Global perceptions of US fall below China, survey says
The net perception rating of the United States fell to -5 per cent from +22 per cent in 2024, indicating a greater number of respondents with a negative view of the country. PHOTO: REUTERS
Global perceptions of US fall below China, survey says
COPENHAGEN - Global perceptions of the United States have deteriorated across the world over the past year and are now worse than views of China, according to an annual study of perceptions of democracy published on May 12.
The survey did not go into details on the criteria used, but the Alliance of Democracies Foundation which commissioned it says its aim is to defend and advance democratic values.
When asked why perceptions of the US had slipped, Alliance founder and former Nato secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: "President Trump has triggered a trade war, scolded Ukraine's president in the Oval Office, left allies feeling vulnerable and enemies emboldened."
"It's no surprise that opinions have slipped even among people like me who spent their lives admiring the United States and what it stood for," he added.
Mr Trump has said he is pushing for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine and on May 8 called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire between the two countries.
He has also said that tariffs are defending the US economy against what his administration sees as unfair trade conditions.
The conclusions in the Democracy Perception Index survey, conducted between April 9 and April 23 with polling firm Nira Data, were based on more than 111,000 respondents worldwide, the Alliance said.
The perception of Mr Trump was negative in 82 of the 100 countries surveyed, higher than Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who were viewed negatively in 61 and 44 countries, respectively.
The survey also ranked the perception of countries from -100 per cent to +100 per cent.
The net perception rating of the United States fell to -5 per cent from +22 per cent in 2024, indicating a greater number of respondents with a negative view of the country compared with those with a positive view.
The share of countries with a positive image of the US dropped to 45 per cent from 76 per cent in 2024, the survey showed.
For China, the net perception rose to +14 per cent for 2025 from +5 per cent in 2024, the survey found.
The report was published ahead of the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, which takes place on May 13 to May 14. REUTERS
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