A new Pew Research Centre survey covering 36 countries has found that global opinion of India remains mixed, with favourable views narrowly outweighing negative ones overall. While India enjoys its strongest support in Sri Lanka, Pakistan has by far the most negative view of the country. In the US, opinion has turned more unfavourable, with half of those surveyed viewing India negatively.
The survey, conducted between February 9 and May 13 among 42,092 people, found a median of 45% of respondents across the 36 countries had a favourable view of India, while 41% held an unfavourable opinion.
Sri Lanka recorded the highest favourable rating for India, with 79% of respondents expressing a positive view and just 11% holding a negative opinion. The favourable rating has risen 14 percentage points since Pew last surveyed the country in 2024.
About 63% of Sri Lankans also identified India as their country's most important ally. India has provided significant financial and economic support to Sri Lanka, particularly during the island nation's 2022 economic crisis.
India also received favourable ratings in Kenya and the UK, at 71% each. Majorities in Germany (63%), Israel (60%), Italy (56%), Sweden (55%), Japan (55%) and Thailand (55%) also viewed India positively.
The picture was sharply different in Pakistan, where only 7% of respondents had a favourable view of India, while 91% viewed it unfavourably. Turkey and the West Bank and East Jerusalem also recorded low favourable ratings of 15% and 18%, respectively.
In Bangladesh, 42% viewed India favourably while 51% held an unfavourable opinion. The favourable rating has fallen by 15 percentage points since Pew's previous survey in 2024. Malaysia also recorded a predominantly negative view, with 58% expressing an unfavourable opinion.
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US opinion turns more negative
The US presented a more divided picture, although negative views edged ahead. Half of American respondents had an unfavourable view of India, compared with 45% who viewed it favourably.
Pew said the ratings were among the lowest recorded since it began asking Americans about their views of India in 2008. The favourable rating has declined from 51% in 2023 to 45% this year.
There was also a partisan divide. About 50% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents viewed India favourably, compared with 42% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.
Age also played a role, with 50% of Americans aged 65 and above viewing India positively, compared with 42% among those aged 18 to 29.
On India's global influence, 30% of Americans said India's influence was growing, while 54% felt it had remained about the same. Another 13% said India's influence was declining.
India's image varies sharply by region
The findings point to significant regional differences in perceptions of India. While the country received strong ratings in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, views were more negative in some countries, particularly Pakistan and Turkey.
Pew also found that India's image had improved in several European countries. Favourable views rose by 11 percentage points in the UK and six points in Germany since 2025. France also recorded an increase compared with 2023, with favourable opinion rising from 39% to 50%.
Overall, the survey presents a varied picture of India's global standing: strong approval in countries such as Sri Lanka, Kenya and the UK, deep negativity in Pakistan and a more divided perception in the US and several other countries.
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