Modi remains world's most popular leader: Study by US firm
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has topped the global popularity charts once again, according to a recent survey by United States-based data analytics firm Morning Consult. The survey, which was conducted between March 2 and March 8, 2025, gave PM Modi an approval rating of 68%. This makes him the most popular democratic leader in the world.
Global comparison
PM Modi far ahead of other world leaders
The survey results also showed that PM Modi is far ahead of other world leaders in terms of popularity. Switzerland's Guy Parmelin and South Korea's Lee Jae-myung were tied at second place with an approval rating of 62%. The Czech Republic's Andrej Babis followed closely with a 57% approval rating.
Western comparison
PM Modi's popularity stark contrast to western leaders
The survey also showed a stark contrast between PM Modi's popularity and that of several prominent Western leaders. United States President Donald Trump had an approval rating of 39%, while United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer was at 24%. Germany's Friedrich Merz had a low approval rating of 20%. French President Emmanuel Macron was the least popular, with just a 17% approval rating and a disapproval rating of 75%.
Popularity dip
PM Modi's approval rating has dipped slightly since last year
However, PM Modi's popularity has taken a hit from last year when he had a 75% approval rating in the same tracker. Notably, earlier this year, PM Modi became the first global leader to cross 100 million followers on Instagram. He had joined the Meta-owned platform in 2014.