Declining Confidence in the US Among Indians: Pew Research Findings

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center highlights a dramatic decline in Indian confidence towards the United States and President Donald Trump. With only 39% of Indians expressing trust in Trump and a record high of 31% holding unfavorable views of the US, the findings indicate a significant shift from the previously positive perceptions held over the past two decades. The survey reveals widespread disapproval of Trump's foreign and trade policies, contrasting sharply with the favorable views during Barack Obama's presidency. As confidence in President Joe Biden also wanes, the survey underscores a troubling trend in US-India relations.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 27, 2026, 08:15 IST

Overview of Indian Sentiment Towards the US

New Delhi: Recent findings from a global attitudes survey conducted by the Pew Research Center reveal a significant decline in Indian public sentiment towards the United States. Confidence in President Donald Trump has plummeted to its lowest point in nearly 25 years, with unfavorable opinions of the US reaching unprecedented levels. The 2026 survey indicates that merely 39% of Indians trust Trump to make the right decisions in international matters, marking the lowest approval rating for any US president among Indian participants since Pew began its assessments over two decades ago. Concurrently, only 45% of Indians view the United States favorably, while 31% express negative sentiments, the highest recorded in the survey's history in India. This shift represents a stark contrast to the generally positive views held by Indians towards the US in the past two decades.

Indians Disapprove of Trump's Foreign and Trade Policies

Indians Reject Trump's Key Foreign, Trade Policies

The survey indicates that Trump's policies have garnered minimal support among the Indian populace on various significant issues. His global tariff strategy faced widespread criticism, and his management of international disputes received poor ratings. Only 17% of participants approved of Trump's approach to Venezuela, while 28% supported his handling of Iran. Additionally, restrictive immigration policies did not resonate well, with only 32% backing the administration's immigration stance. Trump's decision to terminate international aid programs, such as those from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), along with his management of conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, also received limited approval from Indian respondents.

A Shift from Obama’s Popularity to Trump’s Low Ratings

From Obama Peak To Trump's Record Low

The current statistics starkly contrast with previous years when the US enjoyed considerable goodwill in India. Despite global backlash regarding the Iraq War, the US had a favorability rating of 71% in India in 2005. Even as President George W. Bush's popularity waned globally, over half of Indian respondents maintained confidence in him. The peak of America's image occurred during Barack Obama's presidency, with US favorability soaring to 76% in 2009, shortly after he took office, and confidence in Obama reaching 77%. He sustained strong support throughout his presidency, including a 75% confidence rating in 2015. Although US favorability dipped slightly in 2011, negative perceptions did not significantly rise, unlike the current trend of increasing unfavorable views.

Biden's Support Also Declined

Biden Also Saw Declining Support

Confidence in President Joe Biden also saw a decline towards the end of his term. Pew's data indicates that 64% of Indians had confidence in Biden in 2023, but this figure fell to 44% by 2024. During the same timeframe, favorable views of the US decreased from 65% to 51%. However, unlike the current survey, the decline under Biden was characterized by a larger proportion of respondents remaining undecided rather than expressing negative views. Trump's initial presidency followed a different trajectory in India; when he assumed office in 2017, only 40% of Indians expressed confidence in him, and US favorability was at 49%. Over the subsequent years, these figures improved, with confidence rising to 56% and favorability reaching 60% by 2020. However, his second term appears to have reversed this trend, with both personal confidence and America's overall image experiencing a notable decline.

Survey Methodology

The Pew Research Center stated that the 2026 findings are based on interviews with 3,566 Indian adults, conducted face-to-face across the nation in 13 languages. This study is part of Pew's annual global attitudes survey, executed in collaboration with various institutions, including Gallup, utilizing telephone, online, and in-person interviews. Pew noted that data for specific years, such as 2018 and 2021, is unavailable due to those survey rounds covering fewer countries.