The approval rating of Russian President Vladimir Putin has seen a decline, as reported by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) on May 29. The latest survey indicates that 67.5% of respondents approve of his performance, a drop of 1.9 percentage points from the previous week.
Earlier in May, VTsIOM had altered its polling methodology, shifting from solely telephone surveys to include in-person interviews at residences. This change initially resulted in a slight increase in Putin’s approval rating, which rose by 1.2 percentage points to 66.8%.
VTsIOM releases its weekly ratings every Friday at 10:00 AM Moscow time. However, the poll was notably absent on May 1, and results were also not published on the first working day following the extended holiday, marking a seven-week streak of declining ratings prior to that.
In the most recent data, 73.7% of respondents expressed trust in Putin, which is a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the week before. Additionally, support for the ruling party, United Russia, fell by 0.4 percentage points to 32.7%.
Commentators have previously linked the decline in Putin’s ratings to rising public dissatisfaction stemming from internet censorship and worsening economic conditions. The Kremlin has not provided any comments regarding the drop in the president’s approval ratings.
Recent polling data reveals a continued decline in President Putin's approval ratings, reflecting potential public dissatisfaction with internet restrictions and economic issues. The Kremlin has not addressed these changes publicly.