Public support for Greece's ruling socialists has dropped markedly over the past months as austerity bites, but they are still more popular than the conservative opposition, a poll showed on Friday.

Policies to shore up public finances under the terms of an EU/IMF bailout, including public sector pay cuts and higher taxes, have taken a toll on the economy, with record high unemployment rates and a deepening recession.

The PASOK socialist party would lead with 22.2 percent if elections were held now, the Kappa Research survey for Sunday's To Vima newspaper showed, whereas it gathered 29.1 percent of voting intentions in a previous poll by the same agency in mid-September.

The main opposition party, the conservative New Democracy, has failed to attract disgruntled voters and has lost just over 1 percentage point over the same period to stand now at 20.2 percent, the poll showed.

The support lost by the socialists and New Democracy went to small leftist parties, a new party created by former conservative foreign minister Dora Bakoyanni, and increased the ranks of the undecided.

Some 21.2 percent of those polled would cast a blank or invalid ballot.

The poll, carried out on Dec. 21-24 nationwide, also showed that 61 percent of respondents are against leaving the euro, with 64.5 percent saying membership in the European Union has benefited the country.

Unemployment and the prospect of businesses shutting down was the top worry among respondents (75.8 percent), followed by concerns over serious pay cuts (57.9 percent.) The ruling PASOK party came to power in October last year and the government does not need to call elections before the second half of 2013.