The U.S. image abroad has begun to improve after worsening for years, but the United States is still viewed more negatively than the European Union, Brazil, China, India and Russia, said a BBC World Service survey released on Tuesday.
The survey, conducted in 34 countries, found that positive views of U.S. influence have risen by about 4 percentage points over the past year. The average positive rating was 35 percent, versus an average negative rating of 47 percent.
U.S. public image plummeted around the world in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Bush administration tried to counter the trend by creating a public diplomacy unit within the State Department.
Pollsters involved in the BBC World Service project said the U.S. presidential elections appeared to be behind the changing views of the United States.
Despite the modest improvement for the first time in four years, public opinion of the United States was still overwhelmingly negative. The average negative rating was 47 percent, versus 52 percent a year ago.
U.S. influence in the world was viewed most positively in Kenya, the Philippines, Israel, Nigeria, Ghana, and Central America, where well over 50 percent of those questioned had positive views of the United States.
It had its lowest positive ratings from Mexico, Argentina, Egypt, India and Russia, where fewer than 20 percent of those questioned had a good impression of the United States.
The United States was viewed most negatively by people in Turkey and Egypt, where 73 percent of those polled had bad impressions of U.S. influence. Germany followed at 72 percent, Lebanon at 67 percent, Canada at 62 percent, Australia at 58 percent and Argentina and Mexico at 56 percent.