Pew Research Center

1. International engagement and support for foreign aid

As the U.S. pursues new directions in foreign policy under Trump in his second term, Americans have mixed opinions about how the U.S. should engage with other countries. 47% of U.S. adults say it is best for the future of the country to be active in world affairs. 64% think the U.S. should be willing to compromise with other countries on major international issues. Most Americans say the U.S. should give foreign aid, but support varies widely based on its purpose. Related: Americans Give Early Trump Foreign Policy Actions Mixed or Negative Reviews Should the U.S. be active in world affairs? Just under half of Americans (47%) believe it is best for the future of the country to be active in world affairs. A slightly larger share (52%) say the U.S. should pay less attention to problems overseas and concentrate on domestic issues. There has been an increase in the share saying it’s best for the country to be active in world affairs since 2024, when 42% of Americans held this view. Views by age, education and party Older Americans are more likely to prefer the U.S. play an active role in world affairs. A majority of those ages 65 and older (57%) take this stance, as do roughly half of those ages 50 to 64. Younger adults are more likely to say the U.S. should concentrate on problems at home, rather than problems overseas. A 58% majority of adults under 50 say this, while 41% prefer the U.S. be active in world affairs. Support for international engagement is higher among Americans with more education: 65% of those with a postgraduate degree say it’s best for the U.S. to be active in world affairs, while 53% of those with a four-year college degree and 41% with some college or less education agree. Roughly six-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the U.S. should be active in world affairs, compared with about one-third of Republicans and Republican leaners (32%). This share rises to 72% among Democrats who identify as liberal. For their part, Republicans consistently favor a domestic focus. About two-thirds of Republicans say the U.S. should focus on problems at home, regardless of ideology. Should the U.S. take other countries’ interests into account? Most Americans (64%) say that when dealing with major international issues, the U.S. should take into account the interests of other countries, even if it means making compromises. About a third (34%) say the U.S. should follow its own interests, even when other countries strongly disagree. The share favoring international compromise has increased significantly since 2023, when 59% of Americans held this opinion. Views by party A large majority of Democrats (83%) say the U.S. should take other countries’ interests into account when handling major international issues. This includes 76% of moderate or conservative Democrats and 91% of liberal Democrats. Republicans are more split. Roughly half (52%) say the U.S. should follow its own interests, even when other countries strongly disagree. This share rises to 58% among conservative Republicans. For what reasons should the U.S. give foreign aid? Americans’ support for foreign aid varies depending on its intended purpose. More than three-quarters say that aid should be given to developing countries for medicine and medical supplies (83%) or food and clothing (78%). Smaller majorities support aid for economic development (63%) or for strengthening democracy (61%) in other countries. Fewer Americans approve of aid supporting other countries’ militaries (39%) or art and cultural activities (34%). Related: What the data says about U.S. foreign aid Opinions on foreign aid relate to views of general international engagement: Americans who think the U.S. should be active in world affairs are more likely than those who say the country should focus on domestic issues to support foreign aid for each purpose. Views by party Opinions about foreign aid vary widely by party. Democrats are more supportive than Republicans of every type of foreign aid we asked about. The partisan gap is largest on aid for art and cultural activities in other countries. A 54% majority of Democrats say the U.S. should give this kind of assistance, compared with 15% of Republicans.  Democrats are also at least 30 percentage points more likely than Republicans to approve of aid that supports economic development and strengthens democracy. And though partisan gaps still appear, majorities of both Democrats and Republicans say the U.S. should give medicine and medical supplies as well as food and clothing to developing countries. Views by age Older Americans are generally more supportive of giving foreign aid for various reasons. Those ages 50 and older are about 8 points more likely than adults under 50 to say the U.S. should provide aid for medicine and medical supplies, food and clothing, strengthening democracy, and military support. Notably, this pattern flips when it comes to aid for art and cultural activities. Adults under 50 are 10 points more likely than their older counterparts to say the U.S. should give this type of assistance (39% vs. 29%). On foreign aid that supports economic development, adults ages 50 and older and those under 50 express similar support (64% vs. 62%). Views by education Americans with more education, when compared with those who have less, are more supportive of providing most types of foreign aid we asked about. For example, 73% of Americans with a postgraduate degree say the U.S. should give aid to strengthen democracy in other countries, compared with 65% of people whose highest attainment is a four-year college degree. A smaller majority of those with some college or less education (56%) support giving foreign aid to strengthen democracy. There is a very similar pattern on aid for economic development. Almost three-quarters of adults with a postgraduate degree say this is something the U.S. should give, compared with 66% of people with a four-year degree and 60% of people with some college education or less. For most other types of foreign aid asked about, people with at least a four-year degree are more supportive than

