NB Data Stories | 79% Indians favourable of PM Modi, 68% feel India getting stronger: Pew Survey

In a big boost for BJP ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the latest survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre has revealed that about 79% of Indians hold positive views about Prime Minister Narendra Modi while a large majority of Indians surveyed i.e. 68% said India’s global influence is getting stronger.

 

 

 

It should be noted that the survey engaged more than 30,000 people in 24 countries, including India, released on Tuesday. Pew said the survey was conducted from February 20 to May 22 among 30,861 adults.

 

 

Ahead of the general elections slated to be held in 2024, the majority of Indians still show support for PM Modi’s nine-year-old regime.

 

According to the report, 79% of Indians have a favorable view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including 55% who hold a “very favorable” view.

 

On the flip side, a mere 20% of Indians said they viewed Modi’s government negatively.

 

The report noted, “Opinions of Modi are mixed, with a median of 40% saying they have no confidence in Modi to do the right thing regarding world affairs and a median of 37% saying they have at least some confidence. Substantial minorities in most countries did not share an opinion, and respondents in Europe were not asked about the Indian leader.”

 

However, among 12 countries though Kenya had the highest (60%), Argentina (12%), Brazil (16%) and the US (21%) were at the bottom.

 

According to the Pew Research Survey, 68% of Indians believe India’s geopolitical status has risen over the past years. On the other hand, only 19% of Indians think India has witnessed a decline in terms of global prestige.

 

 

Among the countries surveyed, respondents from Israel had the highest favourability of India — 71% — followed by respondents from the UK (66%), Kenya (64%), Nigeria (60%), South Korea (58%), and the US (51%).

 

The Pew survey unveiled a median of 46% favourability towards India worldwide, with 34% holding an unfavourable opinion.

 

India’s favourability takes a hit in European nations but favourability numbers went up in Nigeria and Mexico.

 

 

For example, in France, the number of people holding positive views about India fell from 70% 15 years ago to a mere 39% in 2023. And the most unfavourable views comes from South Africa (51%). It notes, “European attitudes toward India have turned more negative over time.”

 

Among select countries where data has been collected since 2007, the percentage of people who held a favorable view of India has gone down in France, Spain, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Indonesia, the UK, South Africa and South Korea, Pew reported.

 

 

According to the report, political ideology seems to have affected the way India is viewed, with those from the Right in Hungary, Australia, Israel and supporters of populist parties such as Greek Solution in Greece and Five Star Movement in Italy having higher favourability than those from the Left and non-supporters. In the US, however, the trend was reversed, as liberals had a favourability of 10 percentage points more than conservatives.