Fewer South Koreans & Israelis, more South Africans now see India favourably—latest Pew survey
Significantly, in South Korea, favourability fell by 16 percentage points from 2024, while in the US opinion was almost evenly divided.
New Delhi: Up to 60 percent or more respondents in Kenya, the UK and Israel hold a highly favourable opinion of India, while most respondents in Turkey and Australia held an unfavourable view, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
In roughly half of the surveyed countries, more respondents held a positive view of India than a negative one, the survey report notes. Also, in half of the countries surveyed, men were more likely than women to have a favourable view of India, with differences by gender in double digits in Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, Argentina and France.
The report also indicated a gradual change in perception of India in several countries, with 46 percent respondents in South Africa expressing a favourable opinion, marking the highest level since 2008 when the question was first asked, and up 17 percentage points since 2023.
The shift can be attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposing in August 2023 that African nations, including South Africa, be granted permanent membership in the G20. In 2024, both countries also collaborated to establish the India-South Africa Chamber of Commerce.
In a few European nations, views of India have gone up favourably, including by double digits in France and Germany, according to the survey. The two nations showed improvements of 11 and 10 percentage points, respectively, since 2023, compared to Italy, which showed a modest rise of 2 percentage points in favourability towards the subcontinent.
In the Asia-Pacific region, respondents' views on India have remained relatively stable, with Australia maintaining the same percentage in 2024 and 2025, while Indonesia saw a slight increase in favourable views from 51 percent in 2024 to 57 percent in 2025. Conversely, perceptions in South Korea have declined to 42 percent this year from 58 percent in 2024.
The Pew Research Centre conducted this survey following the inauguration of the Indian embassy in North Korea in December 2024.
The Japanese hold India in high esteem, with favourable views rising to 58 percent this year from 55 percent last year. Also, while the majority of Israelis continue to maintain a positive perception of India, there has been a decline in favourability by 11 percentage points since 2023.
The survey highlighted uncertainty among women from France, Poland, Hungary, Australia, and South Africa regarding their opinions of India.
Views also varied by age in six countries, the survey noted. Young individuals from nations such as Brazil, the Netherlands, Japan, and the UK tend to have more favourable views than their older counterparts. For example, adults younger than 35 in the UK were 20 points more likely than adults 50 and above to have a good opinion of India.
The survey also indicated that opinion of India varied along ideological lines in five countries. In Australia, Nigeria and South Africa, those on the ideological Right view India more favourably than those on the ideological Left. In the US and Mexico, the reverse is true, according to the survey.
Neetu Sharma is an alum of ThePrint School of Journalism, currently interning with ThePrint.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: 'Nones' were 3rd largest group globally after Christians, Muslims in 2010-2020, finds Pew survey
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