A new poll by Verité Research shows the government's approval rating has declined significantly from its post-election peak, while public confidence in the economy has turned negative for the first time in over a year.
Sri Lanka's government approval rating has moderated to 50 percent in July, marking a substantial decline from the 65 percent recorded in February 2026 following the election, according to the latest 'Mood of the Nation' poll conducted by Verité Research in partnership with Vanguard Survey. Disapproval of the government increased to 31 percent from approximately 15 percent in the previous round.
Public sentiment regarding the country's economic performance has deteriorated markedly over the same period. The proportion of respondents believing the economy is improving fell to 42 percent from 64 percent, while those perceiving economic conditions as worsening rose to 40 percent. Over half of survey participants, 56 percent, characterized current economic conditions as poor, compared to 38 percent who described them as good or excellent.
These shifts have pushed the Economic Confidence Index into negative territory at minus 8, reversing gains made since February 2025 when the index first entered positive territory. The index, which ranges from minus 100 to plus 100, had stood at minus 39 in mid-2024 before recovering over the past year.
The nationally representative survey of 2,013 adults was conducted between July 11 and 30, with a maximum sampling error margin of 2.21 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. Verité Research notes that these findings differ from other recent surveys that have measured satisfaction with individual political figures rather than overall government approval.
