Story Highlights
- 42% overall job approval rating, similar to last month’s 40%
- 47% approve of handling of Ukraine situation; 46% of race relations
- Rating on economy up five percentage points since March, to 37%
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Joe Biden’s job approval rating is a relatively steady 42%, and his ratings are subpar on nine key issues currently affecting the U.S.
Americans’ approval of the president’s handling of the situation in Ukraine (47%) and race relations (46%) are slightly higher than his overall rating. Meanwhile, 44% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s handling of education, and fewer than four in 10 approve of his job performance on the other six issues -- labor disputes, foreign affairs, relations with Russia, the economy, relations with China and immigration.
Gallup has periodically measured Biden’s handling of seven of the nine issues included in the latest Aug. 1-23 poll, with the exceptions of race relations and labor disputes. Education was last measured one year ago, while all of the other issues were previously asked about earlier this year in February or March.
Biden’s rating on the economy has risen by five percentage points since March, as the U.S. economy has shown signs of improvement in recent months. Still, his rating remains weak, at 37% -- and is well below the 54% economic approval recorded shortly after his inauguration in 2021.
Although improved, Biden’s rating on the economy trails his overall job approval rating, which has averaged 41% over the past year.
Partisans’ Overall Job, Issue Ratings of Biden Sharply Polarized
Democrats’ approval rating of Biden’s job as president remains high, at 87%, compared with 39% among independents and 3% among Republicans. Democrats’ rating of Biden has ranged between 78% and 87% since December 2021.
More than eight in 10 Democrats approve of Biden’s handling of race relations, the situation in Ukraine and education, while their ratings of his job on relations with Russia, foreign affairs, the economy and labor disputes range from 71% to 78%. Smaller majorities of Democrats approve of his handling of immigration and relations with China.
Democrats are at least twice as likely as independents to approve of Biden on each of the nine issues. Republicans’ approval on seven of the issues is in the single digits. Race relations (16%) and the situation in Ukraine (13%) garner slightly higher approval ratings from Republicans.
Bottom Line
Americans’ approval of Biden’s overall job as president and his handling of nine issues are generally steady and are middling at best, topping out at 47% on Ukraine. Democrats remain firm in their approval of him, but his weakest ratings among his base are for his handling of immigration and relations with China. Less than half of independents approve of the president’s performance on any of the measures, including a 39% overall job approval rating from this key group.
As the 2024 presidential campaign begins to heat up, there will be increased focus on Biden’s approval rating and its implications for his electability. If he continues to struggle to earn ratings above the low 40s, history suggests he would be unlikely to win reelection.
Explore President Biden’s approval ratings and compare them with those of past presidents in the Gallup Presidential Job Approval Center.
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