Rousseff's government approval rating down to 12% in March

A survey conducted by the polling institute Ibope and commissioned by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), released today (Apr 1), shows that the percentage of people that describe President Dilma Rousseff's government as great or good has plunged 28 percentage points, going from 40% in December 2014 to 12% in March this year.

The number of respondents that rate the government as bad or terrible climbed from 27% to 64%—37 percentage points.

The opinion poll was carried out from March 21 to 25, and heard 2,002 people over the age of 16 in 142 municipalities. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points, and the reliability rate 95%.

Compared to other governments, Rousseff faces, early in her second term of office, the lowest percentage (12%) of respondents referring to the president's administration as great or good since 1995. In 2011, after winning the presidential election for the first time, the figure stood at 56%. The approval rating of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reached 49% in 2007 and 51% in 2003. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, in turn, faced a 22% rating in 1999 and 41% in 1995.

It was also the lowest percentage (19%) when it comes to Rousseff's governing style. In 2011, she was given 73%. Lula had 65% in 2007 and 75% in 2003. Fernando Henrique Cardoso reached 35% in 1999 and 63% in 1995.

In March, the percentage of people who described the government as OK was observed at 23%. In December, this figure was 32%. Both in December and March, 1% of the people did not have an opinion or did not answer the question.

The document further reveals that 78% of respondents disapprove of the president's governing style, with 19% holding a positive opinion on the subject. Her negative evaluation went up 37 percentage points compared to the previous study, whereas its positive counterpart plunged 33. Also, 4% did not know or did not answer.

In the judgment of 75% of those surveyed, Rousseff's second tenure has been worse than the first; 18% believe it has been the same, and 4% better. One percent did not know or did not answer.

Confidence was also seen to decline from the previous figures. From December to March, the percentage of those who trust in the government slid from 51% to 24%. In the same period, those with no trust totaled 74%, against a previous 44%. According to Ibope figures, 3% did not know or did now answer.

The poll also discloses that 14% believe that the rest of the current president's administration will be great or good, 25% OK, and 55% bad or terrible. Five percent did not know or did not answer.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira