China

Americans see a number of economic threats from China, but they are also worried about cyberattacks, Bejing's human rights record, China's impact on the environment and its growing military strength.

Despite historical and territorial frictions, people in Asia-Pacific countries tend to view their neighbors in a positive light. But they express limited confidence in the region's most prominent national leaders.

People in many countries around the world, particularly in Latin America and Africa, list climate change as a top worry. Americans, Europeans and Middle Easterners, however, most frequently cite ISIS as their top threat.

As Russia plays host this week to a critical summit of leaders of the emerging market nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS), Russian President Vladimir Putin is especially keen on bolstering ties with the leading economic power of the group – China.

For the first time in six years, more people in America say that the U.S. – not China – is the world’s leading economic power, according to our new survey.

The U.S. image abroad remains mostly positive, although it has suffered somewhat from negative views of post-9/11 interrogation methods. China also is seen positively, though not on the issue of protecting individual freedoms.

Ratings for the U.S. remain mostly positive, with a global median of 69% expressing a favorable view. Countries also express broad support for America's military efforts against ISIS, but are critical of the U.S. government's use of torture after 9/11.

Demographer Conrad Hackett explains how he and his team put together our major new report and why it differs from past efforts to predict religious change.