A fresh global survey conducted by leading U.S. analytics and advisory firm Gallup has revealed a striking shift in global perceptions of international leadership: for the third time in modern history, China holds a higher global approval rating for its leadership than the United States, with the 5-point gap marking the widest advantage for China recorded in nearly two decades.
The end-of-2025 survey gathered responses from over 130 countries and regions worldwide, calculating median approval rates across all participating areas. It found that 36% of respondents approved of China’s global leadership, compared to just 31% who approved of U.S. leadership. This result marks a sharp reversal from 2024, when U.S. leadership held a 7-point advantage: U.S. approval plummeted 8 percentage points from 39% in 2024 to 31% in 2025, while China’s approval rose 4 points over the same period, climbing from 32% to 36%.
The only previous occasions Gallup recorded China leading the U.S. in global leadership approval were during the George W. Bush administration (2001–2009) and Donald Trump’s first presidential term (2017–2021). To capture a more nuanced view of global sentiment, Gallup calculated results using “net approval”—the share of approving respondents minus the share of disapproving respondents. For 2025, the U.S. posted a median net approval score of negative 15, the lowest figure the firm has ever recorded for the country.
Most notably, the drop in U.S. approval was most severe among America’s closest traditional allies. Across 31 NATO member states, median approval of U.S. leadership fell 14 percentage points to just 21%. Germany saw the sharpest single-country decline globally, with approval dropping 39 points, followed closely by Portugal with a 38-point drop.
Gallup emphasizes that the 2025 survey was completed before two major 2026 geopolitical developments: the U.S. withdrawal from 66 international organizations in January, and the outbreak of armed conflict between the U.S. and Iran in late February. Experts warn that if the poll were conducted today, U.S. approval would likely fall even further.
“If the survey was conducted now, after the U.S. attacks on Iran and Venezuela, it is likely that the global U.S. approval ratings would be even lower, given that most people around the world would agree that the U.S. actions are illegitimate and violate international law,” explained Zhu Zhiqun, professor of political science and international relations and director of Bucknell University’s China Institute.
The Iran conflict has already exposed deep rifts within the U.S.-led alliance system. U.S. European allies have publicly criticized Washington for launching military action without prior consultation, while Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states face direct economic risk from Iranian retaliatory measures. Abram Paley, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, noted in a late March analysis that the conflict could reshape long-term security partnerships in the region.
“Depending on the outcome of this conflict, some Gulf countries may develop concerns about U.S. reliability as an economic and security partner,” Paley wrote. “If this happens, some GCC countries might then choose to reinforce their partnership options beyond the United States by strengthening ties with Russia and China — perhaps economically at first, but potentially also strategically.”
Gallup’s long-term data shows that U.S. leadership approval has fluctuated dramatically across different presidential administrations. The highest U.S. global approval rating on record, 49%, was recorded in 2009 during Barack Obama’s presidency, while the previous low of 30% was registered during the first and final years of Trump’s first term.
The survey’s research team framed the 2025 results as a reflection of a fundamental, long-term restructuring of the global order. “The shifting perceptions of U.S. leadership over the past two decades reflect a world that has moved toward a more multipolar order,” the report concluded.
Zhu echoed that conclusion, noting that the latest poll provides clear empirical evidence of a permanent shift away from unipolar global governance. “The latest Gallup poll is further evidence that the world has become multipolar now, and the era of the U.S. dominance in global affairs is over,” he said.