Based on the results of the 2024 municipal elections, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) assesses that there is rejuvenation and greater diversity among the 5,543 mayors, 5,543 vice-mayors and 58,072 councilors who will be sworn in for four-year terms this Wednesday (1st ).
Data from the TSE Open Data Portal shows that the age group under 39 years old was the one that grew the most among those elected. The number of women elected, according to the court, also increased in all positions in dispute, when compared to the last municipal election, held in 2020.
Age range
In the position of mayor, the group aged up to 29 more than tripled, going from 36 elected in this age group in 2020 to 119 in this year’s election. City halls recorded drops classified as significant among the most advanced groups – in 2024, there were 851 elected officials between 60 and 69 years old (-29%) and 249 elected officials over 70 years old (-38%).
For the deputy mayor, the scenario, according to the court, is similar, with a three times higher number among younger people, up to 29 years old, and substantial drops in the 50 to 59 and over 70 age groups.
The same movement was observed among those elected to council, in which younger candidates, up to 39 years old, gained more space. “The 60 to 69 year old and 70 to 79 year old age groups saw sharp decreases,” assessed the TSE.
The median age of elected mayors, vice-mayors and councilors is 46 years old. “More than a decade ago, in 2012, the “middle point” was 56 years. The median (or middle point) is used to separate the set of ages without reflecting very small or very large values that may be at the ends”, informed the court.
Female presence
For the position of mayor, there was a 7% increase in the number of women elected compared to 2020, totaling 728 elected. In the position of vice-mayor, the growth was even more significant, 15% — 1,066 vice-mayors elected. As for the position of councilor, growth was 12% (10,537), although the number of men elected remains higher (47,189).
Ethnic diversity
Representation by self-declared color and race, according to the TSE, follows a pattern of “slight decrease” for white candidates in all positions. Among elected mayors, there was a 3% drop (3,634) among self-declared whites, while the number of indigenous people grew by 12% (9) and black people increased by 14% (128).
Among vice-mayors, black elected officials also showed growth classified by the court as significant, at 38% (250), the highest in comparison to other ethnic groups.
Among councilors, black and indigenous elected officials registered the greatest growth, with 11% (3,984) and 31% (240), respectively.
Education level
Regarding educational level, the majority of candidates elected in 2024 have completed higher education for the positions of mayor (59%) and vice-mayor (47%) – 3,285 and 2,617, respectively. For councilors, completing secondary education is the predominant level, with 21,952 (38%) elected, followed by completing higher education.
