Sri Lanka has emerged as the country with the most favourable view of India, while Pakistan sits at the opposite end of the spectrum, according to a new Pew Research Center survey spanning 36 countries.
The survey, conducted between February and May 2026 among more than 42,000 people, found that India maintains a slightly more positive than negative global image. Across the countries surveyed, a median of 45% held a favourable opinion of India, compared with 41% who viewed the country unfavourably.
Sri Lanka recorded the strongest support, with 79% of respondents viewing India favourably and just 11% expressing an unfavourable opinion. About 63% of Sri Lankans also identified India as an important ally.
The result marks a notable improvement from 2024, when 65% of Sri Lankan respondents held a positive view of India.
The shift comes amid closer ties between New Delhi and Colombo following Sri Lanka’s devastating 2022 economic crisis. India emerged as a major source of assistance during the turmoil, extending credit, financing and other support as Sri Lanka struggled with severe shortages of foreign currency, fuel, food and essential goods.
India’s standing elsewhere in South Asia was considerably more divided. In Bangladesh, 42% viewed India favourably while 51% held an unfavourable opinion. Relations have faced heightened strains since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh for India following the political upheaval of 2024.
Pakistan registered the strongest negative sentiment toward India among the countries surveyed. Some 91% of Pakistani respondents expressed an unfavourable view, while only 7% viewed India positively.
The findings come against the backdrop of decades of hostility between the nuclear-armed neighbours, compounded by the May 2025 military confrontation. India launched Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, targeting sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered territory that New Delhi described as terrorist infrastructure. The confrontation further deteriorated bilateral relations, alongside tensions surrounding India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
Negative perceptions were also particularly pronounced in Türkiye, where only 15% expressed a favourable view of India, and among respondents in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where the figure stood at 18%.
Malaysia also leaned negative, with 58% of respondents expressing an unfavourable opinion.
However, India’s image remained comparatively strong across several major Asian countries. Favourable views reached 55% in Japan and Thailand, 51% in Singapore, 50% in Indonesia and 49% in the Philippines.
In the United States, public opinion was almost evenly divided. About 45% of Americans held a favourable view of India, compared with 50% who viewed the country negatively. The positive rating has declined from 51% in 2023 and is among India’s lowest readings in the United States since 2008, according to Pew.
American attitudes also differed along political lines. Half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents expressed favourable views of India, compared with 42% of Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents.
Asked about India’s international influence, 30% of Americans said it was growing stronger, while 54% believed it had remained largely unchanged. Another 13% said India’s global influence was weakening.
The findings come as New Delhi and Washington navigate disagreements over tariffs and trade, alongside Indian concerns over the Trump administration’s engagement with Pakistan.
Australia also recorded predominantly negative sentiment toward India, with around 55% of respondents expressing an unfavourable view.
Overall, the Pew findings underline the striking differences in India’s international image. New Delhi enjoys strong public goodwill in Sri Lanka and favourable sentiment across several Asian and African countries, while perceptions are substantially more negative in Pakistan and parts of the Middle East.
Despite those divisions, the 36-country median leaves India with a narrow advantage globally, with favourable perceptions continuing to outweigh unfavourable ones.
Source: Pew Research Center, Indian media reports.
