The government’s approval rating has seen a significant rise, jumping from 24% in July 2024 to 62% in February 2025, according to the latest ‘Mood of the Nation’ poll conducted by Verité Research. This sharp increase comes after the last election, reflecting growing public satisfaction with the government’s performance.
For the first time since the economic crisis, a majority (55%) of the population believes that economic conditions are improving. However, 47% still consider the economy to be in a poor state, though this marks a notable decrease from 71% in July 2024.
Between July 2024 and February 2025, the percentage of people disapproving of the government has dropped sharply from 60% to 16%, a 44-point decline. Similarly, the percentage of people who believe the economy is getting worse has fallen from 65% to just 14%, a 51-point reduction.
Public Sentiment on Government Performance and Economy
When asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way the current government is working?”, 62% of respondents approved, more than double the 24% recorded previously. Meanwhile, only 16% disapproved, a sharp decline from 60% in July 2024.
Regarding economic expectations, 55% of respondents said conditions were improving, up from 30% in July 2024. Meanwhile, only 14% said the economy was getting worse, a dramatic decline from 65% in the previous poll.
On the overall state of the economy, 35% rated it as either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, up from 28% in July 2024. Meanwhile, 47% rated the economy as ‘poor’, reflecting a 24-point improvement from 71% in the previous poll.
Survey Methodology
The Mood of the Nation poll is part of Verité Research’s Syndicated Surveys initiative, conducted in partnership with Vanguard Survey (Pvt) Ltd. The latest survey was conducted from January 31 to February 5, 2025, using a nationally representative, multi-stage random sample of 1,050 Sri Lankan adults from separate households. The poll has a maximum sampling error margin of ±3.0% at a 95% confidence level, though implementation lapses may introduce additional variances.
The findings indicate a notable shift in public confidence in the government’s performance and economic direction, with approval ratings at their highest levels since the economic crisis.
