Public support for the government has declined significantly from a post-election peak of 65% to approximately 50%, driven by growing pessimism about Sri Lanka's economic trajectory, according to a recent nationwide poll.

Government approval has dropped substantially to around 50% in the latest Mood of the Nation survey conducted by Verité Research, marking a notable decline from the 65% recorded shortly after the recent election. The July 2026 poll, which surveyed over 2,000 adults across Sri Lanka, found that 31.4% of respondents now disapprove of the government's performance, signalling a shift in public sentiment within months.

The erosion of support appears closely linked to deteriorating economic perceptions among the population. The proportion of respondents believing economic conditions are improving fell sharply to 41.63% from 64% in the previous survey period. Conversely, those viewing the economy as worsening increased to 40.29%, up from approximately 15%. More than half of respondents, 55.59%, rated current economic conditions as poor, while only 38% assessed them as good or excellent.

This sentiment shift has pushed Verité Research's Economic Confidence Index into negative territory, registering -8 in the latest measurement. The index had recovered into positive numbers following February 2025, after recording -39 in mid-2024, indicating a recent reversal in economic optimism. The survey was conducted between July 11 and 30 among a nationally representative sample, with a maximum sampling error margin of ±2.21% at 95% confidence level.