Do Americans think China will overtake the US ... and their lives would 'not get worse? Here's what survey says

At least three-quarters of Americans believed China would eventually overtake the United States in global power and influence, highlighting growing public anxiety over the shifting balance between the world’s two largest economies, a national poll by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace showed.

Moreover, nearly 62% said that their lives “would not" get worse if China became more powerful than the States.

“This result indicated that very few Americans viewed the potential eclipse of the US power position by China as being catastrophic, suggesting that the general public would not want to endure major financial, military, or other costs to prevent such an outcome,” the South China Morning Post reported quoting the researchers.




The poll, revealed sharp partisan and generational divides, with Republicans 18 percentage points more likely than Democrats to say their lives would worsen if China overtook the United States. Age also played a key role, as 52 per cent of Americans aged 65 and above shared this concern, compared with only 27 per cent of those aged 18 to 29.

Most respondents, 59%, said they viewed the United States as one of several powerful countries rather than a dominant force, and 54% believed that America’s global influence was diminishing.

It found that 47% of 1,500 respondents said China had already surpassed the US or would do so within the next five years, while another 27% expected the shift to occur over a longer period, underscoring the central role of technological competition in shaping perceptions of future global leadership.

Perceptions of China’s growing economic strength were also widespread, with 42% of respondents saying China held an economic advantage over the United States, although a majority still believed the US retained a military edge.

At the same time, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said US power and global influence were either very important or somewhat important, even as the poll revealed a generational divide, with younger Americans less likely than older respondents to view Asia as a key region for US influence.

The survey was conducted between November 24 and December 1.