Putin's Approval Ratings as 2024 Election Year Begins

President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings have remained at a steady high over the past several months in a boost to the Russian leader ahead of his re-election run in 2024, according to new figures from a non-governmental organization that surveys public opinion.

Russia's Levada Center, an independent research organization based in Moscow, has been assessing public attitudes towards Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine since it was launched in February 2022, as well as approval ratings of key political figures, including the Russian president.

The pollster said in its latest survey released on December 21 that the level of approval of the Russian president stands at 83 percent, down two percentage points from November 2023. The survey was conducted between December 14 and 20 in face-to-face interviews with 1,600 adult Russians across the country. The maximum margin of error was 3.4 percentage points.

It comes as Russia's 2024 presidential election looms, scheduled to be held on March 17. Under constitutional changes made prior to the war in Ukraine, Putin may remain in power until 2036. Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.

The Levada Center is touted as one of Russia's most reputable and longest-operating independent pollsters, but researchers have emphasized that in autocracies, citizens are often afraid to answer questions about politics.

Stringent laws passed in Russia in March 2022 made criticizing the Russian military and the war in Ukraine illegal. Many are believed to answer public opinion polls on the topic dishonestly, fearing retribution.

The Levada Center asked: "Do you generally approve or disapprove of Vladimir Putin's activities as President of Russia?"

This month, 83 percent of respondents said they approve of Putin's activities as leader of the country, 14 percent said they do not approve, and three percent declined to answer. That's in contrast to 82 percent saying they approved in July, 80 percent saying they approved in August and September, 82 percent saying they approved in October, and an 85 percent approval rating last month.

Putin announced earlier this month that he will be running for re-election in 2024. If re-elected, it would be his fifth term as Russian president.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said that Russia's presidential election is "not really democracy" and forecast a 90 percent victory for Putin next year.

"Our presidential election is not really democracy; it is costly bureaucracy," Peskov told The New York Times in an article published on August 6. "Mr. Putin will be reelected next year with more than 90 percent of the vote."

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