Key facts
- Russians' pessimism about their economy is at its highest in at least 20 years, a Gallup poll found.
- 60% of Russians surveyed believe local economic conditions are worsening.
- 56% of respondents reported a decline in their living standards.
- Confidence in the Russian military has decreased to 66% from 80% in 2022.
- Confidence in the Russian government has fallen to 53% from 66% in 2022.
- In Ukraine, only 7% approve of U.S. leadership performance, while 79% disapprove.
Russians' pessimism regarding their economy has reached its highest point in at least two decades, according to a Gallup poll. The survey, conducted between March 14 and May 6, found that 60% of respondents believe economic conditions in their local area are worsening, while only 27% see improvement. Furthermore, 56% of Russians stated that their living standards are deteriorating.
Confidence in the Russian military has also seen a significant decline, dropping to 66% from 80% in 2022, the year of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Similarly, confidence in the government fell to 53% from 66% during the same period.
The poll also surveyed Ukrainians, revealing a sharp drop in approval for U.S. leadership, with only 7% approving and 79% disapproving. Gallup noted this as the largest drop in U.S. approval over any five-year period in its polling history across more than 140 countries.
Regarding the ongoing conflict, 24% of Ukrainians believe the country should continue fighting until victory, a figure unchanged from a year ago. A larger majority, 66%, indicated that Ukraine should seek to negotiate an end to the war as soon as possible.