The feeling of insecurity on the streets of Brazil is growing at night, according to Datafolha

Datafolha research, released this Thursday (28), reveals that the feeling of insecurity among Brazilians has increased significantly. According to the survey, two thirds of Brazilians (65%) feel some degree of insecurity when walking on the streets at night, showing an increase of five percentage points among those who feel very insecure, compared to data collected in September of the previous year.

The proportion of people who say they feel a lot of insecurity on the streets after dark reached 39%, almost four in every ten people, and those who say they feel a little insecure are 26%, according to the Datafolha survey.

There was an equivalent decrease in the number of Brazilians who responded that they felt “more or less safe” on the streets of their own city: it fell from 26% to 21% in the period. Those who feel “very safe” are 14%, a proportion that has remained stable in surveys since March 2022.

The Southeast region has the highest percentage of respondents who feel “very insecure”, 45%. The southern region of the country has the lowest percentage, recording 32%.

When analyzing the feeling of security in different locations, the perception of insecurity in metropolitan regions is even greater. In these places, 52% of residents feel very insecure, compared to 31% in inland areas, where the feeling of security seems to be relatively greater.

In metropolises, only 7% consider themselves very safe — in September, it was 9%. In cities in the interior, this proportion reaches more than double, 19%.

Datafolha interviewed 2,002 people over the age of 16 across the country on March 19th and 20th. The general margin of error is two percentage points, plus or minus.

Main research data:

General Feeling of Security:

– 39% of Brazilians feel very unsafe walking on the streets after dark.

– 26% report feeling a little insecure.

– 21% consider themselves more or less safe.

– Only 14% of respondents feel very safe.

Comparison with Previous Data:

– The percentage of people who feel very insecure increased by five percentage points compared to the last survey.

– The portion of the population that feels more or less safe decreased from 26% to 21%.

– The group that feels very safe has remained stable at 14% since March 2022.

Sense of Security by Location:

Metropolitan region:

– Very safe: 7%

– More or less safe: 18%

– A little insecure: 23%

– Very insecure: 52%

Inside:

– Very safe: 19%

– More or less safe: 23%

– A little insecure: 28%

– Very insecure: 31%

The research also reveals that Brazilians' feeling of safety on the streets is directly related to their personal economic perception and political tendencies. According to the study:

– Among Brazilians who consider that their financial situation has improved, 27% feel very insecure on the streets, a rate below the national average, while 21% say they feel very safe, exceeding the average.

– On the other hand, among those who perceive a worsening in their economic condition, 53% declare that they feel very insecure when walking around the city after dark, and only 10% feel very safe.

– The survey also identified a political divide in the perception of security: 49% of Bolsonaro supporters report feeling very insecure, in contrast to 31% of PT members. Regarding the feeling of security, 14% of Bolsonaro supporters and 17% of PT members feel very safe.

*Under the supervision of André Rigue