Richard Wike

Most people in China say they are better off financially than they were five years ago. At the same time, they're worried about corrupt officials, air and water pollution, crime and economic inequality.

Sub-Saharan Africans are feeling positive about their current and long-term economic prospects compared with those in other regions of the world. However, they still see the need for more foreign aid and are concerned about the serious challenges facing them, especially when it comes to better health care and jobs.

People in sub-Saharan Africa are optimistic about their future, but they also recognize that their countries face tremendous challenges — identifying health care and education as top concerns.

Three years after being elected president, Mexico's Enrique Peña Nieto is increasingly unpopular, and his ratings on specific issues, such as education, corruption and fighting drugs and crime, have dropped sharply.

When President Barack Obama travels to Kenya and Ethiopia later this week, he will likely receive a warm public reception. Obama, whose father was Kenyan, is very popular in both countries, as well as in many other nations in sub-Saharan Africa. But it’s not just Obama – as Pew Research Center surveys have shown over the years, the United States consistently receives high marks throughout the region.

Our most recent survey of 40 countries from around the world included a number of questions about Obama and his handling of major international issues.

Majorities or pluralities in 31 of 40 countries surveyed hold an unfavorable opinion of the Islamic Republic. And in several Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Asia, ratings have declined considerably in recent years.

There has been considerable debate over the country's Muslims and the role of extremism, but no backlash against Muslims in French public opinion.

The horrific murder of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh has generated shock and outrage around the globe. And if recent history is a guide, this brutal act will only deepen opposition to ISIS, and to violent extremism more generally, in Jordan and other predominantly Muslim nations.

Income inequality will be a key topic of discussion for economic leaders meeting in Davos. Pew Research Center surveys also have shown that income inequality is a global cause for concern.