More than half of Russian residents, 60%, believe that the economic situation in their city or region is deteriorating. This is evidenced by the results of the survey conducted from March to May 2026 by the American research company Gallup.
This is the highest indicator in the entire period of similar surveys that Gallup has been conducting in Russia since 2006.
The previous maximum rates were recorded in 2020 (45%) and 2021 (50%) during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the research, 56% of the respondents stated that their standard of living is deteriorating. This is also the highest indicator of the last 20 years.
At the same time, 29% of survey participants reported that their standard of living has improved.
In addition, Gallup recorded a significant drop in Russians’ confidence in state institutions.
Confidence in the armed forces decreased from 79% to 66% within a year, in the government – from 67% to 53%, and the number of those who consider the elections to be free and fair decreased from 56% to 40%.
The level of freedom of mass media in Russia was positively assessed by 34% of respondents, compared to 59% of the previous year.
Since the spring of 2026, Russian state sociological services, the Public Opinion Foundation and the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center, have also begun to record a decline in the rating of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At the end of June, the Public Opinion Foundation reported that the level of trust in Putin had dropped to 69%. This is the lowest figure recorded during the entire war against Russia.