MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Over 60% of Argentines disapprove of Milei amid economic and social crisis

The economy shows a 1.9% year-on-year increase in overall activity, but the growth is concentrated in sectors that generate little employment

Argentine President Javier Milei's public image has reached its lowest point since he took office in December 2023. Multiple polls now agree that disapproval exceeds 60%, driven by stubbornly high inflation, rising unemployment, a wave of business closures and a string of corruption scandals hitting the president's inner circle.

A survey by Brazilian consultancy Atlas Intel, based on 5,037 cases nationwide, found that 62% of Argentines hold a negative view of the president, compared with 37% approval. Disapproval climbed nearly 10 points since December. Respondents identified corruption, unemployment and inflation as the country's top problems.

The economy shows a 1.9% year-on-year increase in overall activity, but the growth is concentrated in sectors that generate little employment, such as hydrocarbons, mining and financial intermediation. Labor-intensive industries like construction, manufacturing and retail are posting sharp declines. Data from the Superintendency of Labor Risk shows that 22,608 companies have closed since the start of the administration. The unemployment rate rose to 7.5% in the last quarter of 2025, with 279,000 more people out of work than two years earlier.

The government celebrated a 13.5 percentage-point reduction in official poverty since taking power. However, analysts at the Center for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (Cedlas) estimate that, when adjusted for variables such as the consumption basket and social transfers, the real reduction is closer to two points. A report by the Argentine Catholic University warns that despite some improvement in average income, many households are not experiencing greater purchasing power or less financial strain, given the increased burden of utility rates, transportation and services on family budgets.

Economist Marina Dal Poggetto noted that “there are winners and losers, but the winners currently contribute little to job creation; in fact, formal employment is being destroyed.” Consultancy MAP Latam found that the improvement visible in consumption statistics is driven by wealthier sectors, while purchases of basic food items at supermarkets continue to decline.

Adding to the economic erosion, a series of corruption scandals emerged over the past month, including the president's involvement in the alleged $Libra cryptocurrency fraud and a judicial investigation into possible illicit enrichment by Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni. “Milei came into office promising to end 'the political caste' and its privileges,” observed political analyst Lucas Romero, director of Synopsis Consultores. “Today the relief has not arrived, expectations are deteriorating and there is a flood of information about possible acts of corruption. It is a fairly complex combination for it not to affect Milei's public image.”

Not all pollsters agree on the scale of the backlash. Consultancy Isasi-Burdman recorded 46% positive approval, the strongest reading among recent surveys. Its director, sociologist Julio Burdman, cautioned that “these numbers for Milei are not that bad for this point in his term,” noting that previous presidents such as Mauricio Macri and Alberto Fernández were in far worse shape at the start of their third year in office.