United States presidential approval rating
Historical approval ratings of the US president
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In the United States, presidential job approval ratings were first conducted by George Gallup (estimated to be 1937) to gauge public support for the president of the United States during their term. An approval rating is a percentage determined by polling which indicates the percentage of respondents to an opinion poll who approve of a particular person or program. Typically, an approval rating is given to a politician based on responses to a poll in which a sample of people are asked whether they approve or disapprove of that particular political figure. A question might ask: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way that the current president is handling their job as president?"[1]
Like most surveys that measure opinions, individual poll results may be inaccurate. Many unscientific approval rating systems exist that show inaccurate statistics. Examples that self select, such as online questions, are of this type; however, the aggregate approval rating is generally accepted by statisticians as a statistically valid indicator of the comparative changes in the popular U.S. mood regarding a president. George W. Bush registered a 90% job approval rating (the highest in Gallup's tracking) shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.[2] Harry S. Truman registered a 22% job approval rating (the lowest in Gallup's tracking) in a survey conducted February 9–14, 1952.[3]
On February 11, 2026, Gallup announced that they would cease their polling of presidential approval ratings, as well as those of other public figures.[4]
Historical comparison
| # | President | Years in office | Approval[5] | Disapproval | Margin | Final poll | Polls per year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | Highest | Lowest | Diff | Highest | Lowest | Highest | Lowest | |||||
| 47[8] | Donald Trump | 2025– | TBD | 47 (2025-01-27) |
33 (2026-04-22) |
11 | 60 (2025-11-28) |
48 (2025-01-27) |
−1 (2025-01-27) |
−24 (2025-11-28) |
TBD | |
| 46[9] | Joe Biden | 2021–2025 | 42 | 57 (2021-02-02, 2021-04-21) [10] |
36 (2024-07-21) |
21 | 59 (2022-07-26, 2023-04-25, 2023-10-23, 2023-11-21, 2023-12-20, 2024-02-20) |
37 (2021-02-02) |
20 (2021-02-02) |
−22 (2023-04-25, 2023-10-23, 2023-11-21, 2024-07-21) |
40 (2025-01-15) |
12 |
| 45[11] | Donald Trump | 2017–2021 | 41 | 49 (2020-01-29, 2020-02-16, 2020-03-22, 2020-04-28, 2020-05-13) |
34 (2021-01-15) |
15 | 62 (2021-01-15) |
45 (2017-01-22, 2020-03-22) [12] |
4 (2020-03-22) |
−28 (2021-01-15) |
34 (2021-01-15) |
40 |
| 44[13] | Barack Obama | 2009–2017 | 48 | 69 (2009-01-24) |
38 (2014-09-05) |
31 | 57 (2014-10-10) |
12 (2009-01-23) |
56 (2009-01-23, 2009-01-24) |
−18 (2014-10-10) |
59 (2017-01-19) |
48.4 |
| 43[14] | George W. Bush | 2001–2009 | 49 | 90 (2001-09-22) |
25 (2008-10-05, 2008-10-12, 2008-11-02) |
65 | 71 (2008-10-10) |
6 (2001-09-22) |
84 (2001-09-22) |
−46 (2008-10-12) |
34 (2009-01-11) |
33.7 |
| 42[15] | Bill Clinton | 1993–2001 | 55 | 73 (1998-12-20) |
37 (1993-06-06) |
36 | 54 (1994-09-07) |
20 (1993-01-26) |
48 (1998-12-20) |
−14 (1994-09-07) |
66 (2001-01-14) |
28.5 |
| 41[16] | George H. W. Bush | 1989–1993 | 61 | 89 (1991-02-28) |
29 (1992-08-02) |
60 | 60 (1992-07-31) |
6 (1989-01-26) |
82 (1991-03-03) |
−30 (1992-08-02, 1992-10-13) |
56 (1993-01-11) |
39.5 |
| 40[17] | Ronald Reagan | 1981–1989 | 53 | 68 (1986-05-19) |
35 (1983-01-31) |
33 | 56 (1983-01-31) |
13 (1981-02-02) |
49 (1981-04-06) |
−21 (1983-01-31) |
63 (1988-12-29) |
37.0 |
| 39[18] | Jimmy Carter | 1977–1981 | 46 | 75 (1977-03-21) |
28 (1979-07-02) |
47 | 59 (1979-07-02) |
8 (1977-02-07, 1977-03-02) |
66 (1977-03-15) |
−31 (1979-07-02) |
34 (1980-12-08) |
22.7 |
| 38[19] | Gerald Ford | 1974–1977 | 47 | 71 (1974-08-19) |
