U.S. President Approval Ratings in Their Third Year (1955-2023)

The New Diplomat
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  • Biden’s Approval Rating Compared to Other Presidents

By Marcus Lu

President Biden’s approval rating is the second lowest in modern history for a first-term president.

Today, under 40% of Americans approve of his job performance, a level it has hovered around over the last year. According to recent polls, younger Democrats have a lower approval rating of Biden’s handling of the economy compared to older Democrats. Leading up to the election in 2024, the state of the economy is the most important issue among Americans.

This graphic shows approval ratings for first-term U.S. presidents in their third year—and whether or not they were re-elected—based on data from Gallup.
First-Term Presidential Approval Ratings, Ranked

Here’s how Biden’s approval rating in year three stacks up against past U.S. presidents:

President Third Year Average Approval Rating Re-elected?
Eisenhower 1955-1956 72.1 Yes
G.H.W. Bush 1991-1992 69.5 No
Kennedy 1963* 61.8 No
G.W. Bush 2003-2004 59.6 Yes
Nixon 1971-1972 49.6 Yes
Clinton 1995-1996 47.5 Yes
Reagan 1983-1984 44.9 Yes
Obama 2011-2012 44.5 Yes
Trump 2019-2020 42.0 No
Biden 2023-2024 39.8
Carter 1978-1980 37.4 No
Average annual approval ratings from January 20 through to January 19 in the following year. *Approval ratings for Kennedy are from January 20-November 22 1963 due to assassination.

We can see that Biden falls near the bottom, with President Carter being the only president to have lower ratings in their third year.

Biden’s political standing has fallen from a peak of 63% in 2021 given concerns of rising costs and the state of his fitness. The Israel-Hamas war is also weighing on his ratings, with younger Democrats criticizing his handling of the crisis.

While Biden struggles to achieve majority approval, economic indicators have been optimistic. The unemployment rate remains low, GDP growth is strong, and the S&P 500 recently hit record highs. Despite this, Americans are paying attention to the cost of basic goods, which have grown more expensive in the last few years.

The U.S is among the most polarized countries globally, stemming from low trust in the media, economic anxieties, and low trust in the government. As a Biden-Trump rematch looks increasingly likely, political success hinges on who will align most with voter concerns, and whether disaffected Democrats will elect Biden for a second term.

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