Now Reading: American favour towards India hits lowest since 2008, Pew survey shows
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American favour towards India hits lowest since 2008, Pew survey shows
American favour towards India hits lowest since 2008, Pew survey shows
A new Pew Research Center survey shows that for the first time in its tracking, more Americans view India unfavourably than favourably. In the Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey, 50% of US adults had an unfavourable opinion of India, compared with 45% who held a favourable one. The rating is among the weakest since Pew began polling on India in 2008, continuing a gradual decline from 51% favour in 2023.
The survey of over 42,000 adults across 36 countries found notable divisions along political and age lines. Democrats (50% favourable) viewed India more positively than Republicans (42%). The ideological gap was wider: 54% of liberals expressed a favourable opinion, against 40% of conservatives. Among Americans aged 65 and above, 50% viewed India favourably, compared with 42% among those aged 18, 29.
Globally, India's image remains marginally net positive, with a median of 45% favourable across all surveyed nations. Sri Lanka gave India its strongest rating at 79% favourable, followed by Kenya and the UK at 71% each. However, ratings have weakened in South Korea, Turkey, and Bangladesh. On global influence, 54% of US respondents felt India's role had stayed about the same, while 30% said it had grown.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Pew survey captures a real shift, but the headline numbers need context. A 5-percentage-point drop over three years is a trend, not a collapse, and India's global median favourability of 45% is still marginally net positive. What matters more for New Delhi is the partisan gap: Democrat support for India at 50% is eight points higher than Republican support, and the gap widens to 14 points on ideology. That political split matters because US foreign policy and trade deals often need bipartisan backing. India's strategic messaging, on human rights, press freedom, trade barriers, has not been calibrated for a divided American electorate. Watch for any shift in official Indian outreach as the 2026 US midterm elections approach, the BJP's usual comfort with Republican administrations may need to be balanced with broader public engagement.
Source: greatandhra.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
