Know the New America & Beyond: May 2026
As the Iran war continues, America’s reputation around the world is in free fall. The proportion of people who believe that America will have a positive effect on the world has dropped 20 points in less than two years — falling from 59% in 2024 to 39% today. Now, half of the people we surveyed in 31 countries around the world have faith in China’s ability to shape a positive world, according to new Ipsos polling.
The economy is the issue that makes or breaks politicians everywhere, and one on which President Trump and the Republican Party have long had an advantage in the U.S. But new Ipsos polling shows that time may be up. While Republicans held a 17-point advantage on the issue at Trump’s inauguration, they’re now tied with Democrats, 33% to 33%, when Americans are asked who has a better plan for the economy. That comes as three in four people in the U.S. (76%) blame the Trump administration for rising gas prices, including more than half of Republicans (57%). This has major implications for this November’s elections in the U.S., which will shape what Trump is able to do with the remainder of his presidency.
Amid these major political shifts, polarization continues — creating an environment that is ripe for hyperbole, misinformation and disinformation to thrive. That’s a dynamic of which Americans are keenly aware: 82% believe disinformation is a top global threat, Ipsos polling shows. The latest issue of our foresight magazine, What the Future: Attention, explores how brands can be more resilient to disruptions during an era in which they no longer control their brand messages nor the ecosystem they exist in.
Thank you for reading — please contact us to help you navigate this uncertain environment.
The global ripple effect of the war in Iran
How are countries around the world responding to the effects of the war — and how has it affected the U.S.’ reputation? Find out in these five charts.
- Americans are split on what they think the U.S. should do next in Iran, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll - Read more
- Two-thirds of Americans say rising gas prices have affected their household finances - Read more
How brands can win attention as AI rises and trust fades
Attention is the most valuable currency in marketing, where constant demands for our focus flit from one thing to the next, yet we can endlessly binge on content from short-form video to podcasts to films.
Explore our new issue of What the Future: Attention to explore the audiences, platforms and the contexts of the attention economy — and the research that will help you navigate all of it.
AI data centers are unpopular with most Americans
A majority of Americans would oppose having a data center in their community and are worried about their impact on the environment, according to the Ipsos Consumer Tracker.
- Americans' trust in AI product recommendations are consistent across a wide range of products and services - Read more
Trump’s approval remains low as Iran war weighs heavy
Americans’ displeasure with the Trump administration is mounting as the war goes on and the prices grow higher. Reuters/Ipsos polling shows that 73% of Americans now disapprove of the way President Trump has handled the cost of living, the worst mark of the president’s second term on an issue that was previously one of his strengths.
Consumer confidence stays at its Iran-driven low point
Americans’ cratering confidence in the economy isn’t a blip. Consumer confidence slumped last month, dropping to levels previously seen during peak inflation and the COVID recession of 2020. New data from the LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index shows that consumers’ confidence isn’t budging from those low marks, coming in for May at 49.6, compared to last month’s 50.0.
What the rest of the world thinks
The view from Brazil
Currently, Brazil views the U.S. with moderate optimism, a perception heavily grounded in what is known as “pragmatic caution.” Although just over half of Brazilians (56%) expect a positive impact from the U.S. over the next decade, this share is lower compared to the proportion that perceives a positive impact from China (64%), and significantly lower when compared to other periods in the historical series. Consequently, Brazil sees the U.S. as an important global leader, but prioritizes diplomatic distance over military alignment.
In this regard, within the specific context of the Middle East, Brazilians strongly favor neutrality (the principle of non-intervention), with 79% agreeing that the country should avoid getting involved in conflicts in the region. Brazil, along with Canada, Colombia, and Germany, is one of the countries that believes the war in Iran will be longer than shorter, with 73% believing that the conflict is likely to extend until the end of the year or into next year.
Priscilla Branco
Director, Public Affairs & Corporate Reputation, Ipsos in Brazil
Italy
- 63% of Italians believe that Italy should commit to being close to the European Union, while only 9% would favor a U.S. alliance - Read more
India
- Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and increasing crude oil prices are beginning to reshape consumer behavior - Read more
United Kingdom
- Almost half (48%) of Britons disagree that there is currently a special relationship between the U.S. and Britain - Read more
- Nearly 9 in 10 Britons are concerned over personal impact of Strait of Hormuz closure on the cost of food and other goods - Read more
Canada
- Research, insights, and analysis on the structural shift reshaping how Canadians navigate affordability, security, and the future - Read more
Keep in touch with the latest Ipsos research and polling on the Iran conflict from around the world on our new web page. This includes a special feature on how the repercussions are playing out in Asia Pacific markets.
And finally, other Ipsos global reports this month
- Ipsos Generations Report 2026: Continuity vs. Rupture: Drastic change is on the horizon. Population decline is now a mathematical certainty, with impending consequences for governments, societies, and businesses. How can businesses continue to grow in a world with fewer and fewer people to buy their products and services?
- Stages not ages: What workplaces get wrong about generations: Are workplace generations a myth? New Ipsos data from 30 countries reveals why focusing on life and career stage, rather than age, builds better workforce strategies.
- The long and short of sports sponsorship: Event sponsorship remains a key part of the marketing agenda. Yet, for marketers, these sponsorship events present a paradox: the opportunity to reach engaged audiences at scale vs. the challenge of cutting through the sponsorship noise for your brand to be seen and remembered above all others so that you get a return on this premium investment.
- The death of car ownership? The data says not yet. But the cracks are real — and they point to where the future is heading.
- Ipsos Update: Our regular round-up of research from around the world features a poll digest alongside short summaries of the latest releases.
