As the UN gears up for its 80th General Assembly in New York, a new global survey shows the organization is still widely viewed in a positive light — though views remain sharply divided in some countries.
A median of 61% of adults across 25 countries hold a favorable opinion of the United Nations, according to Pew Research Center. Just 32% see it unfavorably.
Support highest in Canada, Sweden, and Africa
The UN gets its highest marks in Canada, Sweden, Germany, Indonesia, South Korea, Nigeria, and Kenya. In each, about seven-in-ten adults or more say they view the organization favorably.
At the other end of the spectrum is Israel, where only 16% express a positive view of the UN — the lowest share among all countries polled.
That figure mirrors other Pew data released the same day showing that 8 in 10 Israelis hold an unfavorable opinion of the UN.
U.S. views improving — especially among Democrats
Americans are more likely to see the UN favorably this year, with 57% expressing a positive view, up from 52% last year. The shift marks the first uptick in U.S. support since 2022.
Democrats continue to back the organization much more than Republicans. Roughly 77% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have a favorable opinion, compared to just 37% of Republicans.
The divide gets even sharper when it comes to age. Among Republicans, younger adults are more likely to support the UN than older ones. But for Democrats, the opposite is true: those over 50 are slightly more supportive than those under 50.
Does the U.S. benefit from being in the UN?
Nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) say the U.S. benefits at least a fair amount from its UN membership — a slight increase from last year.
Once again, Democrats lead the way in support, and the share of Democrats who say the U.S. benefits has grown in the past year. Republican views on this question have stayed flat.
Younger adults more supportive worldwide
In nearly all surveyed countries, younger adults under 35 are more likely than those over 50 to hold favorable views of the UN. The gap is particularly wide in Brazil, where 68% of young adults support the organization compared to just 44% of older ones.
This generational divide shows up across countries, income levels, and regions.
Political ideology shapes opinions
In nine countries — including the U.S., UK, France, Canada, and Australia — people on the political left are significantly more likely than those on the right to have a favorable view of the UN.
In the U.S., the gap is especially stark: 81% of liberals view the UN favorably, compared with just 34% of conservatives.
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