A new global survey shows continued support for international cooperation and growing confidence in multilateral institutions, even as respondents express less comfort with the United States and China taking leading roles in world affairs.
The survey, commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation and conducted by Focaldata, questioned 35,339 adults across 34 countries between July 21 and August 5. Nearly seven in 10 respondents said they believed the world had become worse over the past year.
Economic expectations were also subdued, with only 38% expecting their national economies to improve over the next five years. Optimism declined sharply in some major economies, including India and China.
Despite those concerns, support for countries working together remained strong. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said nations should cooperate to address global challenges such as security even when doing so requires some compromise of national interests, up from 55% in the previous year’s survey. Preventing wars and conflicts emerged as the leading priority for international cooperation in 21 of the 34 countries surveyed.
The poll also found significant reservations about the world’s two largest economies assuming global leadership roles.
Sixty-one percent of respondents said they would support countries working together to tackle international problems without either the United States or China participating. Only 39% said they were comfortable with the United States taking a leading role in world affairs, compared with 37% for China.
Respondents expressed greater comfort with several other countries assuming international leadership roles. Canada registered 60%, Japan 58% and Australia 55%. The European Union stood at 55%, Britain at 54% and the United Nations at 52%. Russia received a lower level of support, with 26% saying they were comfortable with it taking a leading global role.
The survey was released ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York amid significant geopolitical and economic uncertainty, including conflict in the Middle East, disruptions to global energy supplies and heightened trade tensions.
The findings point to a contrast in global public attitudes: widespread pessimism about economic and security conditions alongside continued support for countries working collectively to address international challenges.
