The survey, conducted by the International Republican Institute, also found that one in five Cubans named food scarcity as their biggest worry, and 82 percent said life in Cuba was going ``so-so, badly or very badly.'' That was up slightly from 80 percent in November 2008.

``Cubans are as frustrated and pessimistic as they've ever been,'' Alex Sutton, the institute's Latin American program director said.

The institute has been surveying Cubans on the island since 2007 to support its work promoting democracy, Sutton said.

Though Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain chairs the institute's board, Sutton said the institute -- like its Democratic counterpart, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs -- is nonpartisan.

The poll had to be conducted surreptitiously on the island, and was done by a Latin American polling firm that the institute won't name, citing the ability of the firm to keep working in Cuba.

The interviews with 432 Cuban adults, ages 18 and over, were conducted face-to-face from July 4 to Aug. 7 in 12 Cuban provinces. The poll carries a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

Fernand Amandi, a pollster with Miami-based Bendixen & Associates, which has polled in Cuba, said he wasn't familiar with the institute's poll -- which will be released Tuesday -- but suggested general caution in interpreting results from the country.

None of the questions involved U.S. policy toward Cuba, though 8 percent of those surveyed in Cuba volunteered that ending the U.S. embargo against Cuba would help improve Cuba's economy.

There was little unanimity on the question of how to improve Cuba's economy .

The survey also indicated that, if given the chance, 75 percent of those surveyed would vote for democracy -- an increase from 63 percent in November 2008. Support is highest among those 40 to 49 years old.

The poll shows that most Cubans have no access to the Internet or e-mail.

The biggest complaint about Cuba remained low salaries and a high cost of living, though complaints about food scarcity increased.

Just 15 percent of those surveyed said they believe the current government will succeed in solving Cuba's biggest problem in the next few years.

About twice as many said they believed the government could solve problems in November 2008.