COVID-19 pandemic

Global power in the post-crisis period

The COVID-19 crisis has tempered Australians’ expectations of China’s power in the future. While a third (37%) say China will be more powerful than it was before the crisis, this is much lower than the 72% who said in 2009 that China would be more powerful after the global financial crisis. A third (36%) also now say China will be just as powerful, with 27% saying China will be less powerful than it was before the crisis. In 2020, the majority of Australians (53%) say that the United States will be less powerful than it was before the crisis. This is 20 points higher than the response in 2009 after the global financial crisis, when a third (33%) said the United States would be less powerful than it was before the crisis. Four in ten Australians (41%) say the United States will be just as powerful as before the crisis, while 6% say the United States will be more powerful. With parts of Europe hit hard by the virus, Australians are uncertain about its future. Around half (48%) say Europe’s power will be reduced after the COVID-19 crisis, almost the same number (46%) say it will be just as powerful as before the crisis, and 5% say Europe will be more powerful.

COVID-19 pandemic
Global power in the post-crisis period

Question

The world is currently going through a severe health and economic crisis. When the world recovers from this crisis do you think each of the following will be more powerful, less powerful or will they be just as powerful as they were before the crisis?

This question was last asked in 2020.

0%
25%
50%
75%
100%

India

2009

China

2009

2020

United States

2009

2020

Europe

2020

In 2009, the question wording was “a severe economic crisis” rather than “a severe health and economic crisis”.
Dashed line indicates change in mode: see Methodology.

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