How Do Americans Feel About G20 Countries? — SkimNews
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- Pew Research Center surveyed Americans on feelings toward 18 G20 member countries using a 0-100 "feeling thermometer," ahead of the December G20 summit the United States is set to host.
- Russia drew the coldest ratings in the survey, averaging 27 and with 51% of Americans giving it a "very cold" score of 0-24 — far below China (37) and Saudi Arabia (36), and 23% of Americans rating it a literal zero.
- Canada was the standout on the warm end: 48% of Americans gave it a "very warm" score of 76-100, the largest such share of any G20 country in the survey.
- Japan, Mexico and China have all warmed since 2016/2021 — Japan's average rose from 57 to 65, Mexico from 50 to 55, and China climbed from 28 in 2021 to 37 today, though all three remain net-cold or mixed.
- Views of Canada, the U.K. and India have cooled in recent years: Canada's average slipped from 71 (2018) to 67, the U.K. from 66 (2016) to 60, and India from 51 (2018) to 46, with shifts driven primarily by Republicans.
- Russia is the only G20 country Republicans feel more warmly toward than Democrats, with an 8-point gap in very-cold views (48% of Republicans vs. 56% of Democrats).
- Americans under 50 rated six G20 members — China, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and Turkey — higher than those 50 and older, while older adults were 15 points more likely to give Russia or China very cold ratings.
Why it matters: The survey sets a public-opinion baseline heading into a summit the U.S. is hosting in December, exposing a rare partisan reversal: Russia is the only G20 country Republicans rate more warmly than Democrats (48% vs. 56% very-cold views). Combined with the 23% of Americans who gave Russia a literal zero, the data shows Russia uniquely polarizing American sentiment rather than producing bipartisan coldness like China or Saudi Arabia.
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