Dumsor and economic conditions lead to decline in Mahama’s approval rating from 68% to 58.9%

• President John Mahama's approval rating has fallen from 68% in December 2025 to 58.9%, according to a new nationwide poll by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

• The economy remains the biggest reason for public support, with 73.5% of respondents who approve of the President citing improvements such as lower inflation, a stronger cedi and reduced interest rates.

• Among those who disapprove, concerns centred on the economy, electricity supply and corruption, highlighting growing expectations for economic improvements to be felt more directly in everyday life.

The poll, published on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, was conducted in May across all 16 regions of Ghana and sampled more than 1,000 respondents.

The findings show that 58.9% of respondents approve of President Mahama's performance, while 28.4% disapprove. A further 12.8% said they had no opinion.

Although the approval rating remains comfortably above the disapproval figure, it represents a decline from the 68% approval recorded in December 2025.

READ MORE: Tutulapato says his dream is to perform at Sarkodie’s O2 Arena Rapperholic concert

According to the IEA, the gap of more than 30 percentage points between approval and disapproval suggests that favourable assessments of the President continue to outweigh negative views. However, the reduction in support may indicate growing public expectations regarding the pace and impact of government policies.

Among respondents who expressed approval of the President's performance, economic management emerged as the dominant reason.

The survey found that 73.5% of supporters cited improvements in the economy as the main factor behind their positive assessment. Road infrastructure followed with 16.0%, while 2.7% pointed to developments in the energy sector.

The poll reflects a period of notable macroeconomic progress under the Mahama administration.

READ MORE: Gyakie features on Ronaldinho’s Camisa 10' project with new global collaboration

Since January 2025, inflation has reportedly fallen from 23.5% to approximately 3.4%, while the Ghana cedi has appreciated by 26% against major international currencies. The Bank of Ghana's policy rate has also been reduced from 27% to 14%.

Additionally, average commercial lending rates have dropped from around 32% to 20%, and Ghana's debt-to-GDP ratio reportedly declined from 61.8% at the end of 2024 to 45.3% by the close of 2025.

These economic gains have also attracted international recognition, with major ratings agencies upgrading Ghana's sovereign credit rating.

The IEA noted that Ghana received rating upgrades from Fitch, Moody's and S&P, describing the development as the country's first triple credit-rating upgrade in several years.

Despite the positive macroeconomic indicators, the economy also featured prominently among respondents who expressed dissatisfaction with the President's performance.

Among those who disapproved, 30.9% cited economic concerns. The IEA suggested that this does not necessarily indicate rejection of the government's economic policies but may instead reflect the reality that many households have yet to experience tangible improvements in their daily lives.

READ MORE: Top 10 best-performing African countries, according to 2026 rankings; See full list

The institute noted that while inflation has eased and the cedi has strengthened, many citizens are still waiting to see significant reductions in living costs, improved employment opportunities and higher household incomes.

Electricity supply was identified as the second-largest concern, with 29.9% of disapproving respondents pointing to power-related challenges.

The IEA linked this sentiment to the temporary electricity supply difficulties experienced in May 2026, which resulted in intermittent outages affecting homes and businesses across the country.

Corruption was also cited by 19.1% of respondents who disapproved of the President's performance.

According to the institute, this finding suggests that despite the government's anti-corruption commitments, a notable section of the public remains unconvinced about progress in that area.

READ MORE: Government to extend BECE from 5 to 8 days to reduce student stress

Summarising the findings, the IEA said the survey paints a picture of a government that continues to enjoy broad public support but faces increasing pressure to ensure that macroeconomic gains translate into tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.

The institute stated;

The survey forms part of the IEA's ongoing series of polls tracking public perceptions of presidential performance and governance in Ghana.