Venezuela on the Brink: Atlantic Council Poll Reveals New Levels of Humanitarian, Economic Crisis

Most Venezuelans blame the government for the economic and humanitarian crisis and believe a change in government is needed

Release Date: November 15, 2018

A new Atlantic Council poll again confirms why the world must double-down in addressing the social, political, and economic crisis in Venezuela. Lack of medicine and food, along with inflation and insecurity, is increasingly compounded by growing problems that make life intolerable. Venezuelans’ lack of trust in the government means that its institutions are seen as the least prepared to coordinate the distribution of assistance if a humanitarian corridor is established. The Maduro government is seen as responsible for the current economic crisis. Without a change in government, more than half of Venezuelans don’t see any improvement on the horizon. A similar number also expressed discontent with the National Constituent Assembly.

Past results:

May 2018 Poll Apr 2018 Poll Jan 2018 Poll

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Political Self-Identification

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A growing number of Venezuelans - nearly half - now classify themselves as independent. Of those who do identify with one side, a greater number supports the opposition over the government.

How do you see yourself politically?

An Overview

More than 8 in 10 Venezuelans believe their quality of life today has worsened, with a growing number of people citing mounting concerns over the provision of public services including health (up from 28 to 29 percent), transportation (up from 13 to 29 percent), and electricity (up from 13 to 24 percent).

Perception of Present-Day Venezuela

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More than 8 in 10 Venezuelans say their quality of life has suffered in the last year, including 57 percent of pro-government respondents and more than 85 percent of independents.

In the last 12 months, your quality of life...

Perceived Main Problems

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New problems are increasingly generating concern: public transportation, blackouts, and lack of potable water.

What do you see as the main problems facing the country?

Humanitarian Crisis

Overwhelmingly, Venezuelans agree that the supply of food and medicine is bad or very bad, and that the country is in the midst of a full-fledged humanitarian crisis. If assistance were to be provided at some point, government institutions are seen as the least trusted to coordinate distribution of assistance.

Humanitarian Crisis: Medicine Supply

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Nearly all Venezuelans – more than 9 in 10 – say the supply of medicine is bad or very bad. More than 8 in 10 pro-government respondents agree.

How do you evaluate the supply of medicine?

Humanitarian Crisis: Food Supply

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More than 8 in 10 Venezuelans say the food supply is bad or very bad. More than 90 percent of independents agree, as do nearly 60 percent of pro-government respondents.

How do you evaluate the food supply?

Humanitarian Crisis: Yes or No?

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With an overwhelming number of Venezuelans saying the medicine and food supply is poor, nearly 8 in 10 agree that the country is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.

Some people say that the country is going through a humanitarian crisis. Do you agree?

Humanitarian Crisis: Best for Delivering Assistance

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Given the humanitarian crisis, institutions that are not aligned with the government are seen as the best positioned to deliver assistance.

If the opening of a humanitarian channel to Venezuela is allowed, which institutions would best coordinate the delivery of such assistance?

Humanitarian Crisis: Least Capable of Delivering Assistance

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While government institutions are seen as the least capable of delivering assistance, even a majority of independents – more than 54 percent – do not trust the national government to coordinate help.

And which institutions would be the worst to coordinate the delivery of such assistance?

Economic Crisis

Venezuelans overwhelmingly blame Nicolás Maduro for the hyperinflation and see him and his economic measures as unable to stop the economic crisis. Nearly 56 percent of Venezuelans do not see an economic solution as possible without a change in government, including 1 in 4 pro-government respondents.

Economic Crisis: Hyperinflation Responsibility

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Those in the opposition blame Maduro for the hyperinflation but so do nearly 7 in 10 independents.

Who is responsible for the hyperinflation in the country? (Multiple response)

Economic Crisis: Maduro’s Economic Measures

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Maduro is blamed for the hyperinflation, and 6 in 10 Venezuelans agree that the measures taken by his government will not fix it.

Do you think that the economic measures taken by the Nicolás Maduro government will improve the economic situation?

Economic Crisis: Change of Government

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Not only is Maduro blamed for the crisis and seen as unable to fix it, but nearly 56 percent of Venezuelans agree that he needs to be out of power before a solution to the economic crisis is possible.

Is a solution to the economic crisis possible without a change of government?

National Constituent Assembly

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The low perception of the Maduro government’s ability to address the country’s top problems carries over to the general dissatisfaction with the National Constituent Assembly, with more than 70 percent of respondents noting they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

In general, how satisfied are you with the work of the National Constituent Assembly representatives?

Technical Details

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Technical Details

Study group:

Legal age registered voters of all the socioeconomic groups

Sample size:

1,000 people

Margin of Error:

± 3,04%

Type of information collection

Face to face surveys in households

Sampling type

Stratified random

Level of confidence

95% confidence

Field dates

September 4-14, 2018

Profile of interviewees

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