President John Dramani Mahama continues to enjoy the support of a majority of Ghanaians despite a noticeable decline in his approval rating over the past five months, according to a new survey by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).
The nationwide survey, released on June 10, 2026, found that President Mahama’s job approval rating stands at 58.9%, down from 68% recorded in an earlier IEA survey conducted in December 2025 and published in February 2026.
The poll, which was conducted in May 2026 across all 16 regions and involved more than 1,000 respondents, showed that 28.4% disapproved of the president’s performance, while 12.8% expressed no opinion.
Despite the decline, the IEA noted that the president still maintains a significant gap between approval and disapproval ratings.
“The decline suggests that while many Ghanaians remain supportive of the President, they increasingly expect improvements in the economy to be reflected in their daily lives,” the institute stated in its report.
The survey found that economic performance remains the strongest factor driving public support for the president.
Among respondents who approved of his performance, 73.5% cited the government’s handling of the economy as their main reason, while 16% pointed to road infrastructure development. Energy and electricity accounted for 2.7% of responses.
According to the IEA, several key economic indicators have improved over the past 16 months. Inflation declined from 23.5% in January 2025 to about 3.4% in April 2026, while the cedi appreciated by 26% against major foreign currencies.
The report also noted that the Bank of Ghana’s policy rate fell from 27% to 14%, while average commercial bank lending rates dropped from approximately 32% to around 20%.
In addition, Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio declined from 61.8% at the end of 2024 to 45.3% by the end of 2025, while international ratings agencies upgraded the country’s sovereign credit rating.
However, economic concerns also featured prominently among respondents dissatisfied with the president’s performance.
“About 30.9% cited the economy as their main concern,” the IEA said, adding that the findings may point to a disconnect between improvements in national economic indicators and the everyday experiences of many households, particularly regarding incomes and the cost of living.
Electricity supply emerged as the second most common concern among those who disapproved of the president’s performance, with 29.9% citing power-related challenges.
The institute observed that the survey was conducted shortly after temporary power supply difficulties in May 2026 led to frequent outages in parts of the country.
Corruption was also identified as a major concern, with 19.1% of dissatisfied respondents citing it as a reason for their disapproval.
“The findings suggest that many Ghanaians continue to expect visible action in addressing corruption,” the IEA noted.
Overall, the institute concluded that while support for President Mahama remains relatively strong, many Ghanaians want economic gains to translate into tangible improvements in their daily lives.
The survey forms part of the IEA’s regular assessment of presidential job performance.
