Russian state pollster stops publishing Putin trust rating
Vladimir Putin (Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
The state-owned Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM)
stopped publishing an open-ended trust rating for Russian dictator Vladimir
Putin after it fell to 29.5 percent in early April, independent outlet The
Moscow Times reported on June 8.
The open-ended rating was calculated by allowing respondents to name the politicians they trust, without prompting. That figure contrasted sharply with results from direct, prompted questions asking about trust in Putin, which showed 73.8 percent in early April and 72.3 percent in late May.
VCIOM data showed the open-ended rating declined 5.5 percentage points since the start of the year and 19.5 points from March 2024 highs. It is also down by more than half from a 68 percent peak in 2014. The last open-ended rating was published April 5, covering March; VCIOM’s website did not post data for April and May.
VCIOM’s weekly approval rating for Putin stood at 66.6 percent as of May 31 and had fallen for two consecutive weeks, despite a change in survey method from phone interviews to door‑to‑door visits. The lowest weekly approval recorded during the period was 65.6 percent on April 19.
According to VCIOM, Putin’s approval is at its lowest level
since February 2022; only one pre‑invasion poll, at 64.3 percent,
was lower. Support for the ruling United Russia party has also continued to
decline.
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