Public Opinion Survey Residents of Kyrgyzstan March 7-20, 2016

The survey was conducted by Dr. Rasa Alisauskiene of Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization on behalf of the International Republican Institute, in collaboration with SIAR Research and Consulting. The sample consisted of 1,500 permanent residents of Kyrgyzstan aged 18 and older who are eligible to vote, representing the general population by age, gender, education, region, and size of the settlement. The survey revealed that 45% of respondents believed that things in Kyrgyzstan were going in the right direction, while 54% thought they were going in the wrong direction. When asked about actions that would move Kyrgyzstan in the right direction, respondents cited fighting against corruption (24%), economic development (19%), and job creation (18%) as top priorities. The majority of respondents (62%) believed that the economic situation in Kyrgyzstan had worsened over the last 12 months, with 33% reporting a significant decline. Regarding the financial situation of their households, 24% of respondents reported an improvement, while 35% reported a worsening situation. When asked about the economic situation of Kyrgyzstan in the next year, 30% of respondents predicted an improvement, while 36% expected a worsening situation. The most pressing problems facing Kyrgyzstan, according to respondents, were unemployment (49%), corruption (31%), and economic development (12%). At the local level, respondents identified poor roads (31%), lack of drinking water (25%), and unemployment (22%) as the most significant problems facing their town or village. These findings suggest that Kyrgyzstan is facing significant economic and social challenges, with corruption and unemployment being major concerns for its residents.