India’s global image faces growing challenges with increasing negative opinion: Pew survey
Islamabad: India’s international image is facing growing challenges, with public opinion turning increasingly negative in several countries amid concerns over its domestic politics, treatment of minorities and other issues associated with the country’s global conduct.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the latest Pew Research Center survey, conducted among 42,092 people in 36 countries between February 9 and May 13, 2026, found that 41 percent expressed an unfavourable opinion about India.
The decline is particularly visible in the United States, where 50 percent of adults now have an unfavourable view of India, compared with only 45 percent who view the country favourably. Pew said these are among the lowest ratings recorded since it began asking Americans about their views of India in 2008. In 2008, nearly two-thirds of Americans had viewed India favourably.
The negative perception is even stronger among younger Americans. The survey found that 56 percent of those aged 18 to 29 hold an unfavourable view of India, compared with 42 percent who view it favourably. Among Americans aged 30 to 49, 54 percent expressed an unfavourable opinion.
India’s image has also weakened in Australia, where 55 percent expressed an unfavourable view and only 44 percent a favourable one. South Korea recorded 47 percent unfavourable and 44 percent favourable views, while Turkey registered particularly negative sentiment, with 72 percent expressing an unfavourable opinion and only 15 percent a favourable one.
The survey also recorded a sharp deterioration in Bangladesh, where favourable views of India fell by 15 percentage points since 2024 to 42 percent. In South Africa, Nigeria, Indonesia and Mexico, favourable ratings also declined between 2025 and 2026.
The findings come amid international scrutiny of India’s treatment of minorities, restrictions on dissent and concerns over its increasingly majoritarian political discourse. Such issues have increasingly complicated New Delhi’s efforts to project itself as a pluralistic democracy and an influential global power.
The survey, however, shows that India’s image is not uniformly negative. Favourable views remain high in Sri Lanka at 79 percent, the United Kingdom at 71 percent, Kenya at 71 percent and Germany at 63 percent.
The findings nevertheless point to a widening gap between India’s projected global image and perceptions in several important countries, raising questions over the impact of its domestic political trajectory on its international standing and diplomatic influence.
