USA's global image plummets under Trump administration
The image of the USA in the world has significantly deteriorated. Under Donald Trump's administration, the United States is now viewed similarly to Russia and is perceived much worse than China, according to a global survey by the Anders Fogh Rasmussen Foundation.
What you need to know?
- Democracy Perception Index: The survey was conducted in 100 countries, showing a decline in the positive image of the USA from 76% to 45%.
- Leaders Assessment: U.S. President Donald Trump is viewed negatively in 82% of the countries surveyed, which is a poorer result compared to Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
- Defence priorities: In 86 countries, the most important action is strengthening international partnerships, while in Ukraine, the priority is developing nuclear weapons.
How has the image of the USA changed?
According to the survey published by the Anders Fogh Rasmussen Foundation, the image of the United States in 2025 has significantly worsened. The democracy perception index shows that the USA is perceived negatively at minus 5%, a significant drop compared to plus 22% in 2024.
The USA's image is now comparable to Russia, which stands at minus 9%, and significantly worse than China, which has achieved plus 14%.
Trump rated worse than Putin and Xi
President Donald Trump is viewed negatively in 82% of the countries surveyed, which is considerably worse than the figures for Russian President Vladimir Putin (61%) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (44%).
The study highlighted that 85% of countries support adhering to international laws and agreements, even if it limits their freedom of action.
What are the global defence priorities?
In 86 out of 100 surveyed countries, the most crucial defence activity is strengthening international partnerships. In Ukraine, the majority believes that developing nuclear weapons as a deterrent is a priority.
The survey indicates that worldwide, the readiness for personal defence of the country against attacks is much higher in authoritarian countries than in democracies. In Europe, the will to fight is very diverse, with high enthusiasm in Norway, Greece, and Sweden, but low in Moldova, France, Belgium, and Italy. The continent is also divided on defence spending.
A significant majority of those surveyed in Ukraine, Poland, Norway, Georgia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the UK support increased investments. In contrast, the majority in Italy, France, Greece, Austria, and Belgium holds the opposite view. In Germany, there is no clear majority on either side.
Authors of the study are not surprised
Fogh Rasmussen, head and founder of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, commented on the survey results, saying he was not surprised by the significant drop in the positive perception of the United States. He emphasized that he is reassured by the still strong worldwide support for a rule-based international order. He found the diverse views of Europeans on defense spending and the readiness of societies to defend their countries worrying.
Fogh Rasmussen stressed that in light of serious security threats, it is essential for governments to persuade their citizens to support defense investments now to safeguard future freedom and peace.
