IRI Armenia Poll: Increasing Negative Views of Russia, Strong Support for Nagorno-Karabakh Refugee Response

Yerevan, Armenia – A new nationwide poll conducted in Armenia by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research (CISR) found an increasingly negative view of Russia and strong support for the government response to refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.

The IRI survey found that 66% of the public views relations with Russia as negative, compared to 49% who felt the same way in March 2023. “More people in Armenia see Russia and the Putin regime as a threat to the security and political stability of their country,” said Stephen Nix, Senior Director for Eurasia at IRI.

The poll also showed that 73% of Armenians support the way the government has been handling the refugee crisis. “Renewed hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh created new challenges for Armenia with an influx of refugees in the last few years,” said Nix. “Our data shows that the people are pleased with the way the government is handling this situation and increasingly believe the country is headed in the right direction.” 

In addition, more people in Armenia feel optimistic about the country’s direction according to IRI’s latest poll. When asked, 50% of adults said Armenia was moving in the right direction.

Methodology 

The survey was conducted on behalf of the International Republican Institute’s Center for Insights in Survey Research by Breavis.  Data was collected via telephone (CATI) administered interviews throughout Armenia between December 13 and December 22, 2023. ​ The sample consisted of 1,508 permanent residents of Armenia 18 and older. The achieved sample was weighted for age, gender, and community type according to the 2023 Yearbook of the Statistical Committee of Armenia, as well as to the average of IRI CATI polls in Armenia for education. The margin of error does not exceed plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for the full sample. The response rate was 28%.