A Global Report Card
The latest Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey from the prestigious Pew Research Center offers a comprehensive look at how the world sees India. Conducted between February and May 2026, the study surveyed over 42,000 adults across 36 countries on five
continents. The headline finding is that India’s image is more positive than negative, but only just. A median of 45% of respondents expressed a favourable opinion of India, while a nearly equal 41% held an unfavourable view. This essentially means that for every person who views India positively, there's another who sees it negatively, with a small percentage undecided. This makes India’s global standing a story of sharp contrasts rather than widespread consensus.
A Neighbourhood of Extremes
Nowhere is the division in opinion more dramatic than in India's own neighbourhood. Sri Lanka emerges as the country with the most positive view of India, with a remarkable 79% of its citizens holding a favourable opinion. This strong support likely reflects the significant financial aid, worth over $7.5 billion, that India provided during Sri Lanka's severe economic crisis in 2022. At the absolute opposite end of the spectrum is Pakistan, where a mere 7% of the population views India favourably, against 91% who see it unfavourably, a reflection of longstanding political and military tensions. Views in Bangladesh are also more negative than positive, with 51% holding an unfavourable view compared to 42% favourable, a shift that may be linked to recent political turbulence in the country.
Warmth from Europe and Africa
Beyond South Asia, India finds significant goodwill in parts of Europe, Africa, and East Asia. Kenya and the United Kingdom stand out, with around 7 in 10 adults in both countries viewing India in a positive light. Favourability has also seen a marked increase in key European nations. In Germany, positive views jumped to 63% from 47% in 2023, while in France, they rose from 39% to 50% in the same period. Majorities in Israel (60%), Japan (55%), and Italy (56%) also express favourable opinions, suggesting that India’s diplomatic and economic outreach in these regions is paying dividends.
Cooler Reception in the Americas
The picture is less rosy in the Western Hemisphere. In the United States, opinion on India is now evenly split and leaning slightly negative, with 45% viewing the country favourably and 50% unfavourably. This represents a decline from 2023, when 51% of Americans had a positive view, and marks one of the lowest ratings for India in the U.S. since Pew began tracking in 2008. Views in Latin America are similarly lukewarm to negative. Across countries like Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, opinions tend to be more unfavourable than favourable, although many respondents in the region declined to offer an opinion, indicating a lack of strong feelings either way.
What It Means for India
This detailed breakdown reveals that India's ambition to become a 'Vishwa Guru' or world leader rests on a complex and divided global perception. The 45% median favourability is not a uniform grade but an average of very high marks in some regions and deeply skeptical views in others. While India can count on strong support from crisis-hit neighbours it has assisted and growing warmth in Europe, it faces challenges in other parts of its neighbourhood and a cooling perception in the United States. This mixed report card highlights the nuanced diplomatic path India must navigate as its global influence continues to grow.
