A record 48% of adults worldwide now disapprove of the United States’ leadership, marking the highest level since tracking began, according to Gallup.

The figure compares with 37% who disapprove of China’s leadership, highlighting a widening gap in global perceptions of the two powers.

The data, based on global median responses, indicate a steady rise in negative views of Washington over the past decade, before the launch of Operation Epic Fury on February 28 caused a spike.

Disapproval of US leadership stood at roughly one-third in the late 2000s, before dipping in the early 2010s and then climbing again, surpassing 40% by the late 2010s and reaching its current peak.

By contrast, disapproval of China’s leadership has risen more gradually. Starting from the low 20s in the late 2000s, negative sentiment edged higher over time, briefly exceeding 40% in the early 2020s before easing slightly to its current level.

The survey found that, despite recent declines, China’s disapproval rating remains below that of the US, maintaining a consistent gap in global opinion as of 2025, when US disapproval reached 48% compared with China’s 37%.

A separate poll in Germany last week found that Germans now believe that US President Donald Trump is more dangerous than either Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Some 41% of Germans said they thought Trump was the most dangerous out of the five world leaders. In second place was Kim with 17%, followed by Putin and Khamenei with 8%. Coming in last was China's Xi with 7%, dpa reported.

Another poll in Spain found that 81% of Spaniards believe Trump is the biggest threat to peace, according to the results of a 40dB. survey for El País and Cadena SER. Spain has openly defied the White House and refused to let the US military use its airbases for the transit of supplies to the Middle East.

Trump’s approval at home has also been falling. According to the latest Economic poll 36% of Americans approve of the president, 57% disapprove and 7% are not sure. His net approval rating is -20, eight percentage points below where it was at this time in his first term and lower than it has been at any point in his second, The Economist reports.

“The Iran war is probably responsible. Not only do Americans dislike it—only 28% of them support the war, while 59% oppose it—but it has driven the price of oil up,” the magazine said. “The effects are already visible: the average price for petrol is more than $4 a gallon.”

By contrast the share of respondents in the VTsIOM poll saying they trust Putin declined to 75%, down from 76.7%, while approval of his job performance slipped to 70.1%, a fall of 1.9 points from the previous week. Both indicators mark their weakest levels since February 20, 2022, just days before Russia launched its invasion. Nevertheless, Putin’s approval rates have remained in the 70s throughout the war, above pre-war levels, and is likely to get a boost this year thanks to increased public spending thanks to a windfall from the spike in oil prices.