IRI poll: Pashinyan tops trust list despite waning public confidence

By Alexander Pracht

A nationwide survey conducted by the U.S. International Republican Institute (IRI) between June 16 and 26 among 1,505 respondents, published Monday, shows that political apathy remains widespread in Armenia, with 61% of the population saying they do not trust any domestic political figure. An additional 10% declined to name anyone as the deep-rooted disillusionment with the country’s political landscape becomes more apparent.

Despite waning enthusiasm, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan remains the most trusted politician, cited by 13% of respondents, though his trust rating has declined by 4 percentage points compared to IRI's September 2024 poll. According to the June 2025 survey, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan holds second place with 5%. Former president and opposition leader Robert Kocharyan ranks third with 4% - an increase from the 2% he registered in September 2024. However, the overwhelming majority of Armenians appear detached from the current political offerings.

When asked how they would vote if parliamentary elections (scheduled for next June) were held today, only 17% said they would support Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party. Combined support for all current opposition forces failed to cross the 10% threshold.

Instead, 22% of respondents said they didn’t know who they would vote for, 28% said they would not participate at all, and 12% said they would intentionally spoil their ballot. This sentiment is particularly strong among younger voters, with 37% of those aged 35 or younger saying they would abstain from voting.

Peace and security still top public expectations

With less than a year until the elections, the public expects progress from the government, especially in areas related to national security. Asked what Pashinyan’s top priority should be, 22% named achieving peace, unchanged from the September 2024 IRI survey, while 17% said securing Armenia’s borders. Another 14% emphasized the need to improve the military.

Only 8% said Pashinyan’s best move would be to resign. Domestic issues such as corruption, healthcare, judicial reform, and the return of Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan each garnered just 2% of mentions. The ongoing feud between Pashinyan and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, also appears to resonate little with the public, with only 2% saying the prime minister should focus on resolving that relationship.

Surprisingly, public sentiment toward government support for refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh remains generally positive, though slipping. The share of respondents who said the state’s treatment of refugees is adequate dropped from 66% in September to 55% in the latest poll.

Housing remains the biggest concern among critics: 38% of those who think the government is failing said housing assistance is insufficient, up from 30% in September. Other concerns included the failure to provide jobs (16%) and an unfair distribution of aid (10%).