All 22 countries in a BBC World Service poll would prefer Democratic nominee Barack Obama to be elected US president instead of his Republican rival John McCain. Obama is preferred by a four to one margin on average across the 22,000 people polled. The margin in favor of Obama ranges from just 9% in India to 82% in Kenya. On average 49% prefer Obama to 12% preferring McCain. Nearly four in 10 do not take a position.

The poll also explored the expected impact of the US election. In 17 of the 22 countries surveyed the most common view is that, if Barack Obama is elected president, America’s relations with the rest of the world are likely to get better. If John McCain is elected, the most common view in 19 countries is that relations will stay about the same as they are now.

On average, according to the poll, 46% think that US relations with the world would get better with Obama, 22% that relations would stay the same, and 7% that they would get worse.

However, only 20% think relations would get better under McCain. The largest number – 37% – think relations under a McCain presidency would stay the same and 16% think they would get worse.

The countries most optimistic that an Obama presidency would improve relations are America’s NATO allies – Canada (69%), France (62%), Germany (61%), United Kingdom (54%), Italy (64%) – as well as Australia (62%) and the African countries Kenya (87%) and Nigeria (71%).

Despite the preference for an Obama victory in all countries, significant proportions in several said they do not favour either candidate, favour both equally or do not know which would be preferable.

This was particularly the case in Russia, where 75% do not express a preference between the candidates, but also in Turkey (63%) and Egypt (61%).

When asked whether the election as US president of Barack Obama, an African-American man, would “fundamentally change” their perception of the United States, 46% said it would while 27% said that it would not.

The US public was polled separately and the results suggest Americans also believe an Obama presidency would improve US relations with the world more than a McCain presidency, with 46% of Americans expecting relations to be improved with Obama’s election and 30% with McCain’s.

The results are drawn from a survey of 22,531 adult citizens across 22 countries conducted for the BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan together with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland.

A parallel poll surveyed 1,000 US adult citizens.

GlobeScan coordinated fieldwork between 8 July and 27 August 2008.

GlobeScan Chairman Doug Miller comments: “Large numbers of people around the world clearly like what Barack Obama represents. Given how negative America’s international image is at present, it is quite striking that only one in five think a McCain presidency would improve on the Bush Administration’s relations with the world.”

Polling was conducted for the BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan and its research partners in each country. In nine of the 23 countries, the sample was limited to major urban areas. The margin of error per country ranges from +/-2.4 to 4.4 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Source: BBC Press office

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