Sri Lanka was the only country where public perceptions of the United Nations improved among 37 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center, according to its latest Global Attitudes Survey.
About two-thirds of Sri Lankans, 66%, now have a favorable opinion of the UN, up from 58% when Pew last surveyed the country in 2024.
The eight-percentage-point increase stands out against a broader trend of declining or largely unchanged perceptions of the UN across the countries surveyed.
Pew said favorable views of the UN had declined significantly in 10 countries since it last asked the question. Nigeria recorded one of the sharpest declines, falling from 80% in 2025 to 63% in 2026, while favorable views in the Philippines dropped by 16 percentage points from 2024.
Across all 37 countries surveyed, a median of 55% of adults expressed a favorable opinion of the UN, while 37% viewed the organization unfavorably.
The survey also found a significant generational divide in Sri Lanka. Younger Sri Lankans were more likely to view the UN positively than older adults, with an 18-percentage-point difference between the youngest and oldest age groups measured.
Similar age differences were recorded in a number of other countries, with Pew noting that younger adults generally tend to hold more positive views of the UN.
Globally, perceptions varied considerably. The UN was viewed more favorably than unfavorably across most of the Asia-Pacific countries surveyed, while Israel recorded the most negative assessment, with 79% expressing an unfavorable opinion.
The findings are based on Pew Research Center’s Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey and were released ahead of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, which opened on Sept. 8. (Newswire)
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