In Brazil, a proposal to establish a minimum retirement age for military personnel has been stalled in Congress for over a year. As a result, members of the Armed Forces are currently leaving active service at an average age of 48 years, according to calculations from TCU (Tribunal de Contas da União). The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has presented a bill that would require military personnel to work until at least the age of 55 to qualify for retirement, a mandate that would extend their active duty by an additional seven years compared to the current average retirement age.

The proposed changes highlight the disparity between military retirement requirements and those of civilian public servants in Brazil. Male civil servants can retire at 60 years with 35 years of contribution, while women can retire at 55 with 30 years of contribution. The TCU's analysis, which examined 33,900 military retirements, revealed that a significant portion—21,800—retired between the ages of 42 and 49, and 10,500 retired between 50 and 57. This data suggests a trend of earlier retirements in the military as compared to other sectors of public service.

Efforts to reform military retirement policies have faced obstacles, as both the Ministry of Defense and the three branches of the Armed Forces have not responded to inquiries about these proposals. The continued delay in addressing military retirement age raises questions about the sustainability of military pensions and the burden it places on Brazil's social security system, especially in the context of broader economic challenges facing the country.