It's the record Donald Trump could do without: the lowest approval rating of any US president during their first year in office.

Mr Trump's historic unpopularity has stayed with him during 12 months of consistent controversy over Russian interference in the 2016 election, his administration's contentious policies and the former reality TV star's unorthodox leadership style.

The President's net approval rating – the percentage of people saying they have a favourable view of him minus those who have an unfavourable view – sits at -17, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average. This compares to +5 for Barack Obama, +70 for George Bush and +20 for Bill Clinton at the same point in their first terms.

But popularity ratings registered by three Australian prime ministers during their first 12 months in office have at various points been even lower than Mr Trump's, a Fairfax Media comparison of opinion polling shows.