Americans are more likely than people in other countries to view their fellow citizens as morally bad, according to a new global study by the Pew Research Center.
In the survey, 53% of U.S. adults said Americans have “bad morals and ethics,” while 47% said their fellow citizens have good morals.
The finding stood out among the 25 countries included in the survey. The United States was the only country where a majority of adults rated the morality and ethics of their fellow citizens negatively.
In most other countries, more people said their fellow citizens had good morals than bad. For example, the chart on page 6 of the report shows large majorities in countries such as Sweden, Canada and Japan describing their fellow citizens’ morality positively.
The survey results also showed a political divide in the United States. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents were more likely than Republicans to say Americans have bad morals, 60% compared with 46%.
Researchers said the gap may reflect growing political polarization, with members of each party increasingly viewing the other side as immoral.
The study also asked people in 25 countries whether certain behaviors are morally unacceptable. Across the countries surveyed, extramarital affairs drew the strongest disapproval, with a median of 77% saying they are morally unacceptable.
Views differed widely on other issues such as abortion and gambling, depending on the country. In many European nations, most adults said abortion is morally acceptable or not a moral issue, while majorities in several Latin American and African countries said it is morally unacceptable.
The Pew Research Center survey included more than 30,000 people in 25 countries. Interviews were conducted between January and May 2025, including surveys of more than 3,600 U.S. adults.
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