Who Likes India, Who Doesn’t? Pew Survey Reveals Global Views

Public opinion of India varies sharply across the world, with attitudes ranging from overwhelmingly positive in Sri Lanka to deeply negative in Pakistan, according to a new Pew Research Center survey covering 36 countries. Conducted between February 9 and May 13, 2026, the survey found that a median 45% of respondents had a favourable view of India, compared with 41% who had an unfavourable opinion.

India's image is particularly strong in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe. But the picture is far less favourable in some countries, including Pakistan, Turkey and the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The survey also found that India's standing has improved in some European countries while deteriorating in several countries since Pew's previous surveys.

Sri Lanka has the most favourable view of India

Sri Lanka gave India its strongest rating among the 36 countries surveyed, with 79% expressing a favourable opinion and just 11% holding an unfavourable view. The figure is a significant rise from 65% in 2024.

Around 63% of Sri Lankans also identified India as their country's key ally. The improvement comes against the backdrop of closer India-Sri Lanka ties following the island nation's 2022 economic crisis, when India provided credit lines and financial assistance exceeding $7.5 billion.

India also received favourable ratings in Kenya (71%), the UK (71%), Germany (63%), Israel (60%), Italy (56%), Sweden (55%) and Thailand (55%).

Pakistan remains India's biggest outlier

The sharpest contrast comes from across the border. 91% of Pakistanis surveyed have an unfavourable view of India, including 73% who describe their opinion as very unfavourable. Only 7% have a favourable view.

The survey also found that Indians largely share the negative perception. 54% of Indians named Pakistan as their country's greatest geopolitical threat, while 43% of Pakistanis identified India as their greatest threat.

Among Indians, 78% hold an unfavourable view of Pakistan, including 65% who have a very unfavourable opinion.

The findings come against the backdrop of years of tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, which intensified following the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent India-Pakistan military confrontation.

What about India's other neighbours?

India's image across its neighbourhood is considerably more mixed.

In Bangladesh, 42% have a favourable view of India while 51% hold an unfavourable opinion. This marks a 15-point decline in favourable views since Pew last surveyed the country in 2024.

Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have become strained following the 2024 political upheaval in Bangladesh and India's decision to provide shelter to deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Elsewhere in Asia, India fares considerably better. 55% of Japanese, 51% of Singaporeans, 50% of Indonesians and 49% of Filipinos have a favourable view of India. Malaysia is an exception, with 58% expressing an unfavourable opinion.

India's image is improving in Europe

Some of the strongest recent gains for India have come in Europe. Since 2025, favourable views have risen by 11 percentage points in the UK and six points in Germany. Compared with 2023, Germany's favourable rating has climbed from 47% to 63%, while France's has increased from 39% to 50%.

Sri Lanka recorded a 14-point increase since 2024.

But the trend is not uniformly positive outside Europe. In South Korea, favourable opinion has dropped from 59% in 2023 to 44% in 2026. Favourability has also declined since 2025 in Turkey, Nigeria, the US, Indonesia, South Africa and Mexico.

Americans are increasingly divided over India

In the US, 45% of adults have a favourable view of India, while 50% have an unfavourable one. Pew said these ratings are among the lowest recorded since it began asking Americans about India in 2008.

The decline is notable: 51% of Americans viewed India favourably in 2023.

There is also a partisan divide. 50% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents view India favourably, compared with 42% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Older Americans are also more positive: 50% of those aged 65 and above have a favourable view, compared with 42% among those aged 18-29.

When asked about India's global influence, 54% of Americans said it has remained about the same, while 30% believe it is getting stronger and 13% say it is weakening.

Overall, the Pew findings present a complicated picture of India's global image: strong approval in countries such as Sri Lanka, the UK and Kenya, deep hostility in Pakistan and weaker ratings in some other regions, while the US remains almost evenly divided.