Americans generally see their country as respected and powerful on the world stage, but they think the United States’ global influence is waning.
- While 91% say it is important for the U.S. to be respected around the world, a much smaller share (56%) say it is respected.
- 52% of Americans say their country’s influence in the world is getting weaker, roughly the same share as in 2024. But compared with last year, Democrats are much more likely – and Republicans less likely – to say U.S. influence is declining.
How important is it that the U.S. is respected globally? Is it respected?
About nine-in-ten Americans say it is important that the U.S. is respected around the world. In fact, a 57% majority say this is very important.
Fewer, though still a majority of 56%, think the U.S. actually is respected around the world. A relatively small share say the U.S. is very respected (10%), while the same share say it is not respected at all.
The share of Americans who believe it’s important that the U.S. is respected has not changed since last year. Nevertheless, opinions vary somewhat by party and age.
- Party: Republicans (92%) and Democrats (91%) agree that global respect of the U.S. is important. However, roughly seven-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (72%) say the U.S. is respected, compared with about four-in-ten Democrats and Democratic leaners (39%).
- Age: Regardless of age, Americans say it is important that the U.S. is respected globally, but older Americans are more likely to hold this view. Older adults are also more likely than their younger counterparts to say that the U.S. is respected.
Views of the United States’ influence in the world
While a majority of Americans feel their country is respected around the world, 52% say its global influence has been getting weaker in recent years.
Around a quarter of Americans say U.S. influence has stayed about the same (24%) or that it has been getting stronger (22%) in recent years.
By comparison, almost three-quarters think China’s influence is on the rise (73%), while almost half say the same about Russia (47%).
And more people say that the international influence of Israel, India and Iran are growing than that U.S. influence is getting stronger.
The belief that U.S. influence in the world is getting weaker was also the most common view in April 2024. But Americans are somewhat more likely now to say their country’s influence is growing (22% vs. 14% last year).
This increase is at least partly driven by Republicans, who have become much more positive in their views of U.S. global influence: 34% say the country’s influence is getting stronger, compared with 10% in 2024. They’ve also become much less likely to say U.S. influence is getting weaker this (37% vs. 67% last year).
Democrats’ views have moved in the opposite direction. Compared with 2024, there’s been a slight decrease in the share of Democrats who say U.S. influence is getting stronger (11% vs. 19% last year), and a large increase in the share who say it’s getting weaker (67% vs. 44%).
Adults ages 65 and older (32%) are more likely than those ages 50 to 64 (20%) or under 50 (19%) to say U.S. influence in the world is getting stronger.
When rating other countries, one of the biggest shifts since 2024 is in how Americans see the influence of Iran on the world stage. Compared with last year, more Americans now say Iran’s influence is waning (28% vs. 16% then) and fewer Americans say it’s getting stronger (26% vs. 39%).
The U.S. as the world’s leading economic and military power
Despite the belief of many Americans that the U.S. is losing global influence, most still say the U.S. is the world’s leading military power (76%), and roughly half say it is the leading economic power (48%). The next highest shares say China is the world’s leading economic (38%) and military (14%) power.
As with other ratings of the U.S., Republicans generally have more positive views of their country’s standing: 58% say it is the top economic power (compared with 40% of Democrats) while 80% say it is the top military power (73% of Democrats).
For more U.S. assessments of the world’s top powers, read “Negative Views of China Have Softened Slightly Among Americans.”
