China Surpasses US in Global Approval Ratings Amid Decline in American Leadership

In 2025, China surpassed the US in global approval ratings, with only 31% support for the US compared to China's 36%, the largest gap in 20 years. The Gallup survey shows declining US ratings, influenced by strategic withdrawals and war, while China gains from these shifts.

In a startling shift, China has overtaken the United States in global approval ratings, according to Gallup's 2025 worldwide survey. American leadership under President Donald Trump saw disapproval soar to 48%, while China's leadership gained a 36% approval, surpassing the US for the first time in nearly two decades.

This significant change primarily reflects a decline in the approval ratings for the US, which plummeted from 39% in 2024 to 31% in 2025. Concurrently, China's ratings saw a rise from 32% to 36%. Germany, however, maintained its position as the most favorably viewed international power with a 48% approval rate.

Factors influencing these ratings include major US policy decisions, such as withdrawing from 66 international organizations and the onset of conflict with Iran in early 2026. Despite setbacks, US approval improved significantly among Israelis, rising to 76% following the US-Israel political dynamics post-2023 Hamas attack.