Over Half of All Brazilians Do Not Trust Bolsonaro, Says CNI/IBOPE Survey

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – According to a CNI/Ibope poll, the rate of distrust, which was 45 percent in April, rose to 51 percent in June and now stands at 55 percent. Conversely, the percentage of Brazilians who trust the president has dropped from 51 percent to 46 percent between April and June and now stands at 42 percent.

The polling margin of error is two percentage points, plus or minus. Two thousand people were interviewed in 126 municipalities between September 19th and 22nd. The previous survey was conducted between June 20th and 26th.

The government’s assessment of good/very good was 35 percent in April, fell to 32 percent in June and now stands at 31 percent. The bad/very bad assessment rose from 27 percent in April to 32 percent in June and 34 percent today.

Half of the Brazilian population disapproves of the way Bolsonaro has governed, a rate that stood at 40 percent in April, rose to 48 percent in June and now stands at 50 percent.

Meanwhile, the percentage of those who approve his leadership dropped from 51 percent in April to 46 percent in June and now stands at 44 percent. The disapproval already exceeds the approval by a factor outside the margin of error.

Region and age

Popularity varies by region. 47 percent of northeasterners rate Bolsonaro’s government as bad or very bad, and only 20 percent rate it as very good or good.

Compared to June, residents of the Southern region show the greatest assessment variation: the very good/good rate ranged from 52 percent to 35 percent in the period while the bad/very bad rate ranged from 18 percent to 28 percent.

The president’s popularity also fell in the Southeast, where it currently stands at 32 percent, but increased in the North and Midwest, where it stands at 39 percent.

Youths between the ages of 16 and 24 are the group for which government approval fell the most between June and September: the percentage of very good/good dropped from 32 percent to 24 percent.

Among those between the ages of 45 and 54, the decrease was from 34 percent to 29 percent in the period. In other ranges, variation remained within the margin of error.

Thirty-seven percent of those with higher education consider the government as very good/good, a rate that drops to 30 percent among those with up to a fourth-grade education.

Expectations and areas

The survey shows that the population’s hopes for the future of Bolsonaro’s government have dropped, but within the margin of error.

Thirty-seven percent expect the remainder of the term to be very good/good while thirty-one percent expect it to be bad/very bad, with twenty-seven percent expecting the rest of the term to be only fair.

The ratings decline was driven by women. In their view, the prospect of the remainder of the administration being very good or good fell from 34 percent to 30 percent between June and September, while among men it remained at 44 percent.

The highest-rated areas of the government are, in order, Public Safety (51 percent), Education (44 percent), Fighting Inflation (42 percent) and the Environment (40 percent).

The current government’s actions and policies with the highest rates of disapproval are, in order, Taxes (62 percent), Interest Rate (61 percent), Fighting Unemployment (59 percent) and Health (58 percent).

The disapproval rose in areas such as the environment, from 45 percent to 55 percent between June and September, and the fight against hunger and poverty, which rose from 51 percent to 57 percent in the period.

Comparison with Temer

A further indication of Jair Bolsonaro’s loss of popularity in the South is the comparison of his administration with the government of Michel Temer. The percentage of those who think the president is doing better than his predecessor fell from 63 percent to 45 percent between June and September.

On the other hand, the rate increased from 45 percent to 54 percent in the North and Midwest regions. Nationwide, 43 percent of Brazilians think Bolsonaro is better than Temer. For 33 percent, the management quality is the same, and 20 percent thought that Temer was better.

Source: Abril