The question – how is the US economy viewed? – is a particularly interesting one in present times. Global news reports about the U.S. economy and its expected trajectory have been somewhat conflicting of late. On one hand, analysts have been mulling over the possibility that the U.S. economy may be heading for a recession. But then those speculations are also sitting cheek-by-jowl next to the U.S. economy heading for healthy growth, albeit with some challenges to navigate along the way.
But what does the world really think? We used our AI-driven news sentiment analysis to provide a fascinating overview of sentiment in relation to US economic indicators, and it puts forward a rather interesting answer to the question “How is the US economy viewed”, especially in the run up to the upcoming U.S. election.
When you take a step back, our data shows a complex and often polarised view of how the US economy is doing according to perceptions from around the world. From regions like Oceania and the Middle East to Europe and Asia, there are varying degrees of sentiment, and each tells its own story. The context for this is shaped by geopolitics, trade relations, foreign policy, and, of course, economic outlooks. But there’s a broader point of view here—this isn’t just about economics, but rather how nations position themselves in relation to the world’s leading economy.
How is the US economy viewed around the world: Key findings
How is the US economy viewed in Oceania and the Middle East
Let’s start with the good news. Thankfully for the US, in Oceania, the sentiment towards their economy is generally positive. Australia (+43%) and New Zealand (+47%) show a level of confidence in how the US economy is doing. The answer seems obvious – these nations maintain strong trade and defence ties with the US, which naturally bolsters their economic optimism. But there’s a broader point of view here: Oceania countries often see the US as a key ally, not only in terms of trade but also security.
Now for the bad news. Here, the Middle East tells a deeply different story. Our data shows lukewarm sentiment from UAE at only +1%, then starkly negative sentiment from Israel (-92%) and Qatar (-84%) highlighting how regional geopolitics can turn perception on its head. And this, we fear, is a reflection of recent US foreign policy decisions that have left a bruising sentiment in certain Middle Eastern countries.
How is the US economy viewed in Asia?
To be clear, Asia is not homogenous in its view of how the US economy is doing. Much is left to be desired in terms of sentiment from India (-2%), Indonesia (0%), and Vietnam (+3%) meanwhile Thailand (+11%), Singapore (+16%) Pakistan (+19%), Malaysia (+24%) are somewhat more positive. All these countries have complex relationships with the US, balancing between cooperation and competition with China. But what about the Philippines? Here, we see a notably high positive sentiment (+68%) which in all likelihood reflects the strength of ongoing US-Philippines economic and military cooperation, with the US viewed as a reliable partner.
How is the US economy viewed in Africa?
Amid the furor surrounding US relations with other parts of the world, Africa has an overall positive view of the US economy. Nigeria (+63%) and Zimbabwe (+65%) display significant confidence in how the US economy is doing according to our data. Fact check: Africa’s growing trade with the US and the potential for investment and aid play a key role here. But you can glimpse another factor—many African nations view the US as a key player in global development, which adds a layer of goodwill to the economic perception.
How is the US economy viewed in Europe?
And then we have Europe, where the sentiment towards how the US economy is rather tepid. Germany (+30%) exhibits perhaps the strongest confidence in the US economy according to our data, while the UK (+7%) is still positive yet cautious likely influenced by Brexit’s ongoing economic uncertainties and trade negotiations with the US. Meanwhile countries like Spain and Portugal (both at 0%), and Italy (just slightly up at 1%) only just keep within the neutral range. We should perhaps say that Europe’s diverse sentiment towards the US is as much about politics as it is about economics. In retrospect, Europe’s rather half-hearted sentiment may signal a reluctance to fully commit to the US economically until global economic conditions stabilise.
What does all this mean?
So, why does this matter? When you examine how the US economy is doing based on economic indicators, you uncover deep layers of geopolitical and economic dynamics. There have been, broadly, three things influencing global sentiment towards the US. First, trade relations – countries with strong trade ties to the US tend to have more positive perceptions. Second, geopolitical alliances – nations aligned with US foreign policy tend to show greater economic optimism. And third, regional economic stability – countries with less reliance on the US or a strong regional bloc, like the EU, may lean towards neutrality or even indifference.
But there is a key message here, and its that signs that all is not perfect in the US economy – such as inflation or foreign policy missteps—can cast long shadows on global perception. And it is, we think, this last point that is most significant. Global perception of the US economy, driven by a combination of hope and caution, will shape future economic ties and cooperation.
The result of our analysis is something of a disparity between countries that see the US as a continued economic leader and those that are taking a wait-and-see approach. And that is why understanding how the US economy is doing matters more than ever. Thankfully, AI-driven news sentiment analysis like this, allows us to monitor and measure these perceptions in real time. This bruising sentiment in some regions is balanced by optimism in others, and it is this interplay that will determine the future of US global economic leadership.
Methodology
The sentiment analysis was conducted using Permutable’s AI-driven intelligence, which is the product of the analysis of millions of news articles, and other publicly available text-based sources from around the world. The system employs advanced natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to assess the tone, context, and frequency of mentions related to the US economy.
Omissions: Our news sentiment analysis does not include how China and Russia perceives the United States economically due to limited access to unbiased, reliable data sources within China that meet our standards for comprehensive and accurate insights. We also do not currently offer news sentiment analysis on how Latin America perceives the United States, and some Middle Eastern and African countries, due to gaps in comprehensive media coverage, limiting the availability of consistent and reliable data sources from the region.
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