Seeking Security and Opportunity in a Stormy World: A 34-Country Survey

The world feels more dangerous — and people still want countries to work together. In the second year of The Rockefeller Foundation and Focaldata’s survey of 34 countries, nearly seven in ten people say the world has gotten worse over the past year. Yet support for countries working together has held — and in wealthier countries, it has risen. Security is the clearest shared priority: preventing wars and conflicts ranks first in 21 of 34 countries and in the top two in 33.

At the same time, views of global leadership are fragmented. Neither the United States nor China commands majority support to lead, while several other countries receive higher ratings. And 61% would support a coalition taking on global problems without either superpower. After learning that recent aid cuts could contribute to more than nine million deaths by 2030, majorities in all 34 countries — including 61% of Americans — favor reversing the cuts or increasing aid.

Drawn from 35,399 adults across 34 countries, the 2026 survey builds on the inaugural 2025 poll to track how attitudes toward countries working together are changing — from the issues people want them to tackle to the kinds of leadership they want to see.