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Majorities of Americans Support Several – But Not All – Types of Foreign Aid

A worker loads boxes of fortified cereal for USAID famine relief at the Transylvania Vocational Services production facility in Brevard, North Carolina, in 2019. (Charles Mostoller/The Washington Post via Getty Images) How we did this Pew Research Center conducted this study to measure Americans’ opinions on how the U.S. should engage with and provide aid to other countries. The report also examines how Americans see the United States’ global standing and how they view other countries. This analysis builds on the Center’s previous study of Americans’ opinions on the most pressing foreign policy issues of the day, including major world conflicts and trade and tariffs. For this analysis, we surveyed 3,605 U.S. adults from March 24 to 30, 2025. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), a group of people recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses who have agreed to take surveys regularly. This kind of recruitment gives nearly all U.S. adults a chance of selection. Surveys were conducted either online or by telephone with a live interviewer. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology. Here are the questions used for this analysis, along with responses, and its methodology. A new Pew Research Center survey finds substantial public support for several forms of U.S. foreign aid. Around eight-in-ten Americans say the United States should provide medicine and medical supplies, as well as food and clothing, to people in developing countries. Roughly six-in-ten believe the U.S. should give aid that supports economic development and helps strengthen democracy in other nations. There is less support, however, for providing military aid or funding art and cultural activities. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are consistently more supportive of foreign aid than Republicans and Republican leaners. Still, majorities of Republicans say the U.S. should give developing nations medicine and medical supplies, along with food and clothing. And more than four-in-ten Republicans support aid meant to boost economic development and strengthen democracy. The survey was conducted after President Donald Trump and his administration ended most activities of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In general, 45% of U.S. adults disapprove of ending most USAID programs, while 35% approve. (For more, read “Americans Give Early Trump Foreign Policy Actions Mixed or Negative Reviews.”) The new survey also finds that Democrats and Republicans hold different views about the value of international engagement and cooperation. For instance, when asked which comes closer to their opinion – “It’s best for the future of our country to be active in world affairs” or “We should pay less attention to problems overseas and concentrate on problems here at home” – 62% of Democrats choose the former. In contrast, 67% of Republicans favor a domestic focus. A majority of Americans (64%) say the U.S. should take into account the interests of other countries when dealing with major international issues, even if it means making compromises. This compares with 34% who say the U.S. should follow its own interests, even when other countries strongly disagree. Around eight-in-ten Democrats (83%) think the U.S. should take into account the interests of other countries. Republicans are divided: 47% say the U.S. should consider other countries, while 52% say it should follow its own interests. Which nation poses the greatest threat to the U.S.? When asked to name the country they believe poses the greatest threat to the U.S. in an open-ended question, 42% of Americans say China, while 25% say Russia. No other country is named by more than 5% of adults, and roughly a quarter say either that they are not sure or that no country poses the greatest threat. Responses to this question have shifted somewhat since we last asked it two years ago. In 2023, both Republicans and Democrats named China as the top threat to the U.S. That’s still the case among Republicans (a 58% majority name China), but Democrats now say Russia is the greatest threat (39% vs. 28% who name China). Do Americans have positive or negative views of major countries? We also asked respondents whether they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of several countries and international organizations, including the European Union. The countries receiving the highest ratings are the six that, along with the U.S., compose the G7: Japan, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and France. Over six-in-ten rate each of these countries favorably, including roughly half or more among both Democrats and Republicans. Americans also give the EU generally positive ratings. In contrast, few see China (21%), Russia (13%) or Iran (10%) positively. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to rate most countries we asked about favorably. Republicans, however, are more than twice as likely as Democrats to give Israel a positive rating (62% vs. 29%). The only other country that Republicans rate more highly than Democrats is Russia (16% vs. 9%). Which countries are gaining or losing influence? We also asked respondents whether they believe the influence of certain countries has been getting stronger, getting weaker or staying about the same in recent years. Americans are more likely to say their own country is losing influence than they are to say this about any other nation. Roughly half of Americans (52%) say the influence of the U.S. has been getting weaker in recent years, including 67% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans. Partisan views are essentially reversed from last year: In 2024, 67% of Republicans said the United States’ influence has been declining, compared with 44% of Democrats. Far fewer Americans overall say U.S. influence is getter stronger, though the share who feel this way has grown since last year (22% vs. 14% in 2024). In their assessments of other countries, Americans are particularly likely to believe China is gaining influence in world affairs (73%). Nearly half say Russia’s influence is getting stronger, while roughly four-in-ten say this about Israel. Perceptions of

