Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba’s approval rating falls to record low of 27.4%

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

18th May 2025 – (Tokyo) The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s cabinet has dropped to a historic low of 27.4%, a decline of 5.2 percentage points from the previous month, according to a Kyodo News survey released on Sunday. The disapproval rating rose to 55.1%, underscoring growing public dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of key issues.

The cabinet’s support has fallen into the so-called “danger zone”—below 30%—where administrations often face heightened risks of early collapse. Public frustration has been driven largely by the government’s perceived failure to address soaring rice prices, with 87.1% of respondents deeming the administration’s efforts insufficient.

Additionally, 73.2% of those surveyed advocated for either the abolition or reduction of the consumption tax to alleviate the burden of rising living costs. On Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations, 74.3% of respondents expressed pessimism about achieving a favourable outcome.

The survey was conducted over two days, targeting 497 randomly selected households and 3,725 mobile phone numbers. Valid responses were received from 426 household members and 638 mobile phone users. The results highlight mounting pressure on Ishiba’s government to take decisive action as public confidence continues to wane.