The topic selection references a similar theme from 2009, when the exam was cancelled. Senior enrollment will increase by 191% starting in 2022
For the 2025 National High School Entrance Examination (Enem), the scope of questions in the essay exam is as follows. “Perspectives on aging in Brazilian society”. This theme is similar to that applied in 2009. “Taking care of the elderly.”
The year 2009 was marked by the cancellation of the exam several days before the scheduled date due to copies of the question books being stolen from the printer responsible for printing Enem. The decision to cancel had huge logistical and political implications, as more than four million students had registered to sit the exam and integrate the recently introduced unified selection system (Sisu).
Despite the application being cancelled, Inep (the body responsible for the exam) announced at the time the questions and essay topics that would be used. The supporting documents for writing this Enem included a section of the Older Persons Act, an excerpt from a report by the portal Com Ciência on the increase in life expectancy, and a poem entitled “. “Older people are people who have the privilege of living a long life.”
In 2025, the essay theme was again aimed at the over 60 population, but with an emphasis on perspective. Candidates therefore had to analyze the impact of an increase in the number of elderly people in Brazil’s demographic scenario.
The announcement of the Enem essay theme was made by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Camilo Santanathrough their Platform X (formerly Twitter) profile. The 2025 edition of Enem recorded an increase in the number of older participants. There were 17,192 participants, an increase of 191% compared to 2022. The states with the highest number of older participants were Rio de Janeiro (3,087), São Paulo (2,367), and Minas Gerais (1,997).
The essay theme for Enem 2025 is “Perspectives on Aging in Brazilian Society.”
— Camilo Santana (@CamiloSantanaCE) November 9, 2025
It is important to note that the issue of the aging of Brazil’s population has been the subject of recent discussion and analysis, including in episode 1295 of the podcast “O Assunto”. “Brazil’s Silver Tsunami”. Brazil’s population is expected to start declining after 2042, according to the latest census data. It is predicted that by 2070, more than one-third of Brazilians will be over 60 years old.
About The Author
