WASHINGTON: Americans’ perceptions of India have deteriorated sharply, with unfavourable views exceeding favourable opinions for the first time in Pew Research Center’s tracking, according to its Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey.
The survey found that 45 percent of US adults held a favourable opinion of India, while 50 percent viewed the country unfavourably — among the weakest results since Pew began tracking American attitudes towards India in 2008.
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India’s favourable rating among Americans stood at 51 percent in 2023 before declining to 49 percent in 2025 and falling another four percentage points this year.
Political and age divide
Views differed notably according to political affiliation. Half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents viewed India favourably, compared with 42 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.
The ideological divide was wider, with 54 percent of liberals expressing favourable views compared with 40 percent of conservatives.
Older Americans were also more positive towards India. Half of respondents aged 65 and above held favourable opinions, compared with 42 percent among those aged between 18 and 29.
However, favourable perceptions have weakened in several countries, including South Korea, Turkiye and Bangladesh.
Despite declining public sentiment, 30 percent of Americans surveyed believed India had become more influential in world affairs, while 54 percent said its influence had remained broadly unchanged.
The survey covered 42,092 adults across 36 countries.
