Brazilian Voters' Key Concerns: Inflation, Crime, and Corruption

Brazilians voted Sunday in a runoff election between right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, with campaign themes centered on inflation, crime, corruption, public finances, and foreign policy. More than two-thirds of voters reported declining purchasing power, with annual inflation at 4.58% in September, above the central bank's 3% target. Both candidates pledged different approaches to crime, corruption, and fiscal management, with public debt reaching 82.9% of GDP. US tariffs on Brazilian goods in 2025 made foreign policy more prominent, with Bolsonaro courting right-wing allies and Lula advocating multilateralism and stronger ties with Mercosur and BRICS nations.