President Javier Milei’s popularity is slowly beginning to dip as the economic crisis worsens. According to a series of recent polls, the public’s trust in the government and satisfaction with the general state of the country are going down, while Argentines are becoming increasingly worried about the rise of poverty.

Citizens’ trust in the government went down by 3.7% in July compared to the previous month, according to a survey conducted by researchers at Torcuato Di Tella University. The nationwide survey also showed that Argentines’ trust dropped 4.7% regarding the government’s handling of public spending and 8.9% vis-à-vis the honesty of cabinet members. Their opinion on the administration’s ability to solve the country’s problems, however, increased by 2.2% compared to last month.

Compared to Mauricio Macri and Alberto Fernández’s first July as presidents in 2016 and 2020, trust in Milei’s government is 12.3% and 6.2% lower, respectively, the Di Tella report said.

A poll by the University of San Andrés (Udesa) showed that only 33% of Argentines are satisfied with the general state of the country, an 8% drop compared to May. The Milei administration has a 48% approval rate, while 49% disapprove. The president’s positive image currently sits at 45%, down 3 points since January, the report added.

One new issue appeared in the Udesa poll: after two years, poverty replaced inflation as the most worrisome issue. In July, poverty was the top concern for 37% of respondents, followed by low salaries, inflation, and a decrease in public safety (32% for each of the last three).

Another poll, from consultant agency Zuban Córdoba, indicated that 66% of people who took the survey believe poverty is on the rise, as well as hatred and intolerance of other political opinions. “The government’s control over the dollar exchange rate is even more worrisome,” their report said.

Zuban Córdoba’s survey showed no significant difference in Milei’s public image between June and July, but they warn that “specific issues are starting to fracture, not only in the economic realm but also in other sensitive areas.”

“Perhaps society is beginning to show impatience with the government, especially on economic issues,” said Paola Zuban and Gustavo Córdoba in their report. “This is a phenomenon that we have already seen in the two previous governments: economic instability is followed by an inflationary outbreak, followed by an erosion in public opinion. Something the government should pay attention to.”

According to Di Tella’s report on poverty for the first semester of 2024, 50.5% of the Argentine population is below the poverty line, meaning over 23 million people are poor.

The gender bias in government support

Both Di Tella and Udesa’s reports showed that, just like polls from the campaign, there is a distinct gender bias regarding Milei’s supporters. In July, Di Tella’s Government Trust Index was higher among men compared to women, and young adults between 18 and 29.

The Udesa poll also showed that those most satisfied with the general state of the country are men, as well as people with high socioeconomic status, baby boomers, and people who are more right-wing inclined.

Most polls conducted before the 2023 elections showed that young men were the demographic that backed Milei the most. However, the Di Tella survey shows that while women’s support for the president remained the same between June and July, support among men dropped in that period by 8%.