US global popularity decreases as China, Russia's increases
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The 2024 Democracy Perception Index gathered information from around 63,000 respondents from 53 countries, regarding the attitudes toward democracy, geopolitics, and global power players.
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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march during a visit by President Joe Biden in Warren, Michigan, February 1, 2024. (AP)
The US' popularity as a global power is diminishing worldwide, mainly in Muslim-majority countries, the 2024 Democracy Perception Index revealed today.
This index summarizes the attitudes toward democracy, geopolitics, and global power players gathered from around 63,000 respondents from 53 countries.
United States
Since early 2023, the US' international reputation has taken a blow, mainly in Muslim countries, particularly as it continued to support "Israel" in its war against Gaza.
According to the senior researcher at the Latana survey company that worked on this index, Frederick DeVeaux, this negative perception of the US has reached Europe for the first time since Biden started his reign.
"For the first time since the start of the Biden administration, many Western European countries have returned to net negative perceptions of the US," DeVeaux said.
"This rise and decline, from negative attitudes to positive [and] back to negative attitudes is particularly stark in Germany, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, and Switzerland,” he added.
China
Even though Europeans are still not very fond of China, the global perception of the latter has hit a net positive as positive perception of it continues to elevate in Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Russia
Perception of Russia also seems to have indicated a clear shift from the previous negative one haunting it since the start of the conflict with Ukraine toward a more positive perception in most regions surveyed except for Europe.
When respondents were asked if they believed their country should cut economic ties with Russia due to its conflict with Ukraine, attitudes indicated a shift toward a softer stance in 2024 in comparison to that in 2022, as back then more respondents were in favor of cutting economic ties with Russia.
Biden's approval rating lowest, 38.7% during his 13th quarter: Gallup
A survey by Gallup released on April 26 revealed that US President Joe Biden's approval rating averaged 38.7% during his 13th quarter in office.
The survey showed that with his rate, Biden has the lowest support among all US presidents during their first terms, with George H.W. Bush having the previous low 13th-quarter average approval rating, at 41.8% back in 1992.
Former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama held averages of 46.8% and 45.9% respectively.
Three out of four presidents below 50% who were aiming for reelection were unsuccessful, with Obama being the exception.
However, among those reelected, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, their 13th-quarter averages were between 51% and 55%.
Dwight Eisenhower was the only president with the highest average at 73.2%.
This came days after a Gallup-Axios report announced that the global approval of US leadership abroad decreased in 2023. The report showed how the US is viewed internationally, as it flexes its influence on the world stage amid wars in Europe and the Middle East.
