The global landscape of public sentiment toward major powers is undergoing a dramatic shift. A comprehensive survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted from February 8 to May 13, 2026, reveals a profound reversal in how people across 36 nations perceive China and the United States.
Canvassing 42,151 respondents, the survey window overlapped with U.S. military operations targeting Iran, a contextual factor that likely shaped global perceptions of Washington’s foreign policy.
Key findings indicate a notable reversal in worldwide public leanings. In 25 of the 36 surveyed nations—including longstanding U.S. allies such as Canada, Australia, France, and Germany—residents now hold more favorable views of China than the United States. This marks the first time this dynamic has emerged in nearly two decades.
Only six countries registered more positive attitudes toward the U.S.: India, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Israel, and Poland. Conversely, the strongest favorable sentiment toward China is concentrated in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
A trend analysis covering 20 countries with consistent 2023 benchmark data underscores this stark reversal. Currently, a median of 46% of respondents hold a favorable view of China, compared to just 36% who view the U.S. positively. Three years prior, these figures were flipped: 32% rated China favorably, while 58% expressed positive opinions of the United States.
Pew analysts note that China’s global standing has fully rebounded from its pandemic-era downturn, hitting all-time highs in many countries. Conversely, America’s international reputation has steadily declined, a downward trend that accelerated following the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. Researchers also highlight a sustained long-term drop in global trust in U.S. political leadership, a pattern that first took hold during the second half of Joe Biden’s presidency and has persisted.
A clear divide exists in global assessments of each power’s foreign policy. Among residents of 17 middle-income nations, a majority view U.S. policies as a greater source of concern than China’s, increasingly regarding Beijing as a more reliable international partner contributing to global stability.
That said, the U.S. retains an edge in one key metric: respondents still rate America higher when evaluating respect for personal freedoms, though the gap between the two nations on this measure continues to narrow year over year.
This data points to a profound restructuring of global political preferences, reshaping the long-standing balance of public perception toward the world’s leading geopolitical powers.
