COLOMBO, July 16 -- Public confidence in President Anura Kumara Dissanayake remains substantially higher than in Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, even as a majority of Sri Lankans report that their household economic situation has deteriorated over the past year, according to the Centre for Policy Alternatives' (CPA) Social Indicator July 2026: Confidence in Democratic Governance Index.

The survey found 75.5% of respondents were satisfied with President Dissanayake's performance, against 29.4% for Premadasa. Dissatisfaction with the Opposition Leader stood at 64.9%, nearly three times the President's 23.3%.

Dissanayake's approval was highest among the Malaiyaha Tamil community (94.4%) and Muslims (93.4%), with 69.9% of Sinhala respon...