Obama’s 8-year Presidency is Rated Well: Global Poll

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7 July 2016 – Global support for President Obama appears to have lasted through his two terms in office according to a new poll for the BBC World Service. Over seven in ten citizens across 18 tracking countries polled by Globescan in both 2012 and 2016 think that, retrospectively, the election of US President Barack Obama was a good choice. The most recent poll shows his average approval rating is 72 per cent―stable with the result from the 2012 BBC poll (when Obama was running for a second term) when 73 per cent had a favourable opinion of his first presidency.
The most recent poll, conducted by GlobeScan among more than 18,000 people worldwide between December 2015 and May 2016 asked the public to reflect on whether or not, in hindsight, they felt the choice of the American people to elect Obama in 2008 and again in 2012 was a good or a bad choice. A majority in 18 out of the 19 countries surveyed leaned positively towards Obama’s double tenure in the White House, with only Russians disagreeing.
Kenyans are the most upbeat towards Obama’s presidential tenure, with 95 per cent thinking his double election was a good choice. The other countries with a very strong pro-Obama sentiment include some of the USA’s closest allies: South Korea (93%, up 10 points from 2012), the UK (91%, up 9 points), France (90%, stable), Australia (89%, stable), and Canada (85%, stable). In some countries where the relationship with Washington may have been more ambivalent at times, the proportion of supporters of Obama’s time in office has also increased, with majorities now found in Turkey (52%, up 6 points), Pakistan (56%, up 7 points), and China (54%, up 5 points).
Positive sentiment towards Obama has nonetheless declined in five countries since 2012. In particular, Russian public opinion has shifted from a pro- to a now strongly anti-Obama sentiment. Only 18 per cent of Russians feel Obama’s eight-year time in office was a good choice in hindsight, as opposed to a majority of 51 per cent in 2012, and they are outnumbered by 73 per cent who now think this was a bad choice. In Germany, approval of Obama has also dropped sharply, from 91 per cent in 2012 to 53 per cent in 2016, with an increase in the proportion of people with an undecided opinion of the president (jumping from 2% to 29%). In the US itself, whose views are not included in the global average, a majority remains pro-Obama after his two terms, though narrower than in 2012 (53% today, down 5 points). The other two countries where support had fallen are Nigeria (74%, down 14 points) and Ghana (70%, down 8 points).
Amidst the race for the US primaries to nominate the two candidates that will campaign to replace President Obama in January 2017, the poll also asked if the election of a woman as the next American President would impact views the public holds towards the United States as a country. Globally, results show that a solid plurality of 48 per cent in 17 countries agree that a female president would fundamentally change their perceptions of the US (against 38% who disagree). This resembles results from a similarly-worded 2008 BBC poll question which asked the impact if Barack Obama was elected as the first African American president on respondents’ impression of the US. Though the poll does not specify whether this would be positively or negatively, it is noteworthy that the effect of a female president on external perceptions of the US would be strongest in developing countries, and particularly so among female respondents in China (74%), Nigeria and Peru (both 65%), and Indonesia and Kenya (both 54%).
GlobeScan Chairman Doug Miller commented: “Any US President would be very happy with such positive global ratings near the end of their tenure.”
 
The results are drawn from a telephone and in-person survey of 18,313 adult citizens across 19 participating countries in total. The poll was conducted for the BBC World Service between December 2, 2015 and May 4, 2016 by the international opinion research and consultancy firm GlobeScan and its national research partners. Within-country results are considered accurate within +/- 2.8 to 3.7 per cent 19 times out of 20. Urban-only samples were used in China, Indonesia, Kenya, and Turkey. 
For more detaild findings, see below. For full methodology, question wording, and research partners, please see the drop-down links at the bottom of this article.


Participating Countries


Detailed Findings


Media Contacts

For media interviews, please contact:


About BBC World Service

BBC World Service is an international multimedia broadcaster, delivering a wide range of language and regional services on radio, TV, online and via wireless handheld devices. It uses multiple platforms to reach its weekly audience of 166 million globally, including shortwave, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. Its news sites include audio and video content and offer opportunities to join the global debate. BBC World Service offers its multilingual radio content to partner FM stations around the world and has numerous partnerships supplying content to news websites, mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices as well as TV channels. For more information, visit bbcworldservice.com

Methodology

In total 18,312 citizens in Australia, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, the UK, and the United States were interviewed face-to-face or by telephone between December 2, 2015 and May 4, 2016. Polling was conducted by GlobeScan and its research partners in each country.
In China, Indonesia, Kenya, and Turkey urban samples were used. Some questions were asked by half samples. The margin of error per country at full sample level ranges from +/- 2.8 to 3.7 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
 

