Sri Lanka's government approval rating has fallen sharply to 50% in July 2026, down from a post-election peak of 65% in February, as public sentiment on the economy deteriorates significantly.
The latest 'Mood of the Nation' poll by Verité Research reveals a marked decline in public confidence across multiple measures of governance and economic outlook. Government approval has moderated to 50 percent in July, representing a substantial drop from the 65 percent recorded in February following the elections. Disapproval has correspondingly increased to 31 percent, up from approximately 15 percent in the previous survey round.
Public perception of Sri Lanka's economic trajectory has weakened considerably. Only 42 percent of respondents believe economic conditions are improving, a sharp decline from the 64 percent who held this view in February. Conversely, 40 percent now report that conditions are deteriorating, up from around 15 percent previously. Over half of those surveyed, comprising 56 percent of respondents, described current economic conditions as poor, while just 38 percent rated them as good or excellent.
These shifting sentiments have pushed the Economic Confidence Index back into negative territory at minus 8, reversing gains made since February 2025 when the indicator first turned positive. The index, which ranges from minus 100 to plus 100, had reached minus 39 in mid-2024 before the recovery. The survey was conducted between July 11 and 30 among a nationally representative sample of 2,013 adults, with a maximum sampling error margin of 2.21 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
