Favourable views of the United States among Indians have declined sharply, with only 45 per cent of Indians holding a positive opinion of the US in 2025, down from 54 per cent the previous year, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Centre. The drop coincides with President Donald Trump's tariff actions and rhetoric directed at India, and mirrors a broader global erosion of American soft power.

Key Findings on India-US Sentiment

The Pew survey, conducted between 8 February and 13 May 2025 across 36 countries, found that 31 per cent of Indians now hold a negative view of the US. Confidence in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs fell from 52 per cent last year to 39 per cent this year, while 36 per cent of Indians said they had no confidence in him on that count.

Only 18 per cent of Indians approved of Trump's tariff policies, which had targeted India with levies of as much as 50 per cent before the US Supreme Court blocked them. Approval ratings for other Trump policy areas were similarly muted: 32 per cent for immigration, 28 per cent for Iran, 26 per cent for Ukraine, 23 per cent for Greenland, 18 per cent for Gaza, and 17 per cent for Venezuela.

How India Compares Globally

Despite the slide, India's sentiment toward the US remains above the global median. Across the 36 countries surveyed, a median of 57 per cent of adults held a negative view of the US, while the positive view fell to a median of 37 per cent from 49 per cent the year before. Globally, 76 per cent of respondents expressed no confidence in Trump to act responsibly on the world stage, with only 23 per cent expressing confidence. India, notably, remains among the smaller group of countries where US favourability still exceeds unfavourability.

World Leaders: Putin Tops Confidence Rankings Among Indians

Among global leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin received the highest confidence rating among Indian respondents at 51 per cent. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu followed at 34 per cent, French President Emmanuel Macron at 33 per cent, Chinese President Xi Jinping at 25 per cent, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at 20 per cent. Separately, 54 per cent of Indians said the US government respected personal freedoms, and 47 per cent believed the US interfered in other countries' affairs to a fair or great degree.

Pakistan's Sharp Anti-US Tilt and China's Rising Influence

The survey also highlighted stark contrasts in Pakistan, where 82 per cent of respondents held a negative view of Trump — among the highest in the survey — and only 12 per cent viewed him positively, despite the country reportedly finding favour with his administration. Some 81 per cent of Pakistanis held a negative view of the US overall, and 76 per cent believed it interfered in other nations' affairs. China enjoyed a 90 per cent favourable rating in Pakistan, the highest for any country in the survey.

Globally, China's favourability rose from 38 per cent last year to 46 per cent this year, while the US fell from 48 per cent to 36 per cent — a trajectory Pew described as a notable shift in global opinion. In India, favourable views of China edged up slightly from 21 per cent to 23 per cent. The survey notes that percentages do not always total 100 as some respondents had no opinion or did not respond.

As global perceptions of US leadership continue to soften, the trajectory of India-US ties — and how New Delhi navigates its relationships with Washington, Moscow, and Beijing — will be closely watched in the months ahead.