The public is less likely to see Canada as a close ally of the United States than it was in September 2023, but most still see the relationship as at least friendly.
Forty-five percent consider Canada a close ally, down from 62% in a Pearson/AP-NORC poll conducted in 2023. Perceptions of the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico have shifted a bit since 2023, but most continue to characterize the relationship as friendly.
The change in whether Canada is perceived as a close ally primarily comes from Democrats, but Republicans are also less likely to see Canada as the country’s ally now. Fifty-one percent of Democrats see Canada as a close ally, down from 73% in 2023. Among Republicans, 44% say Canada is a close ally, down from 55% in 2023.
About half of adults think of the United Kingdom as a close ally of the United States and 4 in 10 say the same about Israel and the European Union. The public is less likely to consider France or Germany as close allies but still most say these countries are at least friendly.
Only 17% consider Ukraine to be a close ally, but again most feel they are at least friendly with the United States.
Few say China or Russia are allies. The most common perception is a tense relationship, but not fully enemies. About a third consider them enemies.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say Israel is an ally (54% vs. 34%). And Republicans are more likely than Democrats to see China as an enemy (45% vs. 26%).
Republicans are less likely to see Russia as an enemy of the United States than Democrats (32% vs. 41%). Republicans are also more inclined to describe the relationship with Russia as unfriendly but not enemies than Democrats (49% vs. 38%).
The nationwide poll was conducted March 20-24, 2025 using the AmeriSpeak® Panel, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,229 adults. The overall margin of sampling error is +/- 3.9 percentage points.
- Suggested Citation: AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. “The UK and Canada are viewed as the United States’ closest allies.” (March 2025) https://apnorc.org/projects/the-uk-and-canada-are-viewed-as-the-united-states-closest-allies/
