China Surpasses U.S. in Global Favorability for First Time in 20 Years of Pew Tracking

A Pew Research Center poll of 42,151 people across 36 countries (Feb–May 2026) finds more respondents view China favorably than the U.S. in 25 of them — the first such reversal in roughly two decades. Only Poland, the Philippines, South Korea, India, Japan, and Israel still favor the U.S. The shift spans NATO members, major democracies, and middle powers across every region surveyed.