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View all search resultsPrabowo’s approval rating drops below 50 percent ahead of two-year mark in office
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President Prabowo Subianto (center) delivers a speech during the second cabinet retreat on Jan. 6 at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java. During the gathering, the President set strategy for his flagship programs with members of his cabinet, among other focuses. (Antara/Bayu Pratama S)
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resident Prabowo Subianto’s approval rating has fallen below 50 percent for the first time since he took office in October 2024, as public discontent over economic conditions, politics and law enforcement under his administration continues to grow.
A survey, conducted by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) this month, found that only 44.5 percent of respondents approved of the President’s performance, a nearly 7-percentage point drop in just three months from 51.1 percent in July. His approval rating stood at 66.4 percent in March and 81.2 percent last November.
SMRC executive director Deni Irvani noted that the declining approval rating stems from worsening public perceptions of the country’s economy, politics and law enforcement, with more respondents rating each area negatively than in previous surveys.
The state of the economy received the most negative assessments from respondents, with 50.8 percent of respondents saying the national economy to be in a “bad” or “very bad” state, up from 49.4 percent in July. Only around 17 percent viewed economic conditions positively, while 31 percent remained neutral.
Meanwhile, negative assessments of the country’s political climate and the current state of law enforcement also rose to 44.1 percent and 40.6 percent of respondents, respectively, up from 42.8 percent and 37.6 percent in July.
Deni of SMRC noted that a third of respondents attribute their perception to rising prices of necessities amid the government’s costly welfare programs, including the free nutritious meal program and the Red and White cooperatives.
Read also: Discontent over policies, leadership erodes Prabowo’s footing
