A global study published on Wednesday reveals a decline in positive attitudes towards the U.S., especially in Muslim-majority countries and certain European nations such as Switzerland, Ireland, Ukraine, and Germany. However, the U.S. still maintains a positive global image, with Russia and China now being viewed as positively as the U.S. in many Middle Eastern and North African countries. In Europe, reducing immigration has become a top concern, with Germany leading the charge in prioritizing this issue, followed by Ireland and France. The study, known as the Democracy Perception Index (DPI), surveyed 63,000 individuals across 53 countries to gauge perceptions of democracy.
The DPI found that while faith in democracy remains high globally, there are concerns about the state of democracy in many countries. In the U.S., 60% of respondents expressed worries about unfair elections and fraud threatening the country’s democracy, while 77% cited corruption as a threat. Dissatisfaction with governments was not limited to non-democratic countries, as evidenced by findings in the U.S., Europe, and other democracies. In Europe, around a third of Hungarians felt they lived in a democracy, while half of respondents worldwide believed their government only represented a small elite group. The study highlighted a trend of increasing dissatisfaction with government actions, particularly in Europe since 2020.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Chair of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation and former Danish Prime Minister, pointed out the risk of losing the Global South to autocracies, emphasizing the need to defend democracy and address voter concerns. This includes taking action to make freedom more appealing than dictatorship and forming an alliance of democracies to counter autocratic regimes. War and violent conflict, poverty, hunger, and climate change were identified as significant global challenges, with migration and terrorism becoming more prominent concerns, especially in Europe. At the national level, poverty reduction, corruption, and economic growth were top priorities for most people, with regional variations in specific issues of importance.
The study found that around 33% of respondents considered climate change to be among the world’s main challenges, but only 14% felt it should be a top-three priority for their government. Immigration is expected to play a key role in upcoming European elections, with nationalist parties projected to make gains. The findings of the study suggest a growing trend of dissatisfaction with democracy and government actions, highlighting the need for democratic governments to listen to and address voter concerns. The rising focus on immigration in Europe, concerns about election integrity in the U.S., and global challenges such as war, poverty, and climate change underscore the complexity of issues facing countries around the world. The call for defending democracy and promoting freedom in the face of increasing autocratic influence is emphasized as a critical response to these challenges.
