The approval rating for Prime Minister Taro Aso's Cabinet has sunk to 25.5 percent, dropping 15.4 percentage points from the previous poll in November, according to a Kyodo News survey released Dec. 7.

The disapproval rating rose to 61.3 percent, up 19.1 points, with 55.7 percent of the respondents saying the Cabinet's postponement of submitting a second extra budget to the Diet was inappropriate.

Respondents to the poll, conducted Dec. 6, gave higher marks to Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa than to Aso, though marginally, when asked which they would prefer to see as prime minister.

Ozawa was favored by 34.5 percent, up 10.1 points from the previous poll, while Aso was backed by 33.5 percent, down 17.5 points. It was the first time Ozawa has finished on top since Aso, who also heads the Liberal Democratic Party, became prime minister in September.

The increase in Aso's disapproval rating may be due to his administration's delay in forming a second supplementary budget and his numerous gaffes.