Public approval of the United Nations exceeds disapproval in most of the 137 countries surveyed for a new Gallup report, though the organization faces sharp regional divisions. The median approval rate across countries is 50%, compared with 26% disapproval.
Gallup surveyed adults in the countries between March and December 2025. Its first global assessment of the UN's job approval found majorities approve in 67 countries, while approval exceeds disapproval by at least 10 percentage points in 92.
The 50% figure is a median of national results, not an estimate that precisely half of all people worldwide approve. That distinction matters because countries have different populations, and the report summarizes country-level survey findings rather than presenting one worldwide popular vote.
Gallup calculates a median net approval of plus 24 points, the difference between approval and disapproval. The result suggests more positive than negative views overall but does not imply uniform support for the organization or its handling of specific conflicts.
Regional divides
Net approval is strongest in Southeast Asia, at plus 51 points, followed by sub-Saharan Africa at plus 43. The Middle East and North Africa is the only region in the report where disapproval exceeds approval, with net approval at minus 23.
Among countries serving on the Security Council in 2026, Gallup reported approval ranging from 79% in Denmark to 15% in Russia. Those figures illustrate a substantial divide among countries involved in the UN's most prominent security body.
Opinion is unsettled in some places. In South Korea, 41% said their view depends on the circumstances. In Lesotho, 35% said they were unaware of the UN, while 45% in Bahrain did not know or declined to express an opinion.
How the poll was conducted
The findings draw on nationally representative Gallup World Poll surveys of people ages 15 and older in 137 countries. Gallup puts national margins of sampling error between plus or minus 2.2 and 5.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Because the interviews took place in 2025, the figures measure views at that time rather than public reaction to events after December. The survey also asks about the UN's overall job performance; it should not be read as a referendum on any single UN agency, vote or leader.
Gallup released the assessment as the organization faces wars, humanitarian crises and geopolitical divisions. The mixture of strong support, opposition and unfamiliarity across countries is a central finding of the report, beyond the global median alone.
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