Of 133 countries surveyed, the United States maintained an advantage in 81 of them and China in 52. The US had the largest advantage in Kosovo, while China enjoyed the largest advantage in Russia.
Global approval of American leadership is higher than that of China, according to a Gallup analysis released Monday. The report says that although more countries have higher net support for American leadership, global support for both the United States and China declined in 2023.
The report also specifies that while the United States surpasses China in global leadership approval, support fluctuates depending on who is president. Nearly 20 years of Gallup data show that Democratic leadership tends to generate greater overall support than Republican leadership.
Of 133 countries surveyed in 2023, the United States maintained an advantage in 81 of them and China in 52. The United States had the largest advantage in Kosovo, while China enjoyed the largest advantage in Russia.
Having an advantage in leadership approval is important to a country’s ability to exert influence, Gallup says in the report. “Holding other factors constant, the great power that has a net approval advantage in a country of interest may be more likely to achieve its objectives.”
The report also says that the net approval score “provides a useful indicator of an important component of soft power at the population level.”
Even though the United States has a clear advantage, support for both China and the United States has declined, and Gallup says in the report that this “suggests a growing lack of enthusiasm for these two global powers.”
Despite the overall decline in support for both countries’ leadership, the United States and China have made respective long-term gains in certain parts of the world. China has made progress in African countries such as Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Malawi. The United States has
progress in Asian countries such as India, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam.
According to the report, “China’s intense activities in its neighborhood appear to have triggered a threat response that pushes these countries into the US orbit,” likely in reference to China’s ongoing aggression in the South China Sea.
Net support this year could depend on a variety of factors, such as changes in leadership or the development of major global conflicts. This year is the largest election year in recorded history, with more than half of the world’s population in more than 50 countries heading to the polls.
Julie Ray, co-author of the Gallup report, said the impact of this year’s election will be difficult to predict, but that “the stakes are definitely high this year.”
Support for American leadership could be in doubt as US President Joe Biden has received criticism at home and abroad for his continued support for Israel during its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians. Israel began its military campaign against Hamas after Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage.