Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) shakes hands with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe before a meeting in New Delhi in July 2023. (Naveen Sharma/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
South Asians tend to view other countries in the region more positively than negatively. However, different religions have different views, especially when it comes to their views on India and Pakistan. This data is from a Pew Research Center survey conducted from January 5, 2024 to March 25, 2024.
This Pew Research Center analysis focuses on how adults in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka view other South Asian countries.
The analysis is based on a nationally representative survey of 7,124 adults conducted from January 5 to March 29, 2024. The survey was conducted face-to-face in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. This year we were unable to conduct research in Pakistan.
In each country surveyed, only religious groups with a sufficient sample size were included for analysis.
To compare educational groups across countries, we standardized educational levels based on the United Nations’ International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED).
Below are the questions and answers used in this analysis, as well as the research methodology.
We asked these questions to explore regional dynamics in South Asia. Historical, geopolitical, and religious tensions have persisted in the region since the partition of British India in 1947. We surveyed adults in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, but this year we were unable to survey adults in Pakistan.
indian scenery
Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis’ views of India are largely positive, with 65% of Sri Lankans having a favorable view of India and 57% of Bangladeshis saying the same. (We only asked people in each country about their opinions about other countries, not about their own country.)
In Bangladesh, opinions differ depending on support for the Bangladesh Awami League, the ruling party at the time of the survey. The investigation was conducted before former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned this month and went into exile in India. Supporters of her party are more likely than non-supporters to view India favorably (71% vs. 49%).
The way of thinking differs depending on the education. In both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, more educated adults are more likely to express positive views of India than less educated adults. Adults with more education are also more likely to voice their opinions.
scenery of sri lanka
Bangladeshis and Indians are about twice as likely to have a favorable opinion of Sri Lanka as they are to have a negative opinion. However, about a third of people in both regions did not answer the question.
Indian adults who support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are more likely than non-supporters to have a favorable view of Sri Lanka (46% vs. 39%). (The survey was conducted after Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to India in July 2023.) Similarly, in Bangladesh, supporters of the former ruling party have a more positive opinion of Sri Lanka than non-supporters. were more likely to express
Even among Bangladeshis, perceptions of Sri Lanka differ depending on education. Bangladeshis with higher levels of education are more likely than those with lower levels of education to say they have a favorable view of Sri Lanka (60% vs. 42%). Adults with higher education are also more likely to respond.
scenery of bangladesh
In India and Sri Lanka, views of Bangladesh are more positive than negative. About half (47%) of Sri Lankan adults have a favorable opinion of Bangladesh, as do about a third (35%) in India.
However, the majority of both countries said “I don’t know” or did not answer the question. In fact, that proportion of Indians is larger than the proportion who say they have a favorable or unfavorable view of Bangladesh. The survey was conducted before deadly clashes between Bangladeshi police and student protesters in July.
pakistan scenery
Compared to South Asians’ views on India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, South Asians’ views on Pakistan are more complex.
Sri Lankans view Pakistan favorably (44% vs. 25%). In Bangladesh, 40% view Pakistan favorably and 32% view Pakistan negatively. On the other hand, more Indians have an unfavorable opinion of Pakistan (61%) than a favorable one (12%). And 51% said they had a very unfavorable view of Pakistan.
Indians have viewed Pakistan negatively since we first asked this question in 2013. At the time, only two in 10 Indian adults expressed a favorable view of Pakistan. Relations between India and Pakistan have been tense since the Partition of British India in 1947, when India was divided into independent India and Pakistan.
Indians who do not support the NDA are more likely than supporters to have a favorable view of Pakistan (15% vs. 9%).
Views by religion
Across the three South Asian countries surveyed, perceptions of other countries in the region often vary by religion.
In both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Hindus are more likely to have favorable views of India than other religious groups. For example, in Sri Lanka, 8 in 10 Hindus express a positive opinion of India, compared to less than 7 in 10 Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims.
Hindus also tend to have more positive views of Sri Lanka than Muslims in Bangladesh and India. For example, 62% of Bangladeshi Hindus say they view Sri Lanka favorably, compared to 44% of Muslims.
Indian Muslims stand out from Hindus by being twice as likely to have some opinion about Pakistan (22% vs. 11%).
Note: This section describes the questions and answers used in this analysis, as well as the research methodology.
Correction (September 13, 2024): An earlier version of this post inaccurately described the timing of the investigation in relation to Mr. Wickremesinghe’s visit to India.
