The British Council has released the 7th edition of its influential Global perceptions study, providing a crucial update on how young people across the G20 nations view the international landscape. This year’s report, which gauges the attitudes of 18-34 year olds on trust, attractiveness, and values, highlights a significant shift in global power dynamics that is highly relevant to the Development Studies community.

The key finding of the 2025 study is the emergence of a turning point in global influence: emerging powers are rapidly closing the gap on long-dominant Western democracies in the eyes of the next generation of global citizens.

This comprehensive research offers fresh insight into how geopolitical shifts are shaping the perceptions of youth in the world’s leading economies, providing vital data for understanding contemporary soft power and international development trends.

The full outputs of the study and related analyses are available for further exploration: