Copenhagen, Denmark. Global perceptions of the United States have deteriorated for a second consecutive year and are now worse than views of Russia, according to an annual study on democracy published on Friday. The findings come as U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies continue to strain the NATO alliance.
Survey findings and rankings
The Denmark-based Alliance of Democracies Foundation, which commissioned the survey, said the United States was also most frequently named in response to which country posed the greatest threat to the world, after Russia and Israel. The survey did not provide details on the criteria used.
The Democracy Perception Index ranks perceptions of countries from -100% to +100%. It showed that net perception of the United States had swung to -16% from +22% two years ago, placing it behind Russia at -11% and China at +7%. The report did not provide a reason for the positive sentiment on China.
Comments from the Alliance of Democracies Foundation
“The fast decline of the United States’ perception around the world is saddening but not shocking,” alliance founder and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.
“U.S. foreign policy over the past 18 months has, among other things, called into question the transatlantic relationship, imposed widespread tariffs, and threatened to invade a NATO ally’s territory,” he added.
Policies cited as affecting transatlantic relations
The report cited Trump’s tariffs, his repeated threats to control Greenland, a fellow NATO member through Denmark, a cut in U.S. aid to Ukraine, as well as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and the ensuing spike in oil prices as factors that have unsettled transatlantic relations.
It also said that after European countries declined to send their navies to open the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping following the start of the air war on Iran, Trump in April said he considered withdrawing from NATO, further weakening the alliance.
Methodology and timing
Polling firm Nira Data conducted the survey between March 19 and April 21, based on more than 94,000 respondents in 98 countries. Country perceptions were measured in a sample of 46,600 respondents in 85 countries.
The report was published ahead of the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, which takes place on May 12.
How do you think shifting perceptions of the United States could affect international cooperation within NATO?