UK, Germany And Sri Lanka Show Rising Favourability Towards India: Survey

Public opinion of India has become more favourable in several countries, particularly the United Kingdom and Germany, according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted across 36 countries.

The survey, conducted among 42,092 adults between February 9 and May 13, 2026, found that a median of 45% across the countries surveyed had a favourable opinion of India, while 41% had an unfavourable view.

UK Sees Biggest Rise In Favourable Views

The UK recorded the biggest year-on-year increase among countries surveyed in both 2025 and 2026. The share of people with a favourable view of India rose from 60% in 2025 to 71% in 2026, an increase of 11 percentage points.

Germany recorded the second-highest increase, with favourable views rising from 57% to 63%, up six points.

Kenya also saw a six-point increase, from 65% to 71%. Favourable views rose by four points each in Canada and Greece, while Sweden and the Netherlands recorded three-point increases.

Sri Lanka Records Sharpest Increase

Among countries where Pew compared 2026 figures with 2024, Sri Lanka recorded a 14-point rise in favourable views of India, from 65% to 79%.

Thailand also recorded an increase, with favourable views rising from 50% in 2024 to 55% in 2026.

India’s Image Declines In Some Countries

The survey also found that favourable views of India declined in several countries.

The US recorded a four-point decline, from 49% in 2025 to 45% in 2026. Nigeria and Turkey recorded the largest year-on-year declines among countries surveyed in both years, with favourable views falling by 10 points each.

Favourability also fell by eight points in South Africa, seven in Indonesia and six in Mexico.

Bangladesh recorded a particularly notable decline over the longer comparison period. Favourable views fell from 57% in 2024 to 42% in 2026, a 15-point drop.

Sri Lanka, UK And Kenya Most Positive Toward India

Sri Lanka currently has the highest favourable rating of India at 79%, followed by the UK and Kenya at 71% each.

Germany stands at 63%, while Israel and Italy are at 60% and 56%, respectively. Japan and Thailand both record 55% favourable views.

At the other end of the spectrum, only 7% in Pakistan have a favourable view of India, while the figure stands at 15% in Turkey and 18% in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

US Views Of India Remain More Unfavourable

In the US, 45% of adults view India favourably, compared with 50% who hold an unfavourable view, according to Pew.

The survey also found differences based on age and political affiliation. 50% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents expressed a favourable view of India, compared with 42% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.

Overall, Pew's findings show that while India's global image has strengthened in countries such as the UK, Germany and Sri Lanka, sentiment has weakened in several others, resulting in a broadly mixed international view of India.