A new Gallup report based on interviews in more than 130 countries shows the world order remained largely unchanged in 2023. With approval ratings stuck in the 40s, neither the U.S. nor Germany received a global endorsement of their leadership. However, both were still in much stronger positions than Russia — whose approval rating remained near a record low after its invasion of Ukraine — and China — whose approval rating edged up slightly but is still on the lower end of its trend.

Median approval of U.S. leadership stood at 49% before the often-criticized U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. However, the United States’ overall rating slipped after that, and Biden ended his first year in office with a 45% approval rating and a 33% disapproval rating.

Approval ratings declined further in Biden’s second year, and since then, median approval of U.S. leadership abroad has been stuck at 41%. Disapproval crept up to 36% in 2023.

Key findings from Gallup’s Rating World Leaders 2024 report include:

U.S. leadership ratings around the world remained flat; Germany was the top power for the seventh straight year.
There were double-digit decreases in U.S. leadership approval in nine countries — including key regional partners — between 2022 and 2023 and double-digit increases in 13 countries.
Ratings for the U.S. slipped in Africa, while China and Russia gained ground.
As Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on, the majority of adults worldwide continue to disapprove of Russia’s leadership. Disdain for Russia remained strong in Europe. However, there were signs of it softening elsewhere, particularly in Africa.
A new analysis compares “soft power” indicators and looks at the soft power of U.S. leadership relative to China’s.

Implications Beyond 2024:

The lack of change in approval ratings of major powers in 2023 could be the world holding its breath in anticipation of a potential shakeup in the global order. The world already knows it will have President Vladimir Putin to deal with for at least the next six years. What will happen in November 2024 in the U.S. is far less certain. The results could fundamentally reshape U.S. foreign policy — again — and change its role in the global order.

The world could also see a change in Germany. Although Germany’s elections will not take place until late next year, a resurgence of the country’s far-right is raising questions about its future leadership role in Europe and abroad.

About Gallup

Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.

About Gallup World Poll

The Gallup World Poll is the most comprehensive and farthest-reaching survey of the world. The survey connects with more than 98% of the world's adult population through annual, nationally representative surveys with comparable metrics across countries. The Gallup World Poll is used to measure and track progress on several U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and is the official statistic for work and life for 55+ indexes and metrics associated with the most important aspects of individuals’ lives, their communities and their countries.

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khorshied_nusratty@gallup.com

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