Archive · 15 Aug 2026
Indians, Pakistanis See Each Other as Biggest Threat: Pew Survey
Researchers at Pew Research Center asked many adults in India and Pakistan which country worries them the most.
More than half of people in India said Pakistan is their biggest worry.
Almost half of people in Pakistan said India is their biggest worry.
India and Pakistan are neighbours that have not trusted each other since they became separate countries in 1947.
People in Pakistan really like China, and nine out of ten said they think nicely about it.
They trust China's leader, Xi Jinping, much more than they trust America's leader, Donald Trump.
People in India see Russia as their best friend and ally.
Many people in both India and Pakistan said they have unfavourable views of the other country.
People in Sri Lanka like India a lot, and most call India their most important ally.
The survey shows that even nearly 80 years later, the two neighbours still see each other as their biggest problem.
54% of surveyed Indian adults named Pakistan their greatest geopolitical threat, followed by China at 21%.
43% of Pakistani adults named India their greatest threat, with 24% each citing Israel and China (one article cites the United States and Israel instead).
75% of Pakistanis named China their most important ally, followed by Saudi Arabia at 12%; 36% of Indians named Russia their top ally, with 16% choosing the US.
Only 15% of Pakistanis viewed the US favourably and 12% had confidence in Donald Trump, versus 90% favourable for China and 83% confidence in Xi Jinping.
78% of Indians held unfavourable views of Pakistan and about 90% of Pakistanis held unfavourable views of India, while 79% of Sri Lankans viewed India favourably.
- Who
- Adults surveyed by Pew Research Center in India (3,566), Pakistan (1,039), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the United States, along with leaders referenced in the survey: Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Asim Munir.
- What
- A Pew Research Center survey found Indians and Pakistanis largely view each other as their greatest geopolitical threat and hold sharply different views on allies and foreign leaders.
- When
- Conducted in India from February 8 to April 27, 2026, and in Pakistan from April 8 to May 7, 2026; released ahead of the countries' 80th Independence Days (August 14 and 15).
- Where
- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the United States.
- Why
- The findings reflect deep-rooted distrust between the two neighbours dating to the 1947 Partition, as well as their differing geopolitical alignments.
Indian perspective
Pakistani perspective
Commitment to good bilateral relations
Indian perspective
A majority of Indian adults believe India's people and government are committed to good relations with Pakistan.
Pakistani perspective
Most Pakistani adults say the Indian government and people are not committed to good relations.
Pakistan's commitment to good relations
Indian perspective
Most Indian adults do not believe Pakistan's people and government are committed to good relations.
Pakistani perspective
About one-third of Indian Muslim respondents said Pakistan's people and regime are committed to good relations.
- Polling organization
- Pew Research Center
- Indians naming Pakistan as greatest threat
- 54%
- Pakistanis naming India as greatest threat
- 43%
- Pakistanis naming China most important ally
- 75%
- Indians naming Russia most important ally
- 36%
- Pakistanis with favourable view of China
- 90%
- Pakistanis with confidence in Xi Jinping
- 83%
- Survey sample
- 3,566 adults in India; 1,039 in Pakistan
