A major diplomatic challenge has emerged for New Delhi’s foreign policy establishment. A massive, multi-nation survey conducted by the prestigious Pew Research Center reveals that global public opinion on India is highly polarised.
While traditional European allies are warming up to India, its popularity has hit a historic low in the United States, and deep divisions have surfaced across its immediate South Asian neighbourhood.
What does the Pew survey reveal?
The Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey, which interviewed 42,092 adults across 36 countries between 9 February and 13 May 2026, paints a highly mixed picture of India’s global standing.
Across the 36 nations surveyed, a median of 45% of people hold a favourable view of India, while a median of 41% view it unfavourably.
The American slide
For the first time since Pew began tracking this metric in 2008, half of all Americans (50%) view India unfavourably, compared to only 45% who view it favourably.
The neighborhood split
Opinion diverges dramatically in South Asia, ranging from an overwhelming 79% favourability in Sri Lanka to a microscopic 7% in Pakistan.
Sinking fortunes
The survey shows statistically significant shifts in views of India; ratings fell in 7 of 10 countries, showing a broader international slide.
But why are Americans turning cold towards India?
India’s declining popularity in the US represents a steady, multi-year drop. In 2023, 51% of Americans held a positive view of India. This dropped to 43% in 2024, recovered briefly to 49% in 2025, and has now slipped to 45% in 2026.
The partisan and generational fault lines
The Pew data reveals that American views of India are highly fractured along domestic political and age lines:
The generational divide: Younger Americans are far more critical of India than the older generation. Half of American seniors (50% of those aged 65 and older) view India favourably. In contrast, 56% of young adults aged 18 to 29 view India unfavourably.
The partisan divide: Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents hold a warmer view of India (50% favourable) compared to Republicans and Republican leaners (42% favourable).
The ideological split: This gap widens further along ideological lines, with 54% of US liberals viewing India positively, compared to just 40% of conservatives.
Despite this dip in warmth, Americans still recognise India’s rising stature. Over half (54%) say India’s global influence has stayed about the same, while 30% believe it is getting stronger, and only 13% say it is getting weaker.
South Asia: A polarised neighbourhood
India’s immediate geopolitical neighbourhood presents a stark study in contrasts. The survey reveals that cross-border opinions are deeply emotional and heavily polarised:
Sri Lanka: Sri Lankans have emerged as India’s biggest supporters, with 79% viewing the country favourably—a massive 14-percentage-point jump since 2024.
Bangladesh: Conversely, relations with Bangladesh have deteriorated significantly in the public eye. Favourability of India in Bangladesh has collapsed by 15 percentage points since 2024, falling from 57% to just 42% in 2026.
Pakistan: In Pakistan, public sentiment remains frozen in hostility, with a staggering 91% of Pakistani adults holding an unfavourable view of India and only 7% holding a favourable one.
The global heatmap: Where is India winning and where is it losing? Beyond North America and South Asia, India’s diplomatic outreach is yielding highly uneven results across different continents.
The European warm-up
Europe has emerged as a bright spot for Indian diplomacy. Public opinion in major European economies has shown highly positive long-term growth since 2023.
The UK leads European favourability at 71% (a significant 11-point increase since 2025).
Germany has seen favourability rise from 47% in 2023 to 63% in 2026.
France has witnessed a similar climb, rising from 39% in 2023 to 50% in 2026.
Majorities in Italy (56%) and Sweden (55%) also view India positively.
Sharp drops in Africa, Middle East, & Latin America
In contrast to Europe’s warming trend, public warmth toward India has dropped sharply in several other regions:
Middle East: India’s image is heavily dented in Turkey, where 72% view it unfavourably (only 15% favourable), and the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where 56% hold an unfavourable opinion (18% favourable).
African slide: Favourability has plummeted by 10 percentage points in Nigeria (now at 47%) and by 8 points in South Africa (now at 38%) since 2025. Kenya, however, remains a strong ally, with 71% viewing India favourably.
Latin America: Views in Latin America remain largely cold and lean negative, with Mexico leading the unfavourable ratings at 44%, followed closely by Colombia (41%), Argentina (41%), and Brazil (41%).
The ideological twist in Israel
Interestingly, the domestic political divide seen in North America is completely flipped in the Middle East. While liberals in the US and the left in Canada are more favourable to India than their conservative counterparts, Israel presents the exact opposite pattern.
In Israel, 68% of people on the political right view India favourably, compared to only 46% of Israelis on the political left. Overall, 60% of Israelis hold a positive view of India.
The road ahead for Indian diplomacy
The Spring 2026 Pew survey sends a loud and clear message to South Block. While India’s economic and cultural soft power is successfully winning over European nations like the UK and Germany, it is facing a severe public-image crisis in its most crucial partner nation—the United States.
The fact that young Americans (18-29) are significantly more critical of India than older generations is a demographic time bomb for bilateral relations.
If New Delhi wants to secure its long-term alliance with Washington, its diplomatic machinery must look beyond executive-level deals and actively engage in public diplomacy to win back the hearts and minds of the next generation of global citizens.
