Poll shows rising trust in global institutions, less comfort with US as global leader

• A global poll shows rising trust in international institutions but declining comfort with the US and China as world leaders, with many viewing both as threats.
• Despite economic pessimism, 57% support global cooperation on security even if it requires compromising national interests, highlighting growing support for multilateralism.
• Canada, Japan, and Australia are preferred as global leaders, while Russia, the US, and China face significant distrust and are seen as major threats in many countries.

WASHINGTON – A new poll of more than 35,000 people worldwide shows continued support for global cooperation and rising trust in international institutions, but less comfort with the United States or China taking leadership roles. In fact, many view both as a threat.

The survey, commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation and conducted in 34 countries from July 21 to Aug 5, reflected a grim view of economic developments and security challenges, with nearly 70 per cent saying the world had gotten worse over the past year.

Only 38 per cent of those surveyed felt their national economies would improve over the next five years, with optimism down sharply in two of the largest economies. Optimism fell 26 percentage points in India to 50 per cent and 16 points in China to 56 per cent.

Despite widespread pessimism, 57 per cent of those surveyed said countries should cooperate to solve global challenges such as security even if it means compromising on some national interests. That is up from 55 per cent in the 2025 survey.

The poll, released ahead of next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, comes after nearly seven months of war in the Middle East that has upended global energy markets, lowered economic growth and fueled inflation. That followed a year of turmoil sparked by sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on imports from nearly every country.

The United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb 28, followed by Tehran’s subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which had carried 20 per cent of the world’s oil. The conflict has spread to other countries, including Lebanon, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, adding more upward pressure on oil prices.

The poll showed that the people surveyed were not comfortable with the United States or China as a global leader, and 61 per cent supported countries working together without the participation of either of the world’s two largest economies.

Canada received the highest level of comfort for taking a leading role in world affairs at 60 per cent, followed by Japan (58 per cent) and Australia (55 per cent). The European Union and Britain were closely behind, with 55 per cent and 54 per cent, while the United Nations stood at 52 per cent.

By contrast, just 39 per cent were comfortable with the United States taking a leading role and 37 per cent with China. Russia was viewed even more negatively, with just 26 per cent comfortable.

Eric Pelofsky, vice-president of the Rockefeller Foundation, said the poll results showed the “middle powers” approach championed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had real credibility globally. Carney has also called the war in the Middle East a failure of the global order.

“It reflects a deep erosion in global leadership” for the United States, he said. “People are discussing solutions to global problems and are no longer asking what do the Americans think. That’s a gut punch.”

Views differed sharply in developing and advanced economies, with 53 per cent of developing countries comfortable with China, against 23 per cent in wealthier nations. Russia had a 27-point gap and the United States 17 points. The question was not asked in 2025.

International institutions saw their results rise over the past year. Trust in the World Health Organization rose to 69 per cent from 61 per cent, while the UN’s score rose to 62 per cent from 58 per cent.

The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Criminal Court (ICC), which all got failing grades in the 2025 survey, saw the biggest gains.

Trust in the World Bank rose to 55 per cent from 46 per cent, the International Monetary Fund edged to 51 per cent from 43 per cent and the ICC scored 54 per cent, up from 48 per cent in 2025. The World Trade Organization scored 57 per cent, up from 50 per cent.

Excluding assessment of respondents’ own country, 42 per cent viewed Russia as a major threat, compared with 34 per cent for the US and 30 per cent for China. Russia was the most widely named country of concern in 14 countries, with the highest rates recorded in Europe.

The United States was seen as the greatest threat in 15 countries, with the highest percentages seen in Indonesia (73 per cent), Brazil (59 per cent), Mexico (58 per cent) and Turkey (57 per cent). REUTERS