3. Americans’ views of allies and threats

• When asked which country represents the highest threat to the US, China remains at the top of the Americans list. Since we last asked this question in 2023, the proportion of cinema named as the biggest threat was rejected, while the share he called Russia grew.
• About four Americans (37%) say they are not sure which state is the largest ally of the United States. As in the past, the United Kingdom is mentioned more than any other nation. But the shares that Canada or Israel call the highest ally since 2023.

Which country represents the highest threat to the US?

About four Americans (42%) say China is the biggest threat to the US when it is set up in an open issue. Russia was named the next largest share (25%).

Smaller shares say no country (4%), USA (3%) or Iran (2%) is the biggest threat. One in five say they are not sure.

The proportion of China named as the largest threat decreased with 50% in 2023. On the contrary, the share of Russia sees as the highest threat to the United States with 17%.

Views of the party

Whether it is considered to be the main threat of the US at China or Russia.

Republicans and independent independent Republican most likely say that China is the highest threat to the United States (58% opposite 12% called Russia). On the contrary, Democrats and democratic excess are most likely to call Russia the main threat (39% relative to 28% named China).

China in 2023 was the best choice among Republicans and democrats.

Conservative Republicans are especially likely to see China as a threat (68%) compared to their moderate or liberal peers (45%). Among the democrats, liberals are more likely to appoint Russia (46%) than those who are moderate or conservative (34%).

Do China and Russia represent economic or security threats?

After the respondents named the country they consider to be the biggest threat of USA, we asked them to evaluate how much threat to this country is an American economy and American national security.

Among those who call China the greatest threat of the country, the overwhelming majority say it threatens the US economy (97%) and the US security (94%) at least a fair amount. Indeed most think China poses many threats to each.

Among those named Russia, they see more as a security threat (98%) than economic threat (71%).

Who is the most important ally of the United States?

We also asked Americans who the country believed to be the most important ally of the United States. About four-in-orty (37%) says they are not sure. Among those who give an answer, the United Kingdom is most commonly mentioned (18%adults), followed by Canada (12%) and Israel (9%).

The share of Canada named as a top American ally doubled with 6% Since we last asked this question in 2023. At that time, the proportion that named Israel also doubted it – from 4% in 2023.

These shifts over time are largely reflected in changes in partisan attitudes. Republicans are more likely to say that Israel is the best ally of the United States (17% compared to 8% in 2023), while views among democrats have not changed.

At the same time, Democrats have become more likely that Canada will say the most important ally (19% compared to 9% in 2023), while the Republicans have not changed.

Today, opinions are also somewhat different in age and religion:

• Age: Americans older than 50 and older most often refer to the UK as a top American ally (24%). In contrast, the UK was named in half of so many adults under the age of 50 (12%), and a similar share also appointed Canada (11%). Younger adults are much more likely than older adults who say they are not sure who is the most important ally in the country (44% compared to 29%).
• Religion: About a quarter each among white evangelical Protestants (25%), and Jews (26%) say Israel is the most important ally of the country.

Rating Americans of other countries

Most Americans give positive grades to fellow members of G7 Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK.

Democrats are more likely that Republicans, however, will see these allies in a favorable light. Between 75% and 87% of the country’s democrats is positively evaluated, compared to 51% to 76% of the Republicans. Japan is the only country in this group that gets similar – and irresistibly positive – the grades of both sides.

Americans also give EU a favorable rating (60%). Again, Democrats EU rating more positively than Republicans (78% to 44%).

Half of Americans have a positive view of Mexico, compared to 37% last year.

Favorable evaluations of the southern neighbor of the United States have increased among the Democrats and Republicans, although the big gap remains: Democrats are more than twice as likely than the Republicans to have a positive view of Mexico (67% compared to 32%). Adults under 50 tend to tend to have more positive views of Mexico compared to the age of 50 and older (55% compared to 44%).

About half of Americans have a positive opinion of India (49%), which is a slight increase with 43% in 2024.

Israel stands out among the countries involved in our research: although 9% of Americans say that this is the most important ally of the United States-which makes it the third most commonly appointed-with a half of half a favorable view of the Earth (45%). This is 55% of 55% since we last asked in 2022.

Israel is also one of the only countries asked that Republicans are more likely to evaluate more positively than Democrats. In fact, Republicans are approximately twice as likely that Democrats say they have a positive opinion of Israel (62% by 29%). And adults at the age of 50 and older are more likely to say this than younger adults (54% compared to 37%).

Related: As Americans look at Israel and Israel-Hamas War at the beginning of Trump’s second term

Few Americans have a positive view of China, Russia and Iran. About one of the five feet of the cinema positively, and about one-in-‘, they have a favorable opinion of Russia or Iran.

In addition to Israel, Russia is the only other country that Republicans evaluate more favorable than Democrats (16% compared to 9%).

Younger adults tend to have more positive views of all three of these countries. About a quarter of adults under the age of 50 (27%) has a favorable opinion on China, compared to 15% of adults aged 50 and over; 16% of younger adults are positively evaluated by Russia, compared to 9% of the elderly adults; And 14% of younger adults have a positive view of Iran, as well as 6% of older adults.