Public opinion of India ranges widely across 36 countries, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Feb. 9-May 13, 2026. A median of 45% have a favorable view of India, while a median of 41% have an unfavorable view.
| Country | Grouping | Unfavorable | Favorable | Don’t know/Refused (VOL.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | North America | 40 | 51 | 9 |
| U.S. | North America | 50 | 45 | 4 |
| U.K. | Europe | 24 | 71 | 5 |
| Germany | Europe | 29 | 63 | 8 |
| Italy | Europe | 35 | 56 | 9 |
| Sweden | Europe | 38 | 55 | 8 |
| France | Europe | 34 | 50 | 15 |
| Netherlands | Europe | 31 | 49 | 20 |
| Hungary | Europe | 31 | 40 | 29 |
| Greece | Europe | 33 | 39 | 28 |
| Poland | Europe | 25 | 37 | 38 |
| Spain | Europe | 41 | 37 | 22 |
| Sri Lanka | Asia-Pacific | 11 | 79 | 10 |
| Japan | Asia-Pacific | 42 | 55 | 4 |
| Thailand | Asia-Pacific | 42 | 55 | 3 |
| Singapore | Asia-Pacific | 48 | 51 | 1 |
| Indonesia | Asia-Pacific | 47 | 50 | 3 |
| Philippines | Asia-Pacific | 42 | 49 | 9 |
| South Korea | Asia-Pacific | 47 | 44 | 10 |
| Australia | Asia-Pacific | 55 | 44 | 1 |
| Bangladesh | Asia-Pacific | 51 | 42 | 7 |
| Malaysia | Asia-Pacific | 58 | 41 | 0 |
| Pakistan | Asia-Pacific | 91 | 7 | 2 |
| Israel | Middle East | 29 | 60 | 11 |
| W. Bank/E. Jerusalem | Middle East | 56 | 18 | 25 |
| Turkey | Middle East | 72 | 15 | 13 |
| Kenya | Africa | 25 | 71 | 4 |
| Ghana | Africa | 36 | 50 | 14 |
| Nigeria | Africa | 39 | 47 | 13 |
| South Africa | Africa | 46 | 38 | 16 |
| Brazil | Latin America | 41 | 37 | 22 |
| Colombia | Latin America | 41 | 36 | 23 |
| Mexico | Latin America | 44 | 30 | 26 |
| Peru | Latin America | 39 | 29 | 31 |
| Chile | Latin America | 40 | 25 | 35 |
| Argentina | Latin America | 41 | 24 | 35 |
| 36-country median | Median | 41 | 45 | 10 |
In countries that neighbor India, ratings diverge dramatically, from 79% favorable in Sri Lanka to 7% favorable in Pakistan.
Related: India and Pakistan: Rivals With Divergent Views of the Global Order
In addition to Sri Lanka, opinions are most favorable in Kenya and the United Kingdom, where around seven-in-ten adults view India favorably. Majorities in Germany, Israel, Italy, Sweden, Japan and Thailand also express a favorable view.
Ratings are much lower in Turkey (15% favorable) and in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (18%). In both places, majorities have an unfavorable opinion of India.
Elsewhere, evaluations are mixed. In many European and Latin American countries, large shares do not offer an opinion. But views tend to lean more positive than negative in Europe, while the reverse is true in Latin America.
How do U.S. adults view India?
Today, 45% of Americans view India favorably, while 50% view it unfavorably. These ratings are some of the lowest since 2008, when we began asking this question. The share of Americans with a favorable opinion of India has been mostly declining since 2023, when 51% expressed this view.
| Unfavorable | Favorable | Grouping | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults | 50% | 45% | Total |
| Ages 18-29 | 56% | 42% | Age |
| 30-49 | 54% | 41% | Age |
| 50-64 | 46% | 50% | Age |
| 65+ | 43% | 50% | Age |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 55% | 42% | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 47% | 50% | Party |
Public opinion of India in the United States varies by:
- Partisanship. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to have a favorable view of India (50% vs. 42%).
- Age. Half of adults ages 65 and older view India favorably, compared with 42% of those ages 18 to 29.
We also asked Americans about India’s influence in the world. Over half (54%) say that its global influence in recent years has stayed about the same, while 30% say it is getting stronger. Another 13% say India’s influence has been getting weaker.
Related: What countries do Americans think are gaining and losing influence in today’s world?
