Pew survey: Indians and Pakistanis see each other as top threat

Washington,UPDATED: Aug 14, 2026 13:00 IST

A new Pew Research survey has found that many Indians and Pakistanis see each other as their biggest geopolitical threat, highlighting the deep distrust between the two neighbours. In India, 54 per cent of surveyed adults named Pakistan as the country’s greatest threat, followed by China at 21 per cent. In Pakistan, 43 per cent named India as the greatest threat, while 24 per cent each said Israel and China.

The survey also showed clear differences in how people in the two countries view their allies and major world powers. In Pakistan, 75 per cent named China as their most important ally, while 12 per cent chose Saudi Arabia. In India, 36 per cent said Russia was the country’s top ally and 16 per cent named the US, while roughly a third did not answer the question.

Despite the camaraderie between US President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, only 15 per cent of Pakistanis had a favourable opinion of the US, the survey said. By contrast, 90 per cent had a favourable view of China. Only 12 per cent of Pakistanis said they had confidence in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs, while 83 per cent said the same about Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Indians, meanwhile, were much more positive about Russia than Pakistanis were. The survey found that 58 per cent of Indians had a favourable view of Russia and 51 per cent expressed confidence in President Vladimir Putin, compared with 39 per cent and 32 per cent respectively in Pakistan. Just 23 per cent of Indians viewed China positively, while 25 per cent said they trusted Xi’s global leadership. At the same time, 45 per cent of Indians viewed the US favourably and 39 per cent said they had confidence in Trump.

The survey, which covered adults in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, also found varying views across South Asia. An overwhelming 79 per cent of Sri Lankans expressed a positive view of India, compared with 42 per cent of Bangladeshis and 7 per cent of Pakistanis. Sixty-three per cent of Sri Lankans named India as their most important ally, while Bangladeshis and Pakistanis most often identified India as their greatest threat.

In the US, 45 per cent of Americans viewed India favourably, while 50 per cent viewed it unfavourably. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 50 per cent had a favourable view of India, compared with 42 per cent of Republicans and Republican leaners. More than 54 per cent of Americans said India’s global influence had stayed about the same in recent years, while 30 per cent said it was getting stronger and 13 per cent said it was getting weaker.

Overall, the survey showed that India and Pakistan continue to see each other through the lens of threat and mistrust, while opinion in the wider region and in the US remains more mixed on India’s role, influence and partnerships.

With PTI Inputs

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