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3. Americans’ views of allies and threats

When asked which country poses the greatest threat to the U.S., China remains at the top of Americans’ list. Since we last asked this question in 2023, however, the share who name China as the biggest threat has declined, while the share who name Russia has grown. Roughly four-in-ten Americans (37%) say they are unsure which country is the United States’ greatest ally. As in the past, the United Kingdom is mentioned more than any other nation. But the shares who call Canada or Israel the top ally have increased since 2023. Which country poses the greatest threat to the U.S.? Roughly four-in-ten Americans (42%) say China poses the greatest threat to the U.S. when asked in an open-ended question. Russia is named by the next-largest share (25%). Smaller shares say no country (4%), the U.S. itself (3%) or Iran (2%) is the greatest threat. One-in-five say they are not sure. The share who name China as the greatest threat has declined from 50% in 2023. Conversely, the share who see Russia as the United States’ greatest threat has grown from 17%. Views by party Whether China or Russia is viewed as the top threat to the U.S. varies by party affiliation. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are most likely to say that China is the United States’ greatest threat (58% vs. 12% who name Russia). Conversely, Democrats and Democratic leaners are most likely to call Russia the top threat (39% vs. 28% who name China). In 2023, China was the top choice among both Republicans and Democrats. Conservative Republicans are especially likely to see China as a threat (68%) compared with their moderate or liberal peers (45%). Among Democrats, liberals are more likely to name Russia (46%) than those who are moderate or conservative (34%).  Do China and Russia present economic or security threats?  After respondents named the country they see as the greatest threat to the U.S., we asked them to rate how much of a threat that country poses to the U.S. economy and to U.S. national security. Among those who name China as the country’s greatest threat, overwhelming majorities say it threatens the U.S. economy (97%) and U.S. security (94%) at least a fair amount. Indeed, most think China poses a great deal of threat to each. Among those who name Russia, more see it as a security threat (98%) than an economic threat (71%). Who is the United States’ most important ally? We also asked Americans which country they think is the United States’ most important ally. Roughly four-in-ten (37%) say they are unsure. Among those who do give an answer, the United Kingdom is mentioned most often (by 18% of adults), followed by Canada (12%) and Israel (9%). The share naming Canada as the top U.S. ally has doubled from 6% since we last asked this question in 2023. In that time, the share naming Israel has also roughly doubled – from 4% in 2023. These shifts over time in large part reflect changes in partisan attitudes. Republicans have become more likely to say Israel is the United States’ top ally (17% vs. 8% in 2023), while views among Democrats have not changed. At the same time, Democrats have become more likely to say that Canada is the most important ally (19% vs. 9% in 2023), while Republicans’ views have not shifted. Today, opinions also vary somewhat by age and religion: Age: Americans ages 50 and older most frequently point to the UK as the top U.S. ally (24%). In contrast, the UK is named by half as many adults under 50 (12%), and a similar share also name Canada (11%). Younger adults are much more likely than older adults to say they are not sure who the country’s most important ally is (44% vs. 29%). Religion: Around a quarter each among White evangelical Protestants (25%) and Jews (26%) say Israel is the country’s most important ally. Americans’ ratings of other countries Majorities of Americans give positive ratings to fellow G7 member countries Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to see these allies in a favorable light, though. Between 75% and 87% of Democrats rate these countries positively, compared with 51% to 76% of Republicans. Japan is the only country in this group that gets similar – and overwhelmingly positive – ratings from both parties. Americans also give the EU a favorable rating (60%). Once again, Democrats rate the EU more positively than Republicans (78% vs. 44%). Half of Americans have positive views of Mexico, up from 37% last year. Favorable ratings of the United States’ southern neighbor have increased among both Democrats and Republicans, though a large gap remains: Democrats are more than twice as likely as Republicans to have a positive view of Mexico (67% vs. 32%). Adults under 50 also tend to have more positive views of Mexico when compared with those ages 50 and older (55% vs. 44%). Roughly half of Americans have a positive opinion of India (49%), a slight increase from 43% in 2024. Israel stands out among the countries included in our survey: Though 9% of Americans say it is the United States’ most important ally – making it the third-most commonly named – fewer than half have a favorable view of the country (45%). This is down from 55% since we last asked in 2022. Israel is also one of the only countries asked about that Republicans are more likely to rate positively than Democrats. In fact, Republicans are about twice as likely as Democrats to say they have a positive opinion of Israel (62% vs. 29%). And adults ages 50 and older are more likely to say this than younger adults (54% vs. 37%). Related: How Americans view Israel and the Israel-Hamas war at the start of Trump’s second term Few Americans hold positive views of China, Russia and Iran. Around one-in-five rate China positively, and roughly one-in-ten have a favorable opinion of Russia or Iran. Along

