Do you know how other nations of the world really perceive India? Pew Research Center tried to find out. Between February and May 2026, over 42,000 individuals were interviewed in 36 countries. The median figure turned out to be a close 45% favourable and 41% unfavourable ratio – a global toss of the coin.
However, one cannot stop here because there is much more behind this number. Sri Lanka adores India, with its 79% favourable rating. Pakistan? Only 7%. The same goes for Kenya and the UK too. On the contrary, America’s favourability for India is slowly diminishing. Let's see why.
Why Does Sri Lanka Love India at 79% While Pakistan Approves at Just 7%?
Being a neighbouring country to India does not imply the same perspective. On the contrary, this creates quite the opposite situation.
Sri Lanka views India very positively, with 79%, which is the highest percentage of any country participating in the survey. Only 11% of citizens consider it negatively. Moreover, this number has increased quickly by 14 percentage points from 65% in 2024.
The situation with Pakistan, however, is completely the opposite. While only 7% have a positive attitude toward India, 91% have a negative one. This is the lowest number among all countries in the survey.
There must be a reason for that. It is not only about geography but also about history. People from Sri Lanka often view India as their peaceful and helpful neighbour, while Pakistan and India are rivals, have fought many wars, and have tense relations regarding the borders.
Thus, this history influences how ordinary people respond to a survey question. Also, even close neighbours like Bangladesh demonstrate that their attitudes towards India may change drastically in no time.
Sri Lanka: From Neighbour to Biggest Fan
- Favourable view: 79% (up from 65% in 2024)
- Unfavourable view: just 11%
- Biggest jump of any country in the survey since 2024
Pakistan: The Lowest Score in the Entire Survey
- Favourable view: only 7%
- Unfavourable view: a huge 91%
- Decades of rivalry, wars, and border disputes shape this number
Bangladesh: A Neighbour Turning Cooler
- Favourable view fell from 57% in 2024 to 42% in 2026, a 15-point drop
- Even the "don't know" crowd is shrinking, from 24% down to just 7%, meaning people are now picking a side
| Neighbouring Country | Favourable | Unfavourable | Change |
| Sri Lanka | 79% | 11% | +14 pts since 2024 |
| Bangladesh | 42% | 51% | -15 pts since 2024 |
| Pakistan | 7% | 91% | Lowest score in the survey |
America's Favourability of India Hits 15-Year Low: Why US Views Dropped From 51% to 45% Since 2023
In the past, Americans used to have a better opinion of India. As per the 2023 survey, 51% of Americans had a favourable perception of India. Today, the figure stands at 45%, whereas 50% of Americans perceive India negatively.
This is one of the lowest figures in the history of the survey, which was initially conducted in 2008. It wasn't a gradual decline; rather, there have been fluctuations. The favourability rate stood at 43% in 2024 but rose to 49% in 2025 before declining once again to 45%.
It is worth mentioning that politics plays an important role in it. 50% of Democrats and democratic-leaning independents viewed India favourably, as opposed to the 42% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.
Age is another factor in this regard, as the older population (65 and above) views India positively (50%), as opposed to young adults who are 18-29 years old (42%).
What is interesting is that even when favourability declines, most Americans believe that India's international stature isn't declining. 54% feel that its influence is roughly the same, and 30% think that it is increasing.
The Four-Year Slide
| Year | US Favourable View of India |
| 2023 | 51% |
| 2024 | 43% |
| 2025 | 49% |
| 2026 | 45% |
Republicans vs Democrats: A Clear Political Split
- Democrats/Lean Democrat: 50% favourable
- Republicans/Lean Republican: 42% favourable
Young vs Old: Age Changes the Answer
- Ages 18–29: 42% favourable
- Ages 65 and older: 50% favourable
Do Americans Think India Is Getting Stronger Anyway?
- 54% say India's influence has stayed about the same
- 30% say it's growing stronger
- 13% say it's getting weaker
Global 45% Median Hides the Real Story: India's Regional Dominance vs. Deepening US-Europe Divide
A median of 45% seems rather average. However, averages tend to hide many details. Dig a little deeper, and it becomes clear that the reputation of India globally divides into two quite distinct narratives.
For instance, in some developed democracies, India is doing rather well indeed. In Germany, the percentage of favourable views is 63%. It is even better in Israel – 60%. Also above the halfway mark are Italy, Sweden, Japan, and Thailand, with about 55% each.
The highest score among non-adjacent countries is in the UK at 71%, while Kenya reaches the exact same score in Africa. The most impressive change in Germany is also worth mentioning. Back in 2023, the percentage of favourable views was 47%.
Today, it is 63%, which is an impressive increase of 16 points in three years. The increase in the UK over the last year alone was 11 points, from 60% to 71%.
However, not everything is good in other countries. There has been a decline of 10 points in both Turkey and Nigeria since last year. South Africa dropped 8 points; Indonesia, 7; and Mexico, 6.
Overall, in Latin America, there is more negativity towards India than positivity. Europe is on the opposite side with mostly positive views.
Where India Shines
| Country | Favourable View |
| UK | 71% |
| Kenya | 71% |
| Germany | 63% |
| Israel | 60% |
| Italy | 56% |
| Sweden | 55% |
| Japan | 55% |
| Thailand | 55% |
Germany's Turnaround Story
- 2023: 47% favourable
- 2026: 63% favourable
- That's a 16-point jump in three years, with 6 points added just since 2025
Where Opinions Are Sliding
- Turkey: down 10 points since 2025 (now just 15% favourable)
- Nigeria: down 10 points since 2025
- South Africa: down 8 points since 2025
- Indonesia: down 7 points since 2025
- Mexico: down 6 points since 2025
Bonus: Political Lean Shapes Opinion Elsewhere Too
- Canada: left-leaning adults are 58% favourable vs 45% among right-leaning adults
- Israel: the pattern flips here — right-leaning adults are 68% favourable vs just 46% among left-leaning adults
Quick Facts About the Survey
- Conducted by: Pew Research Center
- Survey window: February 9 to May 13, 2026
- People surveyed: 42,092 adults
- Countries covered: 36
- Global median favourable: 45%
- Global median unfavourable: 41%
Conclusion
And so what does it all boil down to? India does not have one international image, but several. To Sri Lanka, India is a close ally. To Pakistan, it is a rival. In Germany and the United Kingdom, it is warming up rapidly, while in Turkey, Nigeria, and some Latin American countries, it is becoming less favourably viewed. America falls somewhere in between – favourably, but losing its edge, divided on political and generational lines. That 45% median score is nothing more than an average of a wide variety of narratives unfolding in 36 countries simultaneously.