José Antonio Kast’s Approval Plummets to 29.1% Amid Rising Disapproval and Concerns Over Crime and Economy

Original article: Desplome de Kast: aprobación cae al 29% y un 55,6 % lo desaprueba, según Pulso Ciudadano

Confidence in the President Plummets 12 Points Since December: Only 23.6% Support Kast

According to the latest Pulso Ciudadano survey conducted by Activa Research and reported by CNN Chile, President José Antonio Kast’s approval rating has fallen to 29.1% during the second half of April 2026. The survey, conducted on a national level with 1,009 respondents and a margin of error of ±3.1%, also indicates that his disapproval rating has surged to 55.6%, marking a downward trend compared to the previous measurement, where support was at 33.3%.

The study cited by CNN Chile also highlights a significant deterioration in trust towards the President. Only 23.6% of participants expressed “a lot of trust” or “some trust” in Kast, while 53.4% reported having little or no trust at all. This figure contrasts sharply with December 2025, when his high trust levels reached 36% as an elected president, reflecting a drop of more than 12 percentage points.

Regarding the country’s direction, the survey reveals that 45.9% of respondents believe Chile is heading in the wrong direction, compared to only 31.6% who feel otherwise. Additionally, 37.6% think the country is regressing, while 35.5% consider it stagnant. Only 21.5% maintain that Chile is progressing, as detailed in the Pulso Ciudadano report.

Crime has emerged as the leading concern for the country, cited by 46.5% of respondents among their top three issues. Following closely are inflation and rising prices at 33.4%, and unemployment at 22.1%. The economic situation is also weighing heavily on the Government: 49.2% rated the current economy as poor or very poor, while “Net Economy” (78.7%) surpassed “Net Security” (72.5%).

Finally, the Activa Research survey shows widespread rejection of major institutions. The presidential cabinet garnered a 24.1% approval rating and a 62.7% disapproval rating. The Congress is disapproved by 67.8%, while the Judiciary sees a 68.9% disapproval rate. In contrast, firefighters lead public trust with 83.3%, while political parties barely reach 3.7%.