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3. How people rate press, speech and internet freedoms in their country

In 35 countries, we asked respondents how free the media are to report the news in their country, how free people are to say what they want, and how free people are to use the internet. Majorities in many of the countries surveyed say media, speech and the internet are at least somewhat free of state or government censorship. A 50% median globally say people in their country are completely free to use the internet. Substantially fewer say people in their country are completely free to say what they want (31% median) and that the media are completely free to report the news (28% median). Compared with people in other countries, Latin Americans are less likely to say they have these freedoms. People’s perceptions of these freedoms are strongly linked with views of how democracy is working in their country. In most countries, those who characterize their press, speech and internet use as free are more likely to say they are satisfied with the functioning of their democracy. In many countries, supporters of the political party in power are more likely to say that media, speech and the internet are completely free in their country. It’s important to note that many political changes have occurred since we fielded the global survey in spring 2024, so attitudes may have shifted since then. Freedom of the press A median of 28% across 35 countries say the media are completely free to report the news in their country. Another 38% think the media are somewhat free. In the U.S. and Canada, large majorities believe the media are at least somewhat free, although only about one-third of adults in each country say the media are completely free. Majorities in most of the European countries surveyed see the media as free. Greece is a stark exception: A majority of people there say Greek media are not free to report the news, including 35% who say the media are not at all free. On the other end of the spectrum, nearly nine-in-ten Swedes say their media are at least somewhat free, including 46% who characterize the Swedish press as completely free. In the Asia-Pacific region, the perception of free media is most common in Australia and the Philippines. But in Singapore and South Korea, opinions are more split: About half or more in each country say their media are completely or somewhat free to report the news, while 46% in South Korea and 45% in Singapore say the media are not very or not at all free. In all four sub-Saharan African countries polled, majorities rate their media as free, including 59% in Ghana who say their media are completely free. Opinions are more divided in Nigeria than elsewhere in the region. Negative perceptions of press freedom are common in most of the Latin American countries surveyed, especially Chile. Roughly seven-in-ten Chileans (69%) say the media are not very or not at all free to report the news. And opinions are divided in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Views by support for governing parties At the time the survey was fielded in spring 2024, people who supported the active governing party were often more likely than nonsupporters to characterize their country’s media as completely free. This was the case in 27 countries. In Turkey, four-in-ten adults who support the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan say the Turkish media are completely free to report the news. This compares with only 7% of those who do not support Erdoğan’s government – a difference of 33 points. Similar divides on this question are found between supporters and nonsupporters of the governing parties in Hungary, India and Israel (24, 22 and 22 points, respectively). Views of democracy by perceptions of press freedom In 27 countries, people who say the media are completely free to report the news in their country are more likely to say they are very or somewhat satisfied with the way their democracy is working, compared with those who characterize the media as less free. In Turkey, those who say media reporting is completely free are more 54 points more likely than those who say it is not completely free to be satisfied with their democracy (77% vs. 23%). Similar differences are found in Hungary, Germany and Canada (37, 34 and 30 points, respectively). Freedom of speech A median of 31% across 35 countries say people in their country are completely free to say what they want, with 37% saying people are somewhat free to do this. Among Americans and Canadians, eight-in-ten or more believe people in their country are at least somewhat free to say what they want. And about a third of adults in each say speech is completely free. In Europe, 92% of Swedes say that people are free to say what they want, including 47% who say they are completely free. By comparison, a much smaller majority of adults in France (61%) say people are free to say what they want. Majorities in every Asia-Pacific country surveyed say people are at least somewhat free to express themselves, although the sentiment that speech is completely free is most widespread in India (50%) and the Philippines (45%). Singapore again stands out, with only 11% saying speech is completely free and 42% saying it is not at all or not very free. In the Middle East-North Africa region, around eight-in-ten adults in Israel (78%) say people are at least somewhat free to say what they want in their country. Views are more pessimistic in Turkey, where nearly half (47%) say speech is either not very or not at all free. And in the sub-Saharan African countries surveyed, majorities characterize speech as free  – especially in Ghana, where 58% say speech is completely free.  In Latin America, views of free speech are more divided. Majorities of Argentines, Brazilians and Mexicans say people are at least somewhat free to say what they want in their country. But opinions are split in Chile and Peru, where around

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Teens, Social Media and Mental Health

