Countries Disapproving of U.S. Leadership Triples in 2017
by Jay Loschky
Story Highlights
At 83%, disapproval of U.S. leadership highest in Norway
Among highest-approving countries, 11 out of 15 in Africa
Traditional allies among most critical of U.S. leadership
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In President Donald Trump's first year in office,
the number of countries and areas where majorities disapprove of U.S.
leadership more than tripled from 15 in 2016 to a record 53 in 2017. While
Gallup's
Rating World Leaders: 2018 report finds disapproval of U.S. leadership in Pakistan and the Palestinian
Territories remaining high year after year, many countries with typically
warm relations with the U.S. rank among its toughest critics in 2017.
Norway Leads Way in Disapproval of U.S. Leadership
Do you approve or disapprove of the job performance of the leadership of
the United States?
Disapprove
%
Norway
83
Austria
79
Canada
78
Iceland
77
Pakistan
76
Sweden
76
Chile
74
Netherlands
74
Finland
73
Belgium
73
Germany
72
Mexico
72
Palestinian Territories
72
New Zealand
71
Luxembourg
71
Among 134 countries and areas surveyed in 2017
Gallup World Poll
Globally, disapproval of U.S. leadership is highest in Norway (83%), a
country that the president recently mentioned as a preferred source of
migrants to the U.S. In 2017, more Norwegians disapproved of U.S. leadership
than China's (66%) or even the leadership of Russia (78%), a country
that Norway has generally considered its top security threat.
Among the 15 countries with the highest levels of disapproval in 2017 are
Western nations and close allies, including Canada, Mexico, Finland, Norway,
Sweden, Iceland, New Zealand, Belgium and the Netherlands. On the campaign
trail, Trump first set off alarm bells among longtime European allies
when he referred to NATO as "obsolete." While the president
later affirmed that he no longer views NATO as obsolete, relations between
the new U.S. administration and U.S. allies have continued to deteriorate
as they disagree on issues such as the Paris climate accord, the Iran
nuclear agreement and recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Kosovo, Albania Top Approval List
Majorities in 27 countries and areas approved of U.S. leadership in 2017,
down from 59 countries the previous year. Three Muslim-majority countries
and areas top the list in 2017: Kosovo (75%), Albania (72%) and Guinea
(71%). U.S. involvement in the Kosovo war in the late 1990s and support
for Kosovan independence continue to undergird relations between the U.S.
and both Kosovo and Albania.
Support for U.S. leadership remains consistently higher among African countries
than those in other regions. Africa is home to 11 of the 15 countries
most likely to approve of U.S. leadership in 2017. At least two in three
adults give their approval in Guinea (71%), Togo (70%), Central African
Republic (68%) and Ghana (66%).
African Countries Among Most Likely to Approve of U.S. Leadership
Do you approve or disapprove of the job performance of the leadership of
the United States?
Approve
%
Kosovo
75
Albania
72
Guinea
71
Togo
70
Central African Republic
68
Israel
67
Ghana
66
Congo (Kinshasa)
64
Gabon
63
Kenya
62
Liberia
61
Mauritius
59
Philippines
59
Sierra Leone
58
Chad
57
Among 134 countries and areas surveyed in 2017
Gallup World Poll
In Israel, approval of U.S. leadership has been relatively high since Gallup
began asking about it in 2006 but experienced a significant jump in 2017,
increasing from 53% to 67%. Polling in Israel was completed before the
U.S. announcement to move its embassy to Jerusalem. However, Trump's
campaign promise that he would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
and his agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the need to
renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal may have found support among some Israelis.
Bottom Line
More countries disapprove of U.S. leadership than at any other time since
Gallup began collecting these data. Where American diplomats may have
found themselves "pushing on an open door" in many countries
in recent years, a potential decline in U.S. soft power may make it more
difficult for the U.S. to influence foreign governments to support policies
and actions that may be unpopular with their citizens.
The presence of many Western and allied countries among those most disapproving
of the U.S. is a practical concern. In the post-World War II era, the
U.S. has leaned on its many powerful partners to assist it in affecting
issues beyond its borders time and again. Large declines in the image
of U.S. leadership among traditional allies could threaten the country's
ability to mobilize its most reliable partners needed in the pursuit of
its foreign policy objectives.
Gallup Global Managing Partner Jon Clifton discussed the major findings
from Gallup's global survey on U.S. leadership on C-SPAN.Watch now.
Survey Methods
Results are based on face-to-face and telephone interviews with approximately
1,000 adults, aged 15 and older, in each country or area. Between March
and November 2017, residents were asked to rate U.S. leadership in 134
countries or areas. For results based on the total samples, the margin
of sampling error ranges from ±2.0 percentage points to ±5.1
percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error reflects
the influence of data weighting. In addition to sampling error, question
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce
error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's
Country Data Set details.
