Support The Moscow Times!

Putin’s Approval Rating Lowest Since 2013 — Poll

Kremlin.ru

President Vladimir Putin's approval rating has fallen to 66 percent, its lowest level since 2013, according to a recent poll published by the independent Levada Center.

Putin’s popularity has been hurt by controversial legislation he signed earlier this month to raise the pension eligibility age to 65 for men and 60 for women. In a separate poll published by Levada earlier this month that asked respondents to select the politicians they trust the most, Putin was only named by 39 percent of people — a 20 points drop in a year.

Sixty-six percent of respondents in Levada’s latest poll said they approved of Putin's actions, corresponding to a four point drop since August and a 16 point drop since April of this year.

The percentage of respondents who expressed disapproval of Putin's actions has almost doubled since April — growing from 17 percent to 33 percent in the latest rating. Putin’s approval hit an all-time high of 87 percent in August 2014 in the aftermath of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Meanwhile, 64 percent of those surveyed by Levada said they disapproved of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The prime minister was the subject of a corruption investigation by opposition leader Alexei Navalny last year that had over 27 million views on YouTube and drew thousands of young Russians to the streets in 2017. 

In contrast to Putin, Medvedev’s approval ratings grew in the latest poll to 34 percent, a six point increase since August.

Levada conducted its survey among 1,600 respondents in 52 Russian regions between Oct. 18 and Oct. 24.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more