How have international views of India changed over time?
In most countries, opinions of India have remained relatively stable since we last asked. But 10 countries have shown statistically significant changes – and ratings have fallen in seven of them.
Since 2025, the share of people with a favorable view of India has declined by 10 percentage points in Turkey and Nigeria. This share is also down since last year in the U.S., Indonesia, South Africa and Mexico.
In Bangladesh, where we last surveyed in 2024, the share with a favorable opinion of India has dropped by 15 points and now stands at less than half. (The share of Bangladeshis who did not offer an opinion also decreased from 24% to 7% in the same period.)
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | ’25-’26 change | Grouping | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.K. | 65% | – | 60% | 71% | 11 | 2025 trend |
| Kenya | 64 | – | 65 | 71 | 6 | 2025 trend |
| Germany | 47 | – | 57 | 63 | 6 | 2025 trend |
| Canada | 47 | – | 47 | 51 | 4 | 2025 trend |
| Greece | 32 | – | 35 | 39 | 4 | 2025 trend |
| Sweden | 46 | – | 52 | 55 | 3 | 2025 trend |
| Netherlands | 41 | – | 46 | 49 | 3 | 2025 trend |
| Italy | 52 | – | 54 | 56 | 2 | 2025 trend |
| South Korea | 59 | 58 | 42 | 44 | 2 | 2025 trend |
| Poland | – | – | 35 | 37 | 2 | 2025 trend |
| Spain | 34 | – | 36 | 37 | 1 | 2025 trend |
| Brazil | 33 | – | 36 | 37 | 1 | 2025 trend |
| Israel | 71 | – | 60 | 60 | 0 | 2025 trend |
| France | 39 | – | 50 | 50 | 0 | 2025 trend |
| Australia | 53 | 45 | 45 | 44 | -1 | 2025 trend |
| Argentina | 22 | – | 26 | 24 | -2 | 2025 trend |
| Japan | 55 | – | 58 | 55 | -3 | 2025 trend |
| U.S. | 51 | 43 | 49 | 45 | -4 | 2025 trend |
| Hungary | – | – | 45 | 40 | -5 | 2025 trend |
| Mexico | 42 | – | 36 | 30 | -6 | 2025 trend |
| Indonesia | 45 | 51 | 57 | 50 | -7 | 2025 trend |
| South Africa | 29 | – | 46 | 38 | -8 | 2025 trend |
| Nigeria | 60 | – | 57 | 47 | -10 | 2025 trend |
| Turkey | – | – | 25 | 15 | -10 | 2025 trend |
| ’24-’26 change | 2024 trend | |||||
| Sri Lanka | – | 65 | – | 79 | 14 | 2024 trend |
| Thailand | – | 50 | – | 55 | 5 | 2024 trend |
| Singapore | – | 51 | – | 51 | 0 | 2024 trend |
| Malaysia | – | 41 | – | 41 | 0 | 2024 trend |
| Philippines | – | 52 | – | 49 | -3 | 2024 trend |
| Bangladesh | – | 57 | – | 42 | -15 | 2024 trend |
Related: How do South Asians view other countries in the region?
In contrast, views of India have become more favorable in Germany, the U.K. and Sri Lanka since we last asked. The share with a positive opinion of India has increased by 11 points in the U.K. and by 6 points in Germany since 2025. In Sri Lanka, it’s grown by 14 points since 2024.
We can also look at how views have changed since 2023 in some countries, which was the first time we asked this question since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Favorable opinion of India has increased in several European countries since then. For example, 47% of Germans expressed a positive view of India in 2023, while 63% do today. And in France, 39% saw India favorably in 2023, compared with 50% today.
Outside of Europe, views of India tend to be less favorable now than in 2023. In South Korea, favorability has decreased from 59% in 2023 to 44% in 2026.
How do views of India vary by ideology?
In a few countries, opinion varies by political ideology.
In the U.S. and Canada, people on the ideological left are more likely than those on the right to have a favorable opinion of India:
- In the U.S., 54% of liberals and 40% of conservatives view India positively.
- 58% of Canadians on the left have a favorable opinion, compared with 45% of those on the right.
In Israel, the pattern is reversed:
- 46% of Israelis on the left have a favorable opinion of India, compared with 68% of those on the right.
Note: Here are our survey questions, along with responses, and the survey methodology.