37 (1975-03-31) |
34 | 48 (1975-03-31) |
3 (1974-08-19) |
67 (1974-08-13) |
−11 (1975-03-31) |
53 (1976-12-13) |
14.7 |
| 37[20] | Richard Nixon | 1969–1974 | 49 | 67 (1969-11-17, 1973-01-29) |
24 (1974-07-15, 1974-07-26, 1974-08-05) |
43 | 66 (1974-08-05) |
5 (1969-01-28) |
57 (1969-03-17) |
−42 (1974-08-05) |
24 (1974-08-05) |
17.7 |
| 36[21] | Lyndon B. Johnson | 1963–1969 | 55 | 79 (1964-03-05) |
35 (1968-08-12) |
44 | 53 (1968-08-12) |
2 (1963-12-10) |
75 (1963-12-10) |
−18 (1968-08-12) |
49 (1969-01-06) |
15.3 |
| 35[22] | John F. Kennedy | 1961–1963 | 70 | 82 (1961-05-03, 1961-06-06) |
56 (1963-09-17) |
26 | 30 (1963-11-13) |
5 (1961-04-11) |
77 (1961-05-03) |
27 (1963-09-17) |
58 (1963-11-13) |
13.7 |
| 34[23] | Dwight D. Eisenhower | 1953–1961 | 65 | 79 (1956-12-19) |
48 (1958-04-01) |
31 | 36 (1958-04-01) |
7 (1953-02-05) |
66 (1953-04-02, 1956-12-19) |
12 (1958-04-01) |
59 (1960-12-13) |
14.4 |
| 33[24] | Harry Truman | 1945–1953 | 45 | 87 (1945-06-05) |
22 (1951-11-16, 1952-02-14) |
65 | 67 (1952-01-06) |
3 (1945-06-05) |
85 (1945-08-22) |
−43 (1952-01-04) |
32 (1952-12-16) |
8.4 |
| 32[25] | Franklin D. Roosevelt | 1933–1945 | 63 | 83 (1942-01-23) |
48 (1939-08-18) |
35 | 46 (1938-05-22, 1938-05-29, 1938-11-07) |
73 (1942-01-23) |
65 (1943-12-15) |
8 | ||
Approval at the beginning of the presidency
| Presidency | President | Initial approval | Initial disapproval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | Trump | 47 (2025-01-29) | 48 (2025-01-29) |
| 46 | Biden | 57 (2021-02-02) | 37 (2021-02-02) |
| 45 | Trump | 45 (2017-01-22) | 45 (2017-01-22) |
| 44 | Obama | 68 (2009-01-23) | 12 (2009-01-23) |
| 43 | G. W. Bush | 57 (2001-02-05) | 25 (2001-02-05) |
| 42 | Clinton | 58 (1993-01-24) | 20 (1993-01-24) |
| 41 | G. H. W. Bush | 51 (1989-01-26) | 6 (1989-01-26) |
| 40 | Reagan | 51 (1981-02-02) | 13 (1981-02-02) |
| 39 | Carter | 66 (1977-01-07) | 8 (1977-01-07) |
| 38 | Ford | 71 (1974-08-19) | 3 (1974-08-19) |
| 37 | Nixon | 59 (1969-01-28) | 5 (1969-01-28) |
| 36 | Johnson | 78 (1963-12-10) | 2 (1963-12-10) |
| 35 | Kennedy | 72 (1961-02-15) | 6 (1961-02-15) |
| 34 | Eisenhower | 68 (1953-02-05) | 7 (1953-02-05) |
| 33 | Truman | 87 (1945-06-05) | 3 (1945-06-05) |
Historical net approval of each presidency
| Presidency | President | Average initial approval | Average initial disapproval | Net initial approval | Average final approval | Average final disapproval | Net final approval | Initial to final change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47[b] | Trump | 47 | 41 | +6 | — | — | — | — |
| 46 | Biden | 57.5 | 37.5 | +20 | 37.9 | 56.9 | -19 | -39 |
| 45 | Trump | 45 | 45 | 0 | 41.1 | 56.1 | -15 | -15 |
| 44 | Obama | 68.5 | 12.5 | +56 | 59 | 37 | +22 | -34 |
| 43 | G. W. Bush | 57 | 25 | +32 | 34 | 61 | -27 | -59 |
| 42 | Clinton | 58 | 20 | +38 | 66 | 29 | +37 | -1 |
| 41 | G. H. W. Bush | 51 | 6 | +45 | 56 | 37 | +19 | -26 |
| 40 | Reagan | 51 | 13 | +38 | 63 | 29 | +34 | -4 |
| 39 | Carter | 66 | 8 | +58 | 34 | 55 | -21 | -79 |
| 38 | Ford | 71 | 3 | +68 | 53 | 32 | +21 | -47 |
| 37 | Nixon | 59 | 5 | +54 | 24 | 66 | -42 | -96 |
| 36 | Johnson | 78 | 2 | +76 | 49 | 33 | +16 | -60 |
| 35 | Kennedy | 72 | 6 | +66 | 58 | 28 | +30 | -36 |
| 34 | Eisenhower | 68 | 7 | +61 | 59 | 28 | +31 | -30 |
| 33 | Truman | 87 | 3 | +84 | 32 | 56 | -24 | -108 |
Graphs
- Gallup Poll graphs of approval ratings for former presidents of the United States
Donald Trump (first presidency)
Joe Biden (2021)
See also
Notes
- Only the results of Gallup polls are included as no other poll results exist for presidents before President Clinton.
- Trump's second term polling numbers will reflect only the unweighted mean of polling averages reported by Real Clear Politics given the closure of FiveThirtyEight due to employee cuts at ABC News Group by parent company Disney.[30]