Poll: Young Americans View China as US Rival or Ahead

By Staff, Agencies

More young Americans now see China as matching—or surpassing—the US in global power, underscoring a sharp generational split over America’s role on the world stage, a new survey found.

 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace poll showed 25% of Americans 18–29 see China as more powerful than the US, versus 12% of those 65+. Most under 65 view China as equal or stronger than Washington.

The findings reflect a broader erosion of faith in US exceptionalism among younger Americans. “Younger Americans are much less likely to see the US as uniquely exceptional,” Craig Kafura of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs a told Axios, noting exposure to life abroad— “European healthcare is cheaper and better. Why can't we do that?”

Many young Americans see China through culture and tech rather than security, while domestic issues like stagnant wages and high costs make foreign policy feel less urgent.

Younger Americans, frustrated by inequality, increasingly favor socialism, while Cold War–era generations view China as an adversary. “The promise of capitalism…it's kind of gone into reverse,” said Jake Werner of the Quincy Institute.

Nearly half of Americans see China as matching or surpassing US power within five years, citing technological and economic strengths. Americans under 65 increasingly view the world as multipolar, while baby boomers still see the US as dominant.

As younger cohorts gain political weight, their skepticism toward American primacy could increasingly shape debates over capitalism, foreign intervention, and how Washington defines competition with Beijing in a changing world.