A new Pew Research Center survey has revealed mixed global opinions about India. The study covered 36 countries and more than 42,000 people between February and May 2026.
Overall, 45% of respondents held a favourable view of India, while 41% held an unfavourable view.
Sri Lanka recorded the most positive view, with 79% of respondents viewing India favourably. India also received strong ratings in Kenya, the UK, Germany, Israel, Italy and Sweden.
Views in India’s neighbourhood were more divided. In Bangladesh, 42% viewed India positively, while 51% held an unfavourable opinion. Malaysia also recorded a negative assessment.
Pakistan remained the biggest outlier, with 91% of respondents expressing an unfavourable view of India. Turkey, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem also reported low favourable ratings.
In the United States, opinion was nearly split. About 45% viewed India favourably, compared with 50% who held an unfavourable view. Pew noted that America’s positive rating had fallen from 51% in 2023.
The findings suggest that India’s global image remains strong in several Asian and African countries but faces mixed perceptions elsewhere.