For the first time in nearly two decades of polling, people in both Canada and Mexico view China more favorably than the United States, marking a dramatic shift in North American public opinion, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
The survey found that 44% of Canadians now hold a favorable view of China, compared with 33% who view the United States favorably. In Mexico, the gap is even wider, with 59% expressing favorable views of China versus 40% for the United States. According to Pew, this is the first time since it began tracking these attitudes that both countries simultaneously rate China more positively than their southern neighbor.
The findings are part of Pew Research Center's latest global attitudes survey, conducted between Feb. 8 and May 13, 2026, among 42,151 adults in 36 countries and territories. Overall, the study found China is now viewed more favorably than the United States in 25 of the 36 countries surveyed, reflecting a broader shift in global perceptions of the world's two largest economies.
Pew researchers said the reversal stems from two parallel trends: improving views of China and declining opinions of the United States.
Canada illustrates how quickly attitudes have changed. In 2023, 57% of Canadians viewed the United States favorably, while only 14% held positive views of China. By 2025, the two countries were viewed about equally. The latest survey shows China has now pulled ahead, with its favorability rating rising to 44% while the United States has fallen to 33%.
The biggest change in that period is the beginning of Donald Trump second term, wich started in January of 2025.
The pattern is similar across Latin America. Pew found that views of the United States have become more negative over the past year in five of the six Latin American countries surveyed, while opinions of China have generally remained steady. As a result, China now enjoys slightly higher favorability than the United States across the region.
In Mexico, younger adults are especially likely to view China positively. Seven in 10 Mexicans ages 18 to 34 expressed favorable views of China, compared with just over half who said the same about the United States, according to the survey.
The report also found changing perceptions of leadership. Confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping now exceeds confidence in President Donald Trump in many countries surveyed, although neither leader receives majority support in most places. In Mexico, respondents were roughly three times more likely to express confidence in Xi than in Trump regarding world affairs.
Despite China's gains, Pew noted that the United States continues to outperform China on one key measure. Across most countries surveyed, respondents remain more likely to say the United States respects the personal freedoms of its citizens, although that advantage has narrowed in recent years.
The findings underscore a significant shift in global soft power. While the United States remains more popular than China in only six of the 36 countries surveyed, the new data suggest traditional U.S. allies, including Canada, are reassessing their views amid changing geopolitical and economic dynamics.
