the scales, especially in polarized scenarios,” said the CEO of Nexus.

He acknowledged that the share of older voters in elections is likely to continue growing in step with rising life expectancy. “The trend clearly shows that the proportion of senior voters is keeping pace with - and directly reflects - increasing longevity and population aging.”

The survey shows that the population aged 60 and over rose from 7 percent to 16 percent over three decades, while, in parallel, the 60+ electorate expanded rapidly and now accounts for 23.2 percent of voters.

Abstention

Abstention among voters aged 60 and older has declined over the last three elections: it stood at 37.1 percent in 2014, dropped to 36.4 percent in 2018, and fell to 34.5 percent in 2022. In contrast, abstention rates among the Brazilian electorate as a whole rose from 19.4 percent in 2014 to 20.3 percent in 2018 and 20.9 percent in the most recent national election.

Although voters aged over 70 have a higher abstention rate than the average for the 60+ population, they have also been turning out to vote in greater numbers. With no mandatory voting requirement, this group recorded abstention rates of 63.6 percent in 2014, 62.7 percent in 2018, and 58.9 percent in 2022.

According to Marcelo Tokarski, Brazilians over 70 who participate in elections do so out of political conviction or identification and, alongside younger voters aged 16 to 18, constitute the segments of the Brazilian electorate that candidates must “win over.” He believes that, in a highly competitive political landscape, these groups have the potential to sway election outcomes.

Political landscape

The number of candidates over 60 has also been increasing annually in Brazil, in both general and municipal elections. According to data from the Superior Electoral Court, in the 2024 elections, more than 70,000 Brazilians aged 60 and older ran for office, accounting for 15 percent of all candidates.

This figure is the highest since the beginning of the time series in 1998. The previous election, in 2022, also set a record for general elections: there were 4,873 candidates aged 60 or older, accounting for 17 percent of all candidacies.