(Thomas Barwick/Getty Images) How we did this Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand teens’ experiences and attitudes around teen mental health and social media. Part of this study also examines parents’ perspectives. The Center conducted an online survey of 1,391 U.S. teens and parents from Sept. 18 to Oct. 10, 2024, through Ipsos. Ipsos recruited the teens via their parents, who were part of its KnowledgePanel. The KnowledgePanel is a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses. Parents were asked to think about one teen in their household (if there were multiple teens ages 13 to 17 in the household, one was randomly chosen). At the conclusion of the parent’s section, the parent was asked to have this chosen teen come to the computer and complete the survey in private. The survey is weighted to be representative of two different populations: 1) parents with teens ages 13 to 17 and 2) teens ages 13 to 17 who live with parents. For each of these populations, the survey is weighted to be representative by age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income and other categories. Here are the questions among teens and among parents used for this report, along with responses, and the survey methodology­­­. This research was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, an independent committee of experts specializing in helping to protect the rights of research participants. Rising rates of poor mental health among youth have been called a national crisis. While this is often linked to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic or poverty, some officials, like former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, name social media as a major threat to teenagers. Our latest survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 and their parents finds that parents are generally more worried than their children about the mental health of teenagers today. And while both groups call out social media’s impact on young people’s well-being, parents are more likely to make this connection. Still, teens are growing more wary of social media for their peers. Roughly half of teens (48%) say these sites have a mostly negative effect on people their age, up from 32% in 2022. But fewer (14%) think they negatively affect them personally. Other key findings from the survey: More teens report spending too much time on social media: 45% of teens say they spend too much time on social media in our current survey, up from 36% in 2022. Girls’ experiences on social media skew more negative, at times: Teen girls are more likely than boys to say social media hurt their mental health (25% vs. 14%), confidence (20% vs. 10%) or sleep (50% vs. 40%). A majority of teens see social media as a positive space for friendships and creativity: 74% of teens say these platforms make them feel more connected to their friends, and 63% say they give them a place to show off their creative side. Teens and parents have different comfort levels talking about teen mental health: 80% of parents say they’re extremely or very comfortable talking to their teen about their teen’s mental health. Smaller shares of teens (52%) feel the same way. Social media as a mental health resource: 34% of teens say they at least sometimes get information about mental health on social media. Jump to read about views among parents and teens on: Mental health concerns | Openness to talking about mental health with others Jump to read about views among teens on: Social media as a mental health resource | Social media’s effect on teens | Feelings about social media in their own lives | Screen time Parents’ and teens’ concerns about mental health To better understand how families are grappling with issues related to youth mental health, we asked teens and parents to share their level of concern, thoughts on underlying causes, and openness to discussing mental health. Parents are more likely than teens to be concerned about teen mental health today. Overall, 55% of parents report being extremely or very concerned about the mental health of teens today. Fewer teens (35%) say the same, according to our survey of 1,391 parents and their teens conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10, 2024. On the other hand, a larger share of teens than parents say they’re not too or not at all worried about the state of teen mental health (23% vs. 11%). About this report There are growing debates about social media’s impact on youth mental health. This survey seeks to surface teens’ and their parents’ perspectives on this topic, not to supply evidence or establish causality. We used the overarching term “mental health” throughout our survey questions to ask teens and parents about their broad experiences. Teens’ and parents’ views, by gender Teens’ concerns about mental health differ by gender. Girls more often than boys say that they are highly concerned about teen mental health (42% vs. 28%). We also see differences among parents – both based on their gender and the gender of their child. Mothers are more likely than fathers to say they are extremely or very concerned about the mental state of teens today (61% vs. 47%). Additionally, parents of a teen girl are more likely than those with a teen boy to express high levels of concern (61% vs. 49%). Related: The Gender Gap in Teen Experiences Teens’ and parents’ views, by race and ethnicity There are also notable differences by race and ethnicity. Seven-in-ten Black parents say they are extremely or very worried about teen mental health. This is higher than the shares seen among White (55%) and Hispanic (52%) parents. Black teens also stand out in their concern about teen mental health. Half of Black teens report being highly concerned, compared with 39% of Hispanic teens and an even smaller share of White teens (31%). What contributes the most to teens’ mental health? Parents and teens who say they are at least somewhat concerned about teen mental health today were then asked

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1. Widespread global public concern about made-up news

Many people around the world have major concerns about made-up news and information. A median of more than eight-in-ten adults across 35 countries surveyed say it is a big problem in their country, including 59% who see it as a very big problem. Concern about fabricated news is uniformly high across the sub-Saharan African and Latin American countries surveyed. Half or more of the public in each of these countries believes false news is a very big problem there. In North America, 43% of Canadians and about half of Americans (51%) say made-up news is a very big problem in their country. For a closer look at Americans’ views on made-up news and information, read our October report: “Americans’ Views of 2024 Election News.” Similarly, roughly half of adults or more in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK consider false news a very big problem. However, in the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, only about a third or fewer agree. Large shares in much of the Asia-Pacific region say manipulated news is a very big problem in their country, including majorities of at least seven-in-ten in Bangladesh, South Korea and Thailand. In Singapore, only 19% say made-up news and information is a very big problem – the smallest share of all the countries surveyed. Nearly half of adults there (49%) say fabricated news is a small problem or not a problem at all. Since 2019, a “fake news” law has enabled the government of Singapore to act against what it considers to be false information online. Singaporean opposition leaders, tech companies and rights groups alike have criticized the law, saying it gives the government too much power and significantly limits freedom of speech in the country. About a third of Australians (36%) also say made-up news and information is a very big problem in their country. In late 2024, the Australian government considered passing a law like the one in Singapore but scrapped the plan after they were met with significant opposition. Views by demographic group, attitudes toward free expression Concern about false news is widespread: In most of the countries surveyed, similar shares of younger and older adults, men and women, and people of different educational backgrounds and political ideologies say made-up news and information is a very big problem. At the same time, there are differences in most countries based on people’s attitudes toward freedom of the press, free speech and freedom on the internet. Those who say these freedoms are very important are often more likely to consider made-up news and information a very big problem in their country, compared with those who say these freedoms are somewhat, not too or not at all important. Views of democracy by concern about made-up news and information Satisfaction with democracy is also tied to levels of concern about fabricated news. In 22 of 35 surveyed countries, people who see made-up news and information as a very big problem are less likely to say they are very or somewhat satisfied with the way their democracy is working. Some of the biggest differences are in Europe: About a third of Hungarians who think made-up news and information is a very big problem in their country express satisfaction with the state of Hungarian democracy (34%). In contrast, 60% of Hungarians who say this is a moderately big problem, small problem or not a problem at all are satisfied with their democracy. Similarly, just 15% of Greeks who are very concerned about made-up news are satisfied with the way democracy is working in their country. More than twice as many of those who are less concerned (36%) say they’re satisfied with their democracy’s functioning. But these differences are not limited to Europe. Other countries – particularly high-income nations – also show strong links between concern about made-up news and satisfaction with democracy. For instance, in both Canada and Israel, people who think made-up news is a very big problem are at least 20 percentage points more likely than those who think it’s less of a problem to be satisfied with their country’s democracy. source

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5. Views of Congress, parties and courts

Views of the Republican Party and Congress have modestly improved in the last year, while ratings of the Democratic Party remain historically low. The Supreme Court continues to be viewed more favorably than these other institutions, but its ratings are also near historic lows. And there is widespread skepticism across the political spectrum that federal court judges are fair and impartial in how they decide cases. Views of the parties Today, more Americans express a favorable view of the Republican Party (43%) than of the Democratic Party (38%) – a shift from recent years. Though neither party receives majority-positive assessments from the public, views of the Republican Party have improved in recent years (43% today vs. 35% in December 2023), while ratings of the Democratic Party have held steady (38% today vs. 37% then). Today, 76% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents hold a favorable view of their own party. By comparison, 64% of Democrats and Democratic leaners hold a favorable view of the Democratic Party. Views of the Republican Party 87% of Republicans are favorable toward their party – the same share as in 2024. 60% of GOP leaners are favorable toward the party, an increase of 8 points since last year. 10% of Democrats and 15% of Democratic leaners have a favorable view of the GOP, essentially unchanged in recent years Views of the Democratic Party Among Democrats, 75% have a favorable view of their party – the lowest rating in the last six years. Democratic leaners also hold less favorable views of the party than in recent years. 9% of Republicans and 20% of Republican leaners have a favorable view of the Democratic Party. Views of Congress Today, 34% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Congress – slightly higher than the 30% who said this in 2024. With the Republican Party now in control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, Republican views of Congress have improved (47% have a favorable opinion today, up from 32% last summer). In contrast, 22% of Democrats have a favorable view of Congress, down from 29% last year. Views of the Supreme Court About half of Americans (51%) hold a favorable view of the Supreme Court, while nearly as many (47%) hold an unfavorable view. While opinions of the court have rebounded slightly since 2023, they remain near historic lows. By comparison, views were majority favorable for much of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Views among partisans 73% of Republicans have a favorable view of the Supreme Court – identical to views in 2024. Democrats are slightly more favorable toward the court than they were last year (30% today vs. 24% then). They remain far less favorable than they were in summer 2022, before the court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade. Confidence in federal judges About nine-in-ten Americans (92%) say it is extremely or very important for U.S. federal court judges to be fair and impartial in how they decide cases. However, Americans express far less confidence that federal judges are fair and impartial: 15% are extremely or very confident of this, 39% are somewhat confident, and 44% are not too or not at all confident. These views are fairly bipartisan: About nine-in-ten Republicans (92%) and Democrats (93%) see fairness and impartiality as extremely or very important. Yet small shares in both parties (17% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats) express a high level of confidence that judges are fair and impartial in how they decide cases. source

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4. Freedom gaps

One way to evaluate how people around the world feel about free speech, free press, and internet use without state or government censorship is to compare views of how important these freedoms are with perceptions of freedom in each country. When making this comparison, we observe what we call “freedom gaps,” or differences between the shares of people who say that free press, speech and internet use are important and the shares who say that these activities are actually free in their country. In many of the 35 countries surveyed, we see gaps in views of media freedom and freedom of speech – that is, the shares who say these freedoms are important are larger than the shares who say people in their country actually enjoy these freedoms. But the picture is much less clear when it comes to freedom on the internet. In fact, we see “reverse gaps” in many countries, where more people say they can use the internet freely than say freedom on the internet is important. Press freedom gaps There are significant gaps on press freedom in 30 of 35 countries surveyed. In almost all of these cases, the gaps occur because a larger share of people say freedom of the press is important than say media in their country are actually free. The largest press freedom gap is in Chile, where 90% of adults say that the media reporting the news without state or government interference is very or somewhat important, while only 29% say that the media in their country are completely or somewhat free to report the news. In other words, the share of Chileans who say a free press is important is approximately triple the share who say their media are indeed free. Large gaps can also be found in Argentina, Colombia, Greece, Hungary, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, South Korea and Turkey. In several of these countries, views are split on whether media reporting is free. In both Chile and Greece, only about a third of adults or fewer rate their media as completely or somewhat free. Among Americans, 92% say freedom of the press is important, compared with 79% who say the U.S. press are completely or somewhat free to report the news. In India and Kenya, the gaps are reversed: Eight-in-ten adults or more in each country say their press are free to report the news, while around two-thirds say it is important to have press freedom. Press freedom gaps are insignificant in Bangladesh, Ghana, Israel, the Philippines and South Africa. In other words, there is not a difference between views of media freedom’s importance and perceptions of an uncensored press. Speech freedom gaps Of the 35 countries surveyed, there is a significant speech freedom gap in 31 countries. In 30 of them, the gaps are due to larger shares saying free speech is important than saying they are actually free to say what they want. For the most part, the free speech gaps look similar to press freedom gaps. The largest gap among the countries surveyed is in Turkey, where 91% say people expressing themselves without government or state interference is very or somewhat important, while 52% say people in Turkey are completely or somewhat free to do this. Free speech gaps are particularly large in the Latin American countries surveyed. For instance, in Peru, approximately eight-in-ten adults say free speech is important, but only about half (47%) say Peruvians enjoy this freedom. Similarly, in both Chile and Mexico, large majorities agree that free speech is important. But Chileans and Mexicans are about evenly divided on whether people can say what they want without censorship in their respective countries. In the U.S., more people say freedom of speech is important to have (92%) than say they are able to speak freely (86%). In India, a slightly larger share say they have free speech than think this is important, resulting in a reverse gap. And publics in Ghana, Israel, Kenya and South Africa do not feel differently about the importance of free speech and their experiences with free speech. Internet freedom gaps Globally, internet freedom gaps are less pronounced than gaps on the other two freedoms we asked about. Overwhelming majorities in most countries say it is important for people to be able to use the internet without censorship, and similar shares say they are able to use the internet freely where they live. But because of high levels of people saying they have internet freedom, there are reverse freedom gaps in 17 countries. In these cases, larger shares of adults say that the internet is free of censorship in their country than say freedom on the internet is important to have. For example, in the middle-income countries of Bangladesh, India, Kenya and South Africa, at least eight-in-ten adults say they are completely or somewhat free to use the internet – but only about two-thirds say this freedom is very or somewhat important to have. But these reverse gaps are not limited to middle-income countries. In Australia, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea and the UK – all high-income countries – the shares who say they are free to use the internet are larger than the shares who believe internet freedom is important. In seven countries, internet freedom gaps look similar to the speech and press freedom gaps. In other words, more people in these countries say that freedom on the internet is important than say they are able to use the internet freely. As for the U.S., similar shares of Americans say that freedom on the internet is very important to have in their country and that people in the U.S. are completely free to use the internet without government censorship (91% vs. 92%). source

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2. Importance of press freedom, free speech and freedom on the internet

Across 35 countries, our survey finds widespread support for freedom of the press, freedom of speech and freedom on the internet. But the shares in each country who say these freedoms are very important range somewhat. A median of 61% say it’s very important that the media are able to report the news without censorship. A median of 59% say this about people being able to say what they want without censorship. A median of 55% say this about people being able to use the internet without censorship. Freedom of the press A median of 61% across the 35 countries surveyed say it is very important that the media are able to report the news without state or government censorship in their country. A median of 23% say this is somewhat important; 11% say it’s not too or not at all important. Majorities of adults in Canada (77%) and the U.S. (67%) believe having freedom of the press is very important in their country. In Europe, the shares saying freedom of the press is very important range from 56% in Poland to 89% in Greece. Majorities across all countries in the region hold this view. In the Asia-Pacific region, varying shares say it’s very important that the media can report the news without censorship. About four-in-ten hold this view in Bangladesh, India and Singapore, compared with about six-in-ten in Australia. Shares in other Asia-Pacific countries fall in between. Roughly seven-in-ten Turkish adults think press freedom is very important, a much higher share than the 43% of Israelis who say the same. In the four sub-Saharan African countries surveyed, the share of adults who say press freedom is very important ranges from 44% in Kenya to 61% in Ghana. And half or more of adults in each of the six Latin American countries polled say having a free press is very important. Views by education Education is linked to views of  press freedom’s importance in many of the countries surveyed, including both middle- and high-income countries (as defined by the World Bank). In South Korea, for example, adults with higher levels of education (in this case, a postsecondary education or more) are more likely than those who have less education to say having press freedom is very important. A similar pattern is present in countries spanning all regions included in the survey. Views over time In eight countries, the share of adults who consider freedom of the press very important has increased since this question was first asked in 2015. The change over time is particularly large in Turkey: 45% of Turks said a free press was very important in 2015, and 71% say this in the spring 2024 survey. Significant increases have also occurred in Canada, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan and the UK. But in a few countries, the share of those who see press freedom as very important has declined. In 2015, for example, 71% of Brazilian adults said freedom of the press was very important, compared with 62% most recently. Since 2019, the share expressing this opinion has also dropped in South Africa (-15 points) and the Philippines (-11), as well as Kenya (-10), Poland (-8) and Nigeria (-7). Americans’ views have fluctuated over time. The share saying a free press is very important was 67% in 2015, went up to 80% in 2019, then back down to 67% in 2025. Similarly, the share of Australians saying press freedom is very important in 2024 is larger than it was in 2015, but smaller than it was in 2019. Freedom of speech A median of 59% across 35 countries believe it is very important that people are able say what they want without state or government censorship. Another 27% say it is somewhat important, and 10% say it is not too or not at all important. Majorities in Canada and the U.S. say having freedom of speech is very important in their country. Views of free speech’s importance vary widely across the European countries polled: 53% of Polish adults say this freedom is very important to have in their country, while 87% in Germany say the same. And eight-in-ten in Greece and Sweden believe being able to speak without censorship is very important. Just 35% of adults in Singapore say that having free speech is very important – the lowest share of all countries polled. Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, half or more of Australians, South Koreans, Japanese and Sri Lankans believe it’s very important that people are able to speak without censorship. In the Middle East-North Africa region, half of Israelis and 69% of Turks say freedom of speech is very important to have in their country. While majorities across the four sub-Saharan African countries surveyed think free speech is at least somewhat important, only in Ghana does more than half of the public say free speech is very important (54%). And at least half of adults in the six Latin American countries surveyed say speech without censorship is very important, including about eight-in-ten or more in Argentina and Chile. Views by education In 15 countries, adults with more education are more likely than those with less education to say having free speech in their country is very important. In Peru, for example, 64% of those with an upper secondary education or more say it is very important to be able to speak without censorship, compared with 42% of those who have less education. Notably, in India, people with less education were also less likely to provide a response. Views over time In five countries, the share of adults who say it is very important to have free speech has increased since we first asked this question in 2015. For example, 43% of Turkish adults in 2015 saw free speech as very important; in 2024, 69% say the same. Double-digit increases occurred in Indonesia and Italy as well. In France, views have fluctuated over time: In 2024, three-quarters of French adults say free speech is very important,

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