{
  "id": 14921882,
  "title": "Indonesian president’s approval rating falls to 44.5%, poll shows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/indonesian-presidents-approval-rating-falls-to-44-5-poll-shows-14921882",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T08:27:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/16/indonesian-president-s-approval-rating-falls-to-44-5-poll-shows"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Prabowo Subianto's popularity in Indonesia has continued to wane, with a recent poll revealing his approval rating has fallen to 44.5%, according to surveys conducted by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC). This decline marks a significant drop from his 81.2% approval in November 2025, as reported by EPA Images. The dissatisfaction with Prabowo's tenure appears to stem from several factors, including economic conditions, his flagship programmes, and governance issues.\n\nHistorically, Prabowo's approval rating has been in steady decline since late last year. In July, the approval was at 51.1%, followed by 66.4% in March and the lowest point of 81.2% in November. The October poll, based on 1,213 respondents with a margin of error of +/- 2.9%, indicates that economic and political conditions, law enforcement, and the implementation of Prabowo's free meals and village cooperatives programmes are primary concerns for the public.\n\nA majority of respondents, 50.8%, expressed dissatisfaction with the overall economic conditions, with 43.1% feeling that these conditions had worsened compared to the previous year. High prices of staple foods emerged as the most frequently cited problem, closely followed by corruption and poverty. Deni Irvani, SMRC's executive director, noted that the free meals and village cooperatives programmes, intended to bolster public support, have had the opposite effect, causing a decrease in appreciation for Prabowo's initiatives.\n\nSpecifically, 62% of respondents were dissatisfied with the free meals programme, citing issues such as food poisoning affecting over 50,000 individuals, allegations of corruption, and perceived poor governance. Additionally, 71.4% of those polled were doubtful about the success of Prabowo's village cooperatives policy, adding to the erosion of his public image. This paradoxical situation raises questions about the effectiveness of these programmes in addressing the concerns of the Indonesian populace.",
  "summary": "The polls also showed that 50.8% of respondents viewed current economic conditions as poor, while 43.1% believed they had worsened over the past year.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Indonesian president’s approval rating falls to 44.5%, poll shows",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/indonesian-presidents-approval-rating-falls-to-44-5-poll-shows",
        "published": "2026-10-16T08:27:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}