Public perceptions of the United States and President Donald Trump have deteriorated across much of the world, according to a new report released by the Pew Research Center, which found declining confidence in U.S. leadership, reduced faith in Washington as a reliable international partner, and widespread criticism of the country’s role in global affairs.
The report, published on June 23, is based on surveys conducted among 42,151 respondents across 36 countries between February 8 and May 13, 2026. Pew Research Center said that in every country surveyed, most or all interviews took place after the United States and Israel launched a military conflict with Iran on February 28.
According to the findings, international views of both the United States and Trump have weakened significantly compared with previous years. A median of 37% of respondents across the 36 countries expressed a favorable opinion of the United States, while 57% reported an unfavorable view. Pew said favorable perceptions of the U.S. have declined in numerous countries over the past year.
The survey also found limited confidence in Trump’s handling of world affairs. Across the countries surveyed, a median of 23% said they had confidence in Trump to do the right thing regarding international matters. Pew reported that confidence in the U.S. president has fallen since last year in 16 of the 24 countries where comparable data is available, while no surveyed country recorded an improvement in attitudes toward him.
The report highlighted a significant decline in perceptions of the United States as a dependable ally. The share of people describing the U.S. as a reliable partner has dropped markedly in many countries since Pew last measured the issue in 2022, with some of the steepest declines recorded in Europe.
Majorities in most countries surveyed said the United States does not promote peace and stability around the world and does not adequately consider the interests of other nations when shaping international policy. Pew noted, however, that Americans themselves remain divided on those questions.
The survey also pointed to growing international concerns about the state of personal freedoms in the United States. A median of 39% of respondents said the U.S. government respects the personal freedoms of its citizens, while 56% said it does not. In 12 of the 13 countries where Pew last asked the question in 2021, there were double-digit declines in the share of people who believed the U.S. respects individual liberties.
Pew reported that positive views of the United States are now at or near their lowest levels in several countries surveyed since 2002, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Only seven countries recorded majority favorable views of the U.S., with Israel registering the highest rating at 81%. Some of the lowest ratings came from predominantly Muslim populations, including Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Pew said it was unable to conduct surveys in Gaza.
Trump received his strongest ratings in the Philippines, Israel, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. Nevertheless, in 26 of the surveyed locations, 30% or fewer respondents expressed confidence in him. The report also found that Trump received lower confidence ratings than several other international leaders included in the survey, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Only Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received lower confidence scores.
The study further found that Trump received largely negative assessments for his handling of major international issues, including tariffs, the conflict in Gaza, Iran, Greenland, and the Russia-Ukraine war, underscoring broader concerns about U.S. foreign policy among respondents worldwide.
