Global survey: opinion of US has plummeted since Trump's return
Global perceptions of the U.S. have deteriorated dramatically since Donald Trump's return to the White House, with China overtaking in popularity for the first time, according to the 2025 Democracy Perception Index released on Monday.
Key findings: The annual survey, conducted by Nira Data and the Alliance of Democracies Foundation from April 9 to April 23, gathered responses from more than 111,000 people across 100 countries. The U.S. net perception rating dropped to -5% from +22% last year, while China improved to +14% from +5%.
The share of countries with a positive image of the U.S. also dropped to 45% from 76% last year. Meanwhile, Trump, whose domestic approval ratings have also plummeted, has a negative perception in a whopping 82% of the countries surveyed, performing worse than both Russian President Vladimir Putin (61%) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (44%).
Why this matters: The dramatic decline of the U.S.' standing reflects growing international concerns about American leadership and policies. 'I'm not surprised that perceptions of the United States have fallen so sharply,' said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister and founder of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, which coauthored the index.
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Washington's reputation especially suffered in EU countries after Trump reportedly called the bloc 'horrible,' 'pathetic' and 'formed to screw the United States.' Notably, the findings parallel other concerning assessments, including research from Sweden's V-Dem Institute that warned the U.S. government regime could be 'definitely' reclassified from its status as a democracy in next year's report if current trends continue.
The big picture: Amid the U.S.' declining position, global commitment to democratic values remains strong, with more than two-thirds of respondents saying it is very important to have democracy in their country. Nira Data said the index 'isn't just data,' but a call-to-action that transforms public sentiment into insights that shape policy and inform advocacy.
Among major countries, Switzerland (+48%), Singapore (+46%) and Canada (+40%) earned the most positive perceptions, while Israel emerged as one of the least popular nations (-23%), even among traditional European allies like Germany, reflecting growing discomfort with its government's actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
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