Russians' trust in the economy, army, and government has plummeted to a record low - intelligence

Kyiv • UNN

July 4 2026, 08:38 AM • 2042 views

60% of Russians consider the economic situation to have worsened, and trust in the army has dropped from 79% to 66% over the year. This is the largest decline in trust in state institutions in the entire period of observation.

Russians' trust in the economy, army, and government has plummeted to a record low - intelligence

The sociological company Gallup has recorded the worst sentiments among Russians regarding the economic situation in the country in the last two decades. At the same time, the level of trust in the army, government, elections, and media freedom has sharply declined. This is reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, UNN reports.

Details

According to a Gallup poll conducted from March to May 2026, 60% of Russians believe that the economic situation in their city or region is worsening. This is the worst indicator for the entire observation period. At the same time, 56% of respondents stated that their standard of living has become lower than before, and for the first time in 20 years, this has become the opinion of the majority of those surveyed.

The SZR notes that assessments of the labor market situation have also deteriorated. The share of those who consider the current time unfavorable for finding a job has increased from 46% to 58% over the year. At the same time, the formally low unemployment rate is explained not by the stability of the economy, but by a shortage of personnel due to mobilization.

"Trust in state institutions has fallen even more sharply. The trust rating for the army fell from 79% to 66% over the year, for the government – from 67% to 53%, for the honesty of elections – from 56% to 40%. This is the largest annual decline in the entire observation period," the Foreign Intelligence Service noted.

The agency also drew attention to the decline in the assessment of media freedom – from 59% to 34% in just one year. According to the SZR, after several years of consolidation of Russian society against the backdrop of a full-scale war against Ukraine, the sentiments of the population are increasingly changing due to economic difficulties and the prolongation of hostilities.

According to the assessment of the Foreign Intelligence Service, the longer the war lasts, the smaller the reserve of public patience becomes, and the Kremlin finds it increasingly difficult to maintain public support.