WASHINGTON D.C. July 15, 2026 – A major new survey by the Pew Research Center shows a notable shift in global public opinion: In most of the 36 countries polled, more people hold favorable views of China than of the United States.
The report, released July 15, 2026, and titled “People in Many Countries Now View China More Positively Than the U.S.,” finds that views of China have improved in recent years while opinions of the United States have worsened — reversing a long-standing pattern where the U.S. typically enjoyed higher favorability.
Key Findings
- China leads in most nations: China is viewed more positively than the U.S. in the majority of the 36 countries surveyed. The U.S. holds an advantage in just six countries, including key Asia-Pacific allies such as India, Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea.
- Medians tell the story: Across related Pew polling (37 countries), a median of 51% hold favorable views of China (39% unfavorable). For the U.S., the median favorable rating stands at 37% (57% unfavorable) in the 36-country survey.
- Rapid change: The shift is recent in many places. In countries like Canada, views of the U.S. and China were far apart in 2023 but have converged or reversed. Similar trends appear across Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia and Africa.
The change stems from two main factors:
- Improving perceptions of China in many emerging economies and even some traditionally skeptical nations.
- Declining U.S. favorability, especially in Europe and among some longtime partners, linked to concerns over U.S. foreign policy and the health of American democracy following the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.
A companion Pew report notes that confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping to handle world affairs is now higher than confidence in President Trump in 22 of the surveyed countries.
Other Notable Points
- The U.S. still leads on one key measure: more people say the U.S. government respects the personal freedoms of its citizens than say the same about China — though this gap has narrowed significantly in recent years.
- In many middle-income countries (across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific), China is increasingly seen as a more reliable partner and less likely to interfere in other nations’ affairs compared to the United States.
- Views vary widely by region: Stronger support for China appears in parts of Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa, while the U.S. retains stronger backing among traditional allies in the Indo-Pacific.
The survey was conducted between February 8 and May 13, 2026, among 42,151 adults across 36 countries spanning multiple continents.
This marks the first time in recent Pew tracking that China has pulled ahead of the U.S. in favorability across most of the countries surveyed, highlighting evolving global perceptions amid intensifying U.S.-China competition.
Sources: Pew Research Center reports (July 15, 2026).
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