Europe & Russia

Wide majorities in most of the 17 advanced economies surveyed say having people of many different backgrounds improves their society, but most also see conflicts between partisan, racial and ethnic groups.

Social hostilities involving religion, including violence and harassment against religious groups by private individuals and groups, declined in 2019, according to Pew Research Center’s 12th annual study of global restrictions on religion, which examines 198 countries and territories.

Germany’s pandemic response and its role in the EU are also rated positively.

During Merkel’s tenure, Germans have generally had more favorable views of their economy than other Europeans and Americans had of their own.

There is minimal praise from other societies for how the United States and China are handling climate change.

Citizens offer mixed reviews of how their societies have responded to climate change, and many question the efficacy of international efforts to stave off a global environmental crisis.

Those on the political right are more likely to say there should have been fewer public activity restrictions during the COVID-19 outbreak.

17% of the global population could be considered middle income in 2020. Most people were either low income (51%) or poor (10%).

Despite an uptick in positive views of the economy in some places, many say that children will be worse off financially than their parents.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to visit the White House this week as she wraps up her final year in office.