Canada Viewed as Most Positive Leader on World Stage
Canada remains the top country expected to have a positive influence on world affairs over the next decade.
New polling of more than 23,000 people across 30 countries by Ipsos for the Halifax International Security Forum finds an average of 80% say that Canada will have an overall positive influence on world affairs, staying stable year-over-year (79%).
And the survey, conducted on Ipsos’ Global Advisor online platform between Sept. 19 and Oct. 3, 2025, finds “my country” (+two percentage points to 76%) slightly ahead of Germany (no change at 73%) on average across 30 countries for the second year in a row. Coming in fourth place is the European Union at 70% (stable), tying with France (+two pts to 70%), followed by Great Britain (+two pts at 69%) to round out the top five influencers.
Based on the 20-country average* Canada has consistently enjoyed the most positive ranking, while Iran has consistently been at the bottom of the rankings.
Trump slump 2.0
America’s positive reputation has dropped 13 points year-over-year to a new low (46% on average across 20 countries) amid the first year of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second, non-consecutive, term. Our polling last year was completed on October 4, 2024, just over a month before Trump defeated then-U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race, ultimately ousting her and then-U.S. President Joe Biden from the White House. America’s positive reputation is now well below other Western countries and is more in line with India, China and BRIC** countries.
There was a similar dip in the proportion who think the U.S. would have a positive influence during the first year of Trump’s first term, dropping 11 points year-over-year to 55% (on average across 20 countries) in 2017.
The usual suspects
Iran (no change at 25%) on average across 30 countries ties with Israel (-three pts to 25%) as the least likely countries to have a positive influence on world affairs. Though it’s key to note that mid-way through this year’s polling the Gaza peace plan was announced on Sept. 29, 2025.
Iran has been seen as the least likely country/organization to have a positive influence every year since 2014, except for this year when it tied with Israel and when it tied with Russia for the bottom spot in 2022, a year marked by a global pandemic and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Pakistan (28%, no change), Russia (32%, no change), CRINK** countries (33%, new), and Saudia Arabia (45%, +two pts) round out the bottom five influencers for 2025.
Following the October 7 attack in 2023 and the ensuing Israel-Hamas conflict the perception of Israel dramatically dropped year-over-year and has inched down a bit more in 2025. Russia’s reputation took a similar dive in 2022, dropping fifteen points on average across 20 countries* in 2022 but has since slowly seen its positive ranking stabilize as the Ukraine conflict nears the four-year mark.
In 2019, before the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, 46% on average across 20 countries* thought China would have a positive influence on world affairs. After a global pandemic was officially declared in March 2020, the proportion who thought China would have a positive influence dropped ten points to 36% but has since ticked back up close to pre-pandemic levels (now sitting at 43% on average across 20 countries).
Influence of one’s own country
The perception of one’s own country runs the gamut.
Residents in Singapore (90%, no change), Malaysia (+four pts to 88%) and New Zealand (stable at 87%) are the most optimistic about the positive influence of their own country in the world.
While 48% (-12 pts) on average across 30 countries in 2025 think America will have a positive influence on the world over the next decade, 68% (-nine pts) of Americans think their country will have a positive impact. Canadians are more optimistic with 83% (+three pts) thinking their country will have a positive impact, in line with the global average (80%).
Meanwhile, those in Hungary (stable at 44%), Belgium (-five pts to 62%) and Japan (-two pts to 63%) are least optimistic about their country’s role on the global stage.
Looking inward and outward
There’s an inherent tension between globalism and isolationism, and we see it in our survey results again this year.
Once again four in five (78%, no change) believe given the difficult economic issues in their country today the focus should be less on the world and more at home. Yet, almost the same proportion (stable at 76%) say their country should work with other countries towards global goals even if their country doesn’t always get exactly what it wants. At the same time, just under two in three (-two pts to 64%) now believe economic power is more important in world affairs than military power.
Appetite for strong leadership remains
The vast majority (stable at 71%) still agree their country has a responsibility to be a moral leader in the world and set an example for other countries to follow, with the British (+six pts to 84%) and Singaporeans (no change at 84%) leading on this.
There’s been a drop (-nine pts to 46%) in the global proportion that think the U.S. is the most reliable leader for democratic nations. That’s down ten points to 52% among Americans, and down four points to 43% among America’s neighbors to the south in Mexico. And amid Trump’s ongoing annexation and tariff threats against Canada people there are now the least likely out of all 30 countries to think the U.S. is the most reliable leader, plunging 19 points to 23% compared to last year.
*Change for 20-country average is based on the countries which were in all editions of the Ipsos for the Halifax Security Forum report over the past decade.
**BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and CRINK (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) countries.
About the Study
These are the results of a 30-country survey conducted by Ipsos on its Global Advisor online platform and, in India, on its IndiaBus platform, between Friday, September 19, and Friday, October 3, 2025. For this survey, Ipsos interviewed a total of 23,586 adults aged 18 years and older in India, 18-74 in Canada, Republic of Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Türkiye, and the United States, 20-74 in Thailand, 21-74 in Indonesia and Singapore, and 16-74 in all other countries.
The sample consists of approximately 2,000 individuals in Japan, 1,000 individuals each in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, and the U.S., and 500 individuals each in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, and Türkiye. The sample in India consists of approximately 2,200 individuals, of whom approximately 1,800 were interviewed face-to-face and 400 were interviewed online.
Samples in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the U.S. can be considered representative of their general adult populations under the age of 75. Samples in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, and Türkiye are more urban, more educated, and/or more affluent than the general population. The survey results for these countries should be viewed as reflecting the views of the more “connected” segment of their population.
India’s sample represents a large subset of its urban population — social economic classes A, B and C in metros and tier 1-3 town classes across all four zones.
The data is weighted so that the composition of each country’s sample best reflects the demographic profile of the adult population according to the most recent census data. “The Global Country Average” reflects the average result for all the countries and markets in which the survey was conducted. It has not been adjusted to the population size of each country or market and is not intended to suggest a total result.
When percentages do not sum up to 100 or the ‘difference’ appears to be +/-1 percentage point more/less than the actual result, this may be due to rounding, multiple responses, or the exclusion of “don't know” or not stated responses.
The precision of Ipsos online polls is calculated using a credibility interval with a poll where N=1,000 being accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and of where N=500 being accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points. For more information on Ipsos' use of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website.
The publication of these findings abides by local rules and regulations.
