Dilma Rousseff: Brazilian President's approval rating drops to just 8 per cent

She is now the most unpopular democratically elected president since a military dictatorship ended in 1985

Dilma Rousseff has strongly denied any wrong doing and resisted impeachment calls ((EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images))

The Brazilian President’s approval rating has sunk to a record low of just 8 per cent.

The popularity slump comes for Dilma Rousseff amid a multi-billion dollar corruption scandal and economic decline in the country.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the poll, released yesterday, found just 8 per cent of people think her administration is “good or excellent”. By contrast, 71 per cent think it is “bad or terrible”.

The figures mean that Ms Rousseff is reportedly now Brazil's most unpopular democratically elected president since a military dictatorship ended in 1985.

Ms Rousseff is the first female president of Brazil.

Since coming to power, her term has been mired with controversy.

In what has become known as the Petrobras scandal, allegations have been made that money was channelled from a state controlled oil company whilst Ms Rousseff was chairperson.

Further pressure has been placed on her as recent months have seen economic decline in the country. After years of growth thanks to a commodity boom, GDP contracted by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter, with a decline of 1.5 per cent expected for the full year.

Ms Rousseff has strongly denied any wrongdoing, amid calls for her to be impeached.

Last month in an interview with Folha de São Paulo, she dismissed impeachment and resignation rumours, saying: “I won’t fall. I won’t. I won’t. That would be a cop-out. It’s a political fight.”