Objective: investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms among the elderly and possible associated factors. Method: observational, descriptive, and quantitative study, with a cross-sectional approach. The sample consisted of 861 elderly individuals, in the community, in day care centers, and in geriatric homes in Coimbra, Portugal. For data collection, we used a structured questionnaire, addressing the sociodemographic characteristics and the place of residence, and the Geriatric Depression Scale - short version (GDS-15). Results: 65% of participants were women, 43.1% were at the age group from 75 to 84 years, 71% had from 1 to 5 years of schooling, 42.4% were widowed, 39.8% were living in geriatric homes, and 52.7% had a depressive symptomatology. Conclusion: the high prevalence of depressive symptoms (52.7%) and their relation to the associated factors (gender, age group, schooling, marital status, and place of residence) emphasize the need to seek further knowledge regarding depression, to provide means for the development of public policies and priority actions that can guarantee the best health care for the elderly population