Lorencia Sariani Tondang, Jakarta – Public satisfaction with President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's administration has barely improved as the government approaches its second anniversary, with concerns over economic conditions and the distribution of government aid shaping public perceptions.
A survey by Poltracking Indonesia conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7 found that 55.3% of respondents were satisfied with the government's performance, up just 0.2 percentage points from 55.1% in August.
Meanwhile, 40.9% expressed dissatisfaction, while the remaining 3.8% said they did not know or declined to answer.
Hanta Yudha, founder of Poltracking Indonesia, said the slight increase remained within the survey's margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points, indicating that public satisfaction had remained relatively stable rather than showing a significant improvement.
"Satisfaction is stagnant, meaning we need to find a breakthrough to improve this level," Hanta said during a presentation of the survey results assessing the Prabowo-Gibran administration's first two years in office.
He said a satisfaction rating above 50% suggested that the government had maintained relatively stable public support, but also underscored the need to improve its performance and policies.
Government aid emerged as a key factor influencing public assessments, drawing both praise and criticism depending on how effectively assistance reached its intended recipients.
Among respondents satisfied with the government, 16.5% cited the effective distribution of aid as a reason for their positive assessment, making it the most frequently cited factor. The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program ranked second, at 15%.
However, 14.3% of dissatisfied respondents pointed to poorly targeted government aid as a source of frustration, highlighting concerns over the effectiveness of social assistance programs.
Economic concerns were another major source of dissatisfaction. A total of 15.4% of respondents who were unhappy with the government cited economic instability and high prices for basic necessities.
The economy also received a negative assessment in the survey's sector-specific findings. Some 57.8% of respondents were dissatisfied with the government's economic performance, compared with 36.8% who expressed satisfaction.
Despite the relatively flat satisfaction rating, public trust in the administration remained higher, at 64.8%, up from 63.2% in August. Hanta said the increase was also within the margin of error, suggesting that trust levels had remained broadly stable.
The survey found that 61.3% of respondents believed government policies were aimed at improving the lives of ordinary people, while 34% disagreed.
Similarly, 62.1% considered the government fairly serious or very serious about addressing public concerns, while 33% said it was not serious.
Hanta said public trust was an important asset that the government could use to improve its performance and raise satisfaction. Maintaining that trust, he added, required the administration to demonstrate tangible results through better policies and implementation.
The survey involved 1,220 respondents selected through multistage random sampling. Face-to-face interviews were conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.