Eric Pelofsky, vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation, said the poll results showed the "middle powers" approach championed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had real credibility globally. Carney has also called the war in the Middle East a failure of the global order.
"It reflects a deep erosion in global leadership" for the United States, he said. "People are discussing solutions to global problems and are no longer asking what do the Americans think. That's a gut punch."
Views differed sharply in developing and advanced economies, with 53% of developing countries comfortable with China, against 23% in wealthier nations. Russia had a 27-point gap and the United States 17 points. The question was not asked in 2025.
International institutions saw their results rise over the past year. Trust in the World Health Organization rose to 69% from 61%, while the U.N.'s score rose to 62% from 58%.
The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Criminal Court, which all got failing grades in last year's survey, saw the biggest gains.
Trust in the World Bank rose to 55% from 46%, the International Monetary Fund edged to 51% from 43% and the ICC scored 54%, up from 48% last year. The World Trade Organization scored 57%, up from 50%.
Excluding assessment of respondents' own country, 42% viewed Russia as a major threat, compared with 34% for the U.S. and 30% for China. Russia was the most widely named country of concern in 14 countries, with the highest rates recorded in Europe.
The United States was seen as the greatest threat in 15 countries, with the highest percentages seen in Indonesia (73%), Brazil (59%), Mexico (58%) and Turkey (57%).
SPY•
