For the first time in roughly two decades of tracking, Pew Research Center found China ahead of the United States in global favorability. The 2026 survey found that China was viewed more favorably than the US in 25 of 36 countries and territories. Fieldwork ran from February 16 to May 8, with responses collected outside the United States. The reversal comes amid geopolitical tensions and declining confidence in US leadership, although country-by-country results offer a snapshot of opinion during the survey period, not proof of a permanent realignment.
Conducted as military actions involving the US and Israel against Iran escalated, the survey recorded sharp declines in US favorability, including among traditional allies. In Canada, positive views of the US fell to 33% from 57% in 2023, while favorable views of China rose to 44% from 14%. Across the surveyed countries, median US favorability stood at 49%, down from 64% at the end of Barack Obama’s presidency. Pew Associate Director Laura Silver said it was the first time in the organization’s nearly two decades of tracking that China had been viewed more favorably than the US.
Views of the two countries’ leaders shifted alongside evaluations of their nations. Xi Jinping was viewed more favorably than Donald Trump in 22 of the countries and territories surveyed, but that comparison does not signal broad confidence in Xi: 28% expressed confidence that he would do the right thing in world affairs, compared with 22% for Trump and 27% for Vladimir Putin. The median correlation between confidence in the US president and favorability toward the United States rose to 0.55 in 2026, from 0.31 in 2017; the comparable figure was 0.34 during 2023-2024. The relationship between confidence in Xi and favorability toward China also strengthened, rising from 0.35 in 2017 to 0.51 in 2026. These correlations show how closely opinions moved together; they do not, on their own, establish that one caused the other.
Pew’s findings came amid disputes over US tariffs on Canadian goods and the administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The backdrop also included demands concerning Greenland and a US operation involving Nicolás Maduro. The survey captured concerns about the US contribution to global peace and stability, but it does not establish that any one policy caused favorability to fall. The US retained an advantage over China on perceptions of respect for personal freedoms, though that gap narrowed mainly because fewer respondents said the US government respected individual liberties. The Chinese Embassy in Washington presented the results as evidence of “international recognition of China’s governance and development progress.” A White House spokesperson defended Trump’s record, citing actions against Iran and drug trafficking as evidence of strong leadership.
The US remained more popular than China in six surveyed countries: Israel, Japan, India, South Korea, the Philippines and Poland. Support was particularly strong in Israel, where around 80% expressed a positive view of the US. Still, favorable views had weakened in recent years even in some countries where the US retained its lead. In South Korea, US favorability fell from 77% in 2024 to 45% in 2026; in Japan, it declined from 70% to 50%.
The findings point to a impressive change in perceptions of US and Chinese influence, while distinguishing geopolitical favorability from judgments about political systems and civil liberties. They may shape diplomatic calculations and public attitudes in Spain and elsewhere in Europe as governments manage economic ties and alliances with both powers. The results also show how international opinion can shift with current events, including changing views of national leaders and each country’s role in global stability.
