A majority of Ghanaians continue to approve of President John Mahama’s performance in office, although public satisfaction has declined since the end of last year, according to a nationwide poll released by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
The survey, conducted in May 2026 across all sixteen regions and involving more than 1,000 respondents, found that 58.9% of Ghanaians approve of the President’s performance. This represents a decline from the 68% approval rating recorded in December 2025.
Meanwhile, 28.4% of respondents disapproved of the President’s performance, while 12.8% indicated they had no opinion.
Despite the drop, the IEA noted that the more than 30 percentage-point gap between approval and disapproval ratings suggests that positive assessments of President Mahama’s leadership continue to significantly outweigh negative views.
Economy Remains Key Driver of Support
According to the poll, economic management remains the principal reason behind public support for the President.
Among respondents who approved of his performance, 73.5% cited the government’s handling of the economy as the main reason for their assessment. Road infrastructure followed at 16.0%, while energy and electricity accounted for 2.7%.
The findings come against the backdrop of significant macroeconomic improvements since January 2025. During the period, inflation reportedly declined from 23.5% to about 3.4%, while the Ghana cedi appreciated by 26% against major foreign currencies.
The Bank of Ghana’s policy rate also fell from 27% to 14%, and average commercial bank lending rates declined from approximately 32% to 20%. In addition, Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio dropped from 61.8% at the end of 2024 to 45.3% by the end of 2025.
The IEA further noted that these developments have earned Ghana international recognition, with major credit rating agencies Fitch, Moody’s and S&P upgrading the country’s sovereign credit rating. The institute described the achievement as Ghana’s first triple sovereign rating upgrade in many years.
Cost of Living and Power Supply Concerns Persist
Among respondents who disapproved of the President’s performance, the economy also emerged as the leading concern, cited by 30.9%.
However, the IEA indicated that this may not necessarily reflect dissatisfaction with macroeconomic indicators. Rather, it may point to the reality that improvements such as lower inflation and a stronger cedi have yet to translate into meaningful reductions in living costs, increased employment opportunities, or higher household incomes for many citizens.
Electricity supply was identified as a concern by 29.9% of disapproving respondents, a finding the institute linked to the temporary power supply challenges experienced in May 2026, which resulted in frequent outages across parts of the country.
Corruption was cited by 19.1% of respondents who disapproved of the President’s performance, suggesting that some Ghanaians remain unconvinced by the government’s anti-corruption efforts.
Support Remains Strong Despite Decline
Overall, the IEA said the findings paint a picture of a government that continues to enjoy broad public support, even as expectations among citizens continue to rise.
“The findings suggest that Ghanaians are broadly supportive of the President’s leadership but are expectant that the progress recorded at the macro level will increasingly be felt in their daily lives,” the institute stated.
The survey forms part of the IEA’s regular tracking of presidential job performance and public perceptions of governance in Ghana.
