A new Pew Research Centre survey across 36 countries shows that India continues to receive a more positive than negative global perception. The survey, conducted between February and May this year, covered more than 42,000 people. Across the countries surveyed, a median of 45% expressed a favourable view of India, while 41% held an unfavourable opinion. Sri Lanka emerged as the country with the most positive perception of India, while Pakistan recorded the highest negative rating. In the United States, views remain almost evenly divided.

Sri Lanka gave India strongest rating, with 79% of respondents expressing a favourable opinion. Only 11% viewed India negatively. Around 63% of Sri Lankans also identified India as a key ally for their country. The positive perception has improved significantly from 2024, when 65% of respondents in Sri Lanka had a favourable view of India.

The improved sentiment comes amid stronger India-Sri Lanka relations. After Sri Lanka faced a severe economic crisis and widespread unrest in 2022, India extended major support to the island nation. Its assistance included credit lines and financial aid worth more than USD 7.5 billion. The support has played an important role in the recent improvement in bilateral ties.

India's image across its neighbourhood, however, remains mixed. Bangladesh gave a 42% favourable rating and a 51% unfavourable rating. Relations between the two countries are strained over India's decision to provide shelter to former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina fled Bangladesh in 2024 after a violent student-led uprising resulted in more than 500 deaths.

India also received a negative assessment in Malaysia. Around 58% of Malaysian respondents had an unfavourable view of India. The country also witnessed an 'India Out' campaign in 2024, reflecting tensions surrounding perceptions of India's regional influence.

Several other Asian countries, however, view India positively. Around 55% of respondents in Japan expressed a favourable opinion of India. The figure stood at 51% in Singapore and 50% in Indonesia. India also received a 49% favourable rating in the Philippines and 55% in Thailand. These figures show that India's standing remains relatively strong across several parts of Asia.

Pakistan had the sharpest negative perception of India. As many as 91% of respondents there expressed an unfavourable view, while only 7% had a favourable opinion. The result comes against the backdrop of decades of political and military tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Relations deteriorated further after the May 2025 hostilities and the diplomatic dispute over India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The operation targeted terror camps and Pakistani air bases. The escalation further affected an already strained relationship between the two countries.

After Pakistan, Turkey and the West Bank and East Jerusalem recorded some of the lowest favourable ratings for India. Only 15% of respondents in Turkey and 18% in the West Bank and East Jerusalem viewed India positively. Australia also recorded a largely negative perception, with around 55% of respondents expressing an unfavourable view. The findings were registered after anti-immigrant protests in the country.

The United States presents a more divided picture. Around 45% of Americans surveyed expressed a favourable view of India, while 50% viewed the country unfavourably. Pew noted that these ratings are among the lowest recorded since 2008. The share of Americans with a positive view of India has also declined from 51% in 2023 to 45% in 2026.

The survey also found a political divide in American views of India. Around 50% of Democrats expressed a favourable opinion of India, compared with 42% of Republicans, the party of US President Donald Trump.

Americans also gave mixed assessments of India's growing influence in the world. Around 30% said India's influence was becoming stronger. More than half, or 54%, said India's influence had remained largely unchanged in recent years. Another 13% believed India's influence was declining.

India-US ties have faced challenges under the Trump administration. Differences over tariffs and the pending trade deal have created friction between the two countries. Trump's growing engagement with Pakistan has also caused uneasiness in India-US relations.

The survey ultimately points to a clear regional divide in how the world views India. India enjoys particularly strong support in parts of Asia and Africa, while opinions remain more mixed in Europe and Latin America. The United States is divided in its assessment, while Pakistan stands at the opposite end of the spectrum from Sri Lanka. Overall, the findings show that India continues to hold a stronger positive than negative image across the 36 countries surveyed.