Global Image of Countries

President Barack Obama’s popularity has transformed America’s image in Indonesia. However, the world’s largest predominantly Muslim country is an outlier in the Muslim world, where opinions of the U.S. remain mostly negative.

In a briefing for a congressional subcommittee, Andrew Kohut describes the rise of anti-Americanism over the last decade, its sharp decline after Obama’s election and the reasons why this improving trend may be fragile.

Overview The general public and members of the Council on Foreign Relations are apprehensive and uncertain about America’s place in the world. Growing numbers in both groups see the United States playing a less important role globally, while acknowledging the increasing stature of China. And the general public, which is in a decidedly inward-looking frame […]

While overall ratings for the U.S. have improved throughout much of the world, in Turkey they remain dismal. Still, there are modest signs of a potential for improvement.

Publics around the world see climate change as a major problem, and many are willing to make sacrifices to address global warming and the environment. But nations are split on which country should lead on this issue.

Opinion of Obama is largely positive in Japan, China and South Korea, but improvements in U.S. image are modest compared with much of the world

The Peace Prize award is another sign of the president’s international appeal; his election lifted America’s image around the globe

Mexicans are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the direction of their country and nearly six-in-ten say those who leave their country for the United States enjoy a better life there. One-in-three would move to the U.S. if they had the opportunity.

Opinion of the U.N. has grown more positive since 2007 in many countries, and nowhere have favorable ratings improved as much as in the U.S.

America’s ratings have risen north of the border, but differences persist over Afghanistan and U.S. economic influence