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Recent public opinion polls indicate not just a decline in the popularity of the ruling force but an increase in public resentment. This was stated by sociologist Artur Paronyan.
The results of surveys conducted by the American International Republican Institute (IRI) from June 16 to 25, 2025, clearly reflect the extremely challenging situation the ruling force finds itself in today.
Noting that the wording of questions has remained consistent across all studies, Paronyan added that this allows for tracking the dynamics of changes in public opinion. For instance, it is possible to trace the trend in respondents’ attitudes toward the question of whether Armenia is moving in the right direction. Data shows that the share of respondents who believe Armenia is moving in the right direction has dropped from 73% in 2018 to 36% according to the latest polls, with a historical low of 31%. At the same time, the number of those who believe the country is moving in the wrong direction has risen from 11% in 2018 to 49% this year.
“The decline in trust began after the war. In May 2021, only 43% of respondents believed Armenia was moving in the right direction. Nevertheless, by the end of 2023, there was a temporary increase, with the figure reaching 50%. This likely reflected attempts by many to convince themselves that Armenia’s main problems were behind it, following the loss of Artsakh. However, a few months later, a sharp drop in trust was recorded, reaching that historical low of 31%,” Paronyan stated.
According to the same polls, the share of citizens with anti-government sentiments now stands at 60–65%. These are people who no longer show interest in Nikol Pashinyan, do not follow his statements, and do not watch his press conferences. “As someone engaged in qualitative research—that is, analysis that answers not only what but also why—I can say that the authorities’ anti-rating has a distinctly emotional character. We are dealing not just with critical attitudes but with a phenomenon of political hatred,” the expert noted.
According to IRI data, among those who still believe Armenia is moving in the right direction, the majority are from the older generation—primarily individuals over 56 years old. At the same time, the highest level of dissatisfaction is recorded among the youth. This is particularly telling, considering that in 2018, it was the youth who blocked streets and became the driving force behind the change of power. Today, this same social group has largely distanced itself from the political force it helped bring to power.
Thus, 54% of young people believe the country is moving in the wrong direction, while only 29% believe the opposite. Among citizens aged 35 to 55, 52% disagree with the policies of the current authorities, while the level of support in this age group is 35%. A similar distribution is observed in other survey questions: the social base of the current authorities is increasingly limited to the 56+ age group.
The primary concern, according to the majority of respondents, remains issues of security and the situation on the borders. This topic is traditionally associated with the opposition’s agenda. National security is named the top priority by 35% of respondents, with an additional 9% considering it the second most important issue. Thus, a total of 44% of citizens express concern about security issues—effectively, these are politically opposition-minded citizens, as they align with the opposition’s agenda.
Another 20% of respondents can be classified as “socially oppositional” groups—citizens disappointed with social policies following the 2018 change of power. These are people who expected social justice and improved living conditions but, not seeing the anticipated changes, have become disillusioned with the authorities.