WASHINGTON, Jan 23: US President George W. Bush’s popularity ratings _ once among the highest of any president in the past 60 years _ are eroding across the board, according to an NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll.

Bush is losing ground in several key areas, including foreign policy, the economy and his handling of the “war on terrorism”.

The poll finds that a growing number of Americans oppose action against Iraqi.

The poll of 1,025 adults, sampled for opinions between Jan 19 and 21, showed the president’s approval numbers moving steadily downward over the past seven weeks.

The data indicate that Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with important aspects of Mr Bush’s performance.

The president’s approval rating slipped to 54 per cent, down from last month’s 62 per cent and a dramatic decline from his rating of 82 per cent at this time last year.