A March survey by the Levada Center shows that Russians' trust in the authorities and President Putin is falling, especially among young people. The proportion of those dissatisfied with government policies is growing, and the rating of key institutions in the country is gradually declining. This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service, writes UNN.
The March survey by the Levada Center records a gradual but steady decline in Russians' trust in the authorities and key state institutions. The proportion of citizens who negatively assess the situation in the country has increased to 24% – plus 6 percentage points compared to November 2025. At the same time, the proportion of those who believe that the country is moving in the right direction has decreased by 13 percentage points year-on-year and stands at 61%.
Putin's rating dropped to 80% – minus 7 percentage points since November 2025 – while the disapproval level rose to 15%. A similar dynamic is observed regarding the government: the approval level decreased to 66%, losing 12 percentage points since May 2025, and disapproval increased to 29%. The State Duma's rating dropped to 53% – minus 13 percentage points, and support for governors decreased to 66% – minus 9 percentage points year-on-year.
The pro-Kremlin VTsIOM confirms the trend of the Levada Center: 20.1% of respondents reported distrust in the president, and another 18.3% reported disapproval of his activities. It is indicative that a pronounced gap was recorded between age groups: older people demonstrate higher loyalty, while young people are significantly more likely to take a critical stance.
Among the key factors of dissatisfaction are the increasing financial burden on the population due to tax policy, increased restrictions on internet access, and accumulated fatigue from the Russian-Ukrainian war. Against this background, the feeling of social injustice is intensifying in society, undermining trust in government decisions even when they are stabilizing.
Sociologists record the formation of an "inertial loyalty" model in Russia: formally high ratings are maintained, but their social base is gradually narrowing. This increases the vulnerability of the Kremlin system to localized crisis situations, primarily economic ones. In parallel, the effectiveness of information control is decreasing: even with a high level of declared support, the proportion of those who do not perceive official narratives is growing.