China Again Leads America’s Greatest Enemies

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

The World's Voice in Numbers

March 26, 2024

Welcome to Front Page, where we break down Gallup's latest insights on our constantly evolving world. Here are the five insights you shouldn't miss this week:

1. China Again Leads America's Greatest Enemies

Bar Chart: 41% of Americans and 67% of Republicans say China is the United States' greatest enemy.

The Data: Forty-one percent of Americans name China as the United States' greatest enemy today, making it the top perceived U.S. adversary for the fourth straight year. China is among the top two countries cited by all three partisan groups. It ranks first among Republicans (67%) and independents (40%) but is a distant second to Russia among Democrats (18%).

United States, Itself: A record-high 5% of U.S. adults believe the United States is its own worst enemy. This is largely driven by independents (11%), who are far more likely than Republicans (1%) or Democrats (2%) to name it.

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2. LGBTQ+ Rise Among Youth

Bar Chart: 22.3% of Generation Z identified as LGBTQ+ in 2023.

The Data: More than one in five Gen Z adults in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ+.

The Longer Trend: The 7.6% of all U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ+ in 2023 is up from 7.2% the previous year and more than double the 3.5% found in 2012. Each generational group is about twice as likely as the prior one to self-identify as LGBTQ+, peaking at 22.3% for Generation Z.

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3. U.S. on Shaky Ground

Line Chart: 33% of Americans say they are satisfied with the United States' position in the world today.

The Data: One in three Americans currently feel satisfied with the United States' position in the world, among the lower readings for this trend that dates back to 2000. Contentment looked like it was coming back for a brief period before the pandemic but reverted to the subdued level seen since the late 2000s.

What's Behind It: Although a slight majority of Democrats, 56%, are satisfied with the nation's global position under President Joe Biden, barely a third of independents (37%) and only 12% of Republicans agree. While partisan differences are to be expected, Republicans are nearly half as likely to be satisfied with the nation's global position under Biden as they were under Barack Obama.

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4. Gender Parity in Pursuit of Senior Leadership

Range Plot: The gender gap in deterrents among those who are interested in senior leadership in the workplace.

The Data: Differences emerge in the pursuit of senior leadership roles in the U.S., with extensive travel and after-hours availability deterring women more than men. However, a majority of women who express interest in obtaining senior leadership positions are not deterred by high-intensity work (72%) or working 50 hours per week (64%).

Bigger Context: Despite a shrinking gender gap in workforce participation and increased female presence in executive roles, women remain underrepresented in leadership positions. A deeper understanding of gender-specific career preferences is vital for developing organizational frameworks that attract and retain female leaders.

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5. COVID Concerns

Line Chart: 20% of Americans say they are very or somewhat worried about catching COVID-19 in March 2024.

The Data: Worry about catching COVID-19 holds at 20%, with a majority now viewing the pandemic as over, though not all have returned to pre-pandemic normalcy.

The Bigger Picture: March marks four years from the start of the pandemic that took nearly 1.2 million lives in the U.S. With COVID-related deaths much lower in the post-pandemic period, public worry about getting the disease is way down from its peak, but still at 20% — exceeding what it was in June 2021 (17%), before the emergence of the delta and omicron variants.

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