The kremlin’s Ratings Are Plummeting: putin’s Support Is Falling Amid War Fatigue and Rising Taxes

A March poll by the “levada center” shows a gradual but steady decline in russians’ trust in the government and key state institutions. The share of citizens who view the situation in the country negatively has risen to 24% – by 6% more compared to November 2025. At the same time, the share of those who believe the country is moving in the right direction has fallen by 13% year-on-year and stands at 61%.

putin’s approval rating has dropped to 80% – minus 7% since November 2025 – while the disapproval rating has risen to 15%. A similar trend is observed for the government: the approval rating fell to 66%, down by 12% from May 2025, while disapproval rose to 29%. The state duma’s approval rating dropped to 53% – minus 13% - while support for governors fell to 66% – minus 9% year-on-year.

The pro-kremlin VTsIOM confirms the trend observed by “levada-center”: 20.1% of respondents expressed distrust in the president, while another 18.3% disapproved of his performance. It is telling that a marked gap has been observed between age groups: older people demonstrate higher loyalty, while young people are significantly more likely to take a critical stance.

The key factors contributing to dissatisfaction include the growing financial burden on the population due to tax policies, tighter restrictions on internet access, and accumulated fatigue from the russia-Ukraine war. Against this background, a sense of social injustice is intensifying within society, undermining trust in the government’s decisions even when they are intended to stabilize the situation.

Sociologists are observing the emergence of a model of “inertial loyalty” in russia: formally high approval ratings are maintained, yet their social base is gradually narrowing. This increases the vulnerability of the kremlin system to specific crisis situations, primarily economic ones. In parallel, the effectiveness of information control is declining: even with a high level of declared support, the proportion of those who do not accept official narratives is growing.