Otimismo com infraestrutura é o menor desde 2022. Culpa da guerra e da eleição

Investment in infrastructure has reached record levels, but the optimism among sector professionals has fallen to its lowest level in four years. A survey by the Brazilian Association of Infrastructure and Basic Industry (Abdib) in partnership with EY-Parthenon found that 37.8% of respondents view the next six months as "favorable," a significant drop from 54.2% in the second half of 2025.

The survey, called the "Barometer," was affected by three main factors: the upcoming presidential election, the war in the Middle East, and US tariffs on Brazilian goods. Gustavo Gusmão, responsible for the study at EY-Parthenon, told the Brazil Journal that the coming months will be influenced by the electoral period, potentially dampening new bids and projects.

While there is an expectation that capex levels in the sector will not see a significant drop regardless of the next President, there is also a view that they could "increase even more" if the opposition challenges the federal administration. The indicator showing entrepreneurs' willingness to hire has become more cautious compared to previous editions.

In projections for various infrastructure segments, basic sanitation emerged as the sector expected to see the greatest expansion over the next three years (cited by 50.4%), followed by highways (45.7%). Railways ranked highest in the next three-year outlook for investors, at 40.6%, moving up from energy electricity, which dropped to fourth place.

Gusmão attributed this resurgence to the government's efforts to renew concessions and schedule auctions. Energy electricity fell to fourth place, dropping back down from second place between 2022 and 2024. The Abdib survey was conducted with over 200 managers of infrastructure companies, investors, and specialists involved in project structuring.