Country
Sample Size (unweighted)
Field dates
Sample frame
Survey methodology
Type of sample
Australia 802 February 29 – March 21, 2016 18+ Telephone National
Canada 1020 March 7–24, 2016 18+ Telephone National
Chile 1200 December 2, 2015 – January 5, 2016 18+ Face-to-face National
China 1055 April 2–15, 2016 18+ Telephone Urban1
France 1055 February 22 – March 3, 2016 18+ Telephone National
Germany 1001 February 4–18, 2016 16-70 Telephone National
Ghana 1053 March 16 – April 12, 2016 18-65 Face-to-face National
India 1269 March 15–30, 2016 18+ Face-to-face National
Indonesia 1000 March 12–26, 2016 18+ Face-to-face Urban2
Kenya 1010 March 4–20, 2016 18+ Face-to-face Urban3
Nigeria 800 March 9–24, 2016 18+ Face-to-face National
Pakistan 1000 February 19 – March 5, 2016 18+ Face-to-face National
Peru 1205 March 14–27, 2016 18-70 Face-to-face National
Russia 1020 March 9–21, 2016 18+ Face-to-face National
South Korea 1000 March 20–24, 2016 19+ Telephone National
Spain 815 February 29 – March 29, 2016 18+ Telephone National
Turkey 995 April 15 – May 4, 2016 18+ Face-to-face Urban4
United Kingdom 1005 February 22 – March 13, 2016 18+ Telephone National
USA 1006 February 29 – March 13, 2016 18+ Telephone National
  1. In China the survey was conducted in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Kunming, Nanning, Shanghai, Shenyang, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xi’an, Xining, and Zhengzhou, representing 14 per cent of the national adult population.
  2. In Indonesia the survey was conducted in Bandung, Jakarta, Makassar, Medan, and Surabaya, representing 27 per cent of the national adult population.
  3. In Kenya, the survey was conducted in seven out of the eight former administrative provinces targeting the 45 per cent of the adult population in urban and mixed settlements. The survey sample included urban populations in 30 counties representing 64 per cent of all counties. The counties included in the sample were: Bungoma, Busia, Embu, Kajiado, Kakamega, Kericho, Kiambu, Kilifi, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Kisumu, Kitui, Kwale, Laikipia, Machakos, Marsabit, Meru, Migori, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Narok, Nyamira, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Siaya, Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Uasin Gishu, and Vihiga.
  4. In Turkey, the survey was conducted in Adana, Ankara, Bursa, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, İstanbul, İzmir, Kayseri, Malatya, Samsun Trabzon, and Tekirdağ, representing 47 per cent of the national adult population.

Research Partners

Country Research Institute Location Contact
Australia GlobeScan Toronto Robin Miller
robin.miller@globescan.com
+1 647 528 2767
Canada GlobeScan Toronto Robin Miller
robin.miller@globescan.com
+1 647 528 2767
Chile Mori Chile Santiago Marta Lagos
mlagos@morichile.cl
+56 2334 4544
China GlobeScan Toronto Robin Miller
robin.miller@globescan.com
+1 647 528 2767
France Efficience 3 Paris and Rheims Thierry Laurain
thierry.l@efficience3.com
+33 1 4316 5442
Germany Ri*QUESTA GmbH Teningen Bernhard Rieder
riquesta.rieder@t-online.de
+49 7641 93 43 36
Greece MRB Hellas Athens Vivian Antonopoulou
vantonopoulou@mrb.gr
+30210 6971000 /+306944 414756
India Team C Voter Noida Yashwant Deshmukh
yashwant@teamcvoter.com
+91 120 424 7135
Indonesia DEKA Marketing Research Jakarta Ratna Mulia Darmawan
ratna.darmawan@deka-research.co.id
+62 21 723 6901
Kenya Research Path Associates Ltd. Nairobi Charles Onsongo
charles.onsongo@rpa.co.ke
+254 20 2734770
Nigeria Market Trends Lagos Jo Ebhomenye
joebhomenye@hotmail.com
+234 1734 7384
Pakistan Gallup Pakistan Islamabad Ijaz Shafi Gilani
isb@gallup.com.pk
+92 51 2655630
Peru Datum Lima Urpi Torrado
urpi@datum.com.pe
+511 215 0600
Russia CESSI Institute for Comparative Social Research Moscow Vladimir Andreenkov
vladimir.andreenkov@cessi.ru
+7 495 650 55 18
South Korea East Asia Institute Seoul Wonchil Chung
cwc@eai.or.kr
+82 2 2277 1683
Spain Sigma Dos Int. Madrid Petrana Valentinova
petrana@sigmados.com
+34 91 360 0474
Turkey Yontem Research Consultancy Ltd Istanbul Mehmet Aktulga
mehmet.aktulga@yontemresearch.com
+90 212 278 12 19
United Kingdom Populus Data Solutions London Patrick Diamond
pdiamond@populusdatasolutions.com
+44 207 553 4148
USA GlobeScan Toronto Robin Miller
robin.miller@globescan.com
+1 647 528 2767

Question Wording

M3A. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the election of a woman as US President would fundamentally change your perception of the United States? READ. CODE ONE.

01 – Strongly agree
02 – Somewhat agree
03 – Somewhat disagree
04 – Strongly disagree
VOLUNTEERED (DO NOT READ)
05 – Depends / neither agree nor disagree
99 – Don’t know / no answer

 
M3B. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the election of a Hispanic American as US President would fundamentally change your perception of the United States? READ. CODE ONE.

01 – Strongly agree
02 – Somewhat agree
03 – Somewhat disagree
04 – Strongly disagree
VOLUNTEERED (DO NOT READ)
05 – Depends / neither agree nor disagree
99 – Don’t know / no answer

 
M4t. As you may know, the American people elected Barack Obama as President in 2008 and again in 2012. In hindsight, do you think this was a very good choice, a somewhat good choice, a somewhat bad choice or a very bad choice? CODE ONLY ONE.

01 – A very good choice
02 – A somewhat good choice
03 – A somewhat bad choice
04 – A very bad choice
VOLUNTEERED (DO NOT READ)
99 – Don’